The Things We Carry

This film does an excellent job of telling painful truths without pulling punches or going over the top. What starts out seeming like a very black and white tale develops into one of subtle complexities that makes the extreme situation one to which we can all relate.

The writing is honest and real. Each character, down to the most minor, is full of humanity. Acting performances are all strong, but most notable are those of Ilene Graff, Daniel Zacapa, and Alexis Rhee. Ms Rhee said more with her eyes than most actors can with pages of dialog. No production detail was missed. Set decorating was perfect. Lighting was as harsh as the story being told. The score enhanced without distracting.

It is a familiar story. Abusive addict mother with 2 daughters who react at opposite ends of the spectrum. One daughter stays with mother. Other daughter runs. Sisters initially unable to see the others perspective. It's a sad story and sadly true to so many families without a loving mother. I identified to the end but was really hoping for something new.

This movie is as real as it gets for me. The lead takes us on a journey with her through memories of her mother's life/death. She reaches her breaking point toward the end of the story with the "things she was carrying" about her mother's addiction and it's impact on her and their family. During the body of the film I was stuck by her inability to be social with other people because of her inner rage. In the interaction she has with her sister during the film, we see her more human side. It really made me admire her for taking on a difficult, personal story line. She did an amazing job as well as the whole cast. This movie truly moved me. and made me think. I highly recommend it!

It's hard to watch a movie when you don't care much for the main character. I believe she is portrayed much too unreachable, like she's passed the "point of no return". Though I appreciate the journey written for her, the character shows not even subtle signs of a desire to grow or change. So in a sense, the film then becomes quite static and unattractive, and predictable even.

What saves the movie for me are the two main supporting characters. Catherine Kresge does an amazing job in this film. Very real, very believable performance. Her character feels human, not robotic like her sister (which unfortunately leads to a non-believable relationship between them). She will most likely be moving on to bigger and better things. Alexis Rhee gives a very dramatic performance, filled with much needed intense moments helping to "stir the soup".

I think this film would have been much better as a short. Too much "looping" going on, with no real movement of the main arc until the very end.

Intense. Real. Gripping. Relatable. Well written. Visually captivating. This is a wonderful indie flick that pulls you in and really captures the struggles of a family affected by drugs abuse. I found myself relating to its characters and their emotional battles which is always a tell tale sign of an amazing film. This movie definitely pulls on your heartstrings and you come away with the feeling that you've been let in on something very personal and also thinking about how you would feel and act if this story was actually your life. For being an independent movie, the production is really top notch and you can tell the film makers and actors put their heart and soul into bringing the story to life. Kudos and bravo to everyone involved in this movie!!!