Un nuevo comienzo

Produced in 2012, this film has traveled the film festival circuit for far too long without having a proper mainstream release.

The story's arc is revealed to us through the mind of the main character through an imaginative use of animated visuals. The audience is allowed to travel in and out of the mind of the main character's coping mechanisms through a very clever and effective assortment of visual and musical story devices. When these mechanisms begin to fail, these conventions carry through in an appropriately dynamic fashion.

Rupert Friend delivers a stunning performance in his supporting role, and this film will be a pleasant surprise to those who know this actor from the 'Homeland' series.

The film has some roughness around the edges, and at times feels like a very expensive (and slightly didactic) after-school special. But those moments are fleeting, and are contrasted with some very harsh visuals and story progression that are anything but didactic.

We're presented with a brutally honest story that is at times both beautiful and horrifying in its presentation of characters that come full circle in the end.

I'll be honest that I don't know what it's like to be addicted to drugs or alcohol, and can't speak to the accuracy of the film in that regard. So I am reviewing the story on things such as artistic feel, acting, plot progression, etc. I did really enjoy this movie, which is surprising considering its content. The characters and their struggles felt real, and the movie had enough balance in the drama to not drag you down too low.

I felt that the artistic elements were beautiful and made sense to the plot. The characters seemed reasonably well acted. I admit I may be biased though as a "Two Broke Girls" fan. I actually thought a lot of the supporting cast were really good too though, and weirdly the person driving the rickshaw seems like their character's story should have been in there a bit more, as it was hinted how important they were to Renee's character, but not as well covered. I did think the person who's place she stayed at seemed a bit more shallow than their character should have been, and am uncertain if that was writing or acting.

Some people have considered this as an anti drug propaganda film, and maybe it is, I can't say. It's based on a true story, and as all films based on true stories we will never have the whole story, not just because the 2 hour time limit, but because there will always be more to the story to the people who actually lived it.

This movie is both ordinary and extraordinary. I have to confess I almost passed on it after reading a review on this site where the reviewer named Kat Dennings as his favorite actress. I couldn't imagine that. I was a fan of 2 broke girls in the beginning but drifted away from it because I felt it continued to go in a more and more ridiculous direction. I also saw Kat in the Thor movies and felt there wasn't ever going to be anything special about her.

I was wrong. This movie touched me in so many ways I hardly know where to start.

Having dealt with addictions and a major depressive order I feel I'm qualified to comment further. I was captivated by the story, which on its own unfortunately is a common and ordinary one these days. There is a lot to grasp and the pace is neither quick or slow, somehow they got it just right and that in itself is huge. The movie is honest and unapologetic and Kat nailed it. At times I related personally and at others I was reminded of someone in my life. I was totally captivated. The fact that this story is based on a true story was secondary for me.

What made this movie extraordinary for me was that they never really tried to offer a solution. They never tried to preach. Anybody who has ever sought recovery knows it is a very personal and heart-wrenching journey that can't be done alone. This movie somehow captured that.

I expected right from the start to see Kat come out as that brassy bold woman we all know and love, or not, but that wasn't the case. She portrayed perfectly a troubled girl who battled her demons and never felt quite like she was winning. She somehow made me feel like I was seeing something private and I wasn't supposed to be there at all.

The supporting cast was great as well. there were noticeable issues in personality changes in a couple of the characters, but nothing major. The story forgives itself.

This is a must see movie. If for no other reasons than to give your heart a gift. Thank you for this.

This film tells the story of a young woman who has mood and addiction problems. She is helped by friends to stay clean, and subsequently they founded an organisation to help other young people.

"To Write Love on Her Arms" is not an easy film to watch or comment on, because it is a person's intensely personal journey. However, viewing it as a film, I found the plot rather difficult to understand. I don't understand why Renee is depressed and is on drugs to start with, leaving me confused for the rest of the film. Renee does not seem to have the big heart described in the plot summary immediately after her discharge from the detox centre. It was someone else who founded the charity organisation, and Renee is not even ready to deal with her own problems - let alone other people's problems. So I was left feeling muddled and cheated throughout the film.

Of course I have to say that it is great that Renee her friends are still running the charity organisation to help others, which shows that they are altruistic and compassionate. I just wish there is more of that portrayed in the film.

9 out of 10, what am I, crazy? Hear me out.

For one thing, the story alone is about someone going through a difficult time in their life that is able to overcome one of the hardest obstacles that most people cannot even imagine. This person, with there friends whom abandoned them originally, is able to recover from a difficult scenario.

Now for the rating. Often times you find directors often cutting the film so often its like staring into a strobe light on full blast. This film is not afraid to do long cuts and as a result draws you into the film as if you are experiencing it yourself.

Kat Dennings plays an amazing performance that has you feeling as if you are apart of everything and going through the same experiences as she is.

The visual effects in this movie are also note-worthy. It brings you back to your childhood where every static thing becomes a reality- moving, breathing, a life-hood of its own.

If you have never watched this movie, owe it to yourself and give it a go. Ignore the haters, watch it with an open mind, and you will find something about yourself in this film.