Nostalgia

This film was fantastic, it pulls on the heart strings and makes you realise that everyone has a story, is going though a heartache or struggle of some sort. It is also the actors that stand out in their performances, I felt as though I was there with them on their journey through pain and suffering as none of us are immune. The film shows the lives of 3 different families, and how getting old and being alone is not the way one should live. Some of the children want their piece of the pie where others have nostalgia over memories shared as children and realise that a house is just a house and nothing is forever. We accumulate so many items in our lives and to whom are they special for once we depart this earth. I highly recommend this film. You won't be disappointed as it will definitely get you thinking and stop sweating on the small stuff like most of us do.

There were moments when I thought this was a film about eyes as they communicate emotion. Sadness, compassion, confusion, frustration, and so on.

This is a difficult subject, how to handle the physical articles - or lack thereof - of a loved one after their passing. I, my siblings, and my mother's sisters went through this with my 97 year old grandmother's effect six months ago, so my grief at her passing is still fresh. It was often agonizing. So many random moments of laughter, tears and memories. Yet, life goes on and decisions have to be made. This film is respectful of this process. Not for everyone, true, but definitely one to re-visit at those times in your life when you so-so-so need to know you aren't alone in your feelings of loss and the need to move on.

Didn't know a whole lot about this, and I assume it really wasn't in many people's radar this month. I haven't really seen much of Mark Pellington's work outside of The Mothman Prophecies (which I liked quite a bit). Main reason for wanting to check this film out was the fact that the film employs a really talented cast. I'm always a fan of Jon Hamm getting more roles in film as he is a great actor. This film was tedious, slow, and a failed attempt at an interesting idea.

This film links a few stories and characters together through a common thread of loss, love, and memories from objects. We start off by seeing an insurance agent and eventually his story links with another character who in turn links with a different one for segments of different stories. I like the idea quite a bit and I've seen this type of storytelling work in the past, but this film can't utilize this method with success. Its a dull affair.

The cast is great as expected, especially Catherine Keener in a nice standout role. The characters don't carry any weight and its easy to lose track of one's story as its just boring and bland. You sit there thinking that nothing even goes on. This is okay if there's some sort of style or intriguing dialogue that adds to the story, but none of that happens here. Near the end I was just hoping for it to end.

There may be few who will find this film to be a moving experience but for me its a film that tries to hard to be spiritual and emotional while never leaving first gear. I see what is being attempted but the film has no weight to its characters or their turmoils. Not in any rush to see anything else from Mark Pellington unfortunately.

6/10

A beautifully adapted story illustrating the joy and pain of nostalgia (in all its forms) and how it impacts on the lives of the characters we are introduced to in the movie. But it's much more than that. The movie is a work of art. The performances are believable. The screenplay is spot on and the soundtrack is sublime. What a pleasure.

After clearing out deceased parents' home with brother and sister and experiencing the nostalgia associated with objects, to experiencing younger generational grief,, Thought this film really hit the nail on the head. it was acted superbly and the many moments with sister and brother, grieving parents, death expectant elder man, and especially the contained and deep emotion of the insurance agent, made this a very quality film. for some reason we have become hardened and inexperienced in sharing intense moments of life openly and a lot of the reviews of this film are so superficial to the point of tragic. Good one to see.