The Things We Carry

This is a great drama for any independent film lovers. Very real and natural acting, great storyline. It's a very moving film, with a lot of depth and emotion. All of the actors were great in each of their roles. The woman who played the mom was insane! It looks beautiful which is interesting in contrast to the edgy quality of the story. I also loved the score and music. Sometimes that can be overdone, other times it's not even good enough to notice, but in this movie it was perfect. The filmmakers were at the Boston Film Festival for a Q&A and it was really cool to find out that they were a sister team. Look out Cohen Brothers! See this movie if you can!

I saw this movie at the Arclight in Hollywood and was very impressed by the acting and the story/script. I was lucky enough to stay for a Q&A after the film and found out that the movie was produced by two sisters and is based on actual events. Knowing that there's truth the story adds a whole new depth to the drama, making it an inspiring tale. Without getting into the plot (the trailer is available on youtube), I'd just like to say that this is a moving film that will keep you captivated until the end. Definitely recommended! Although female driven (and not enough movies are!!), this is a movie that both genders can watch, relate to and learn from.

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!!!

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'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.