A Map of the World

One certainly can't fault Sigourney Weaver's acting here and she's in good company. But above all the pacing here is off, so that the film is too slow sometimes, then speeds up unexpectedly. The key dramas that drive it might have been spaced out a little differently and at least one motivated more clearly. The dynamic between husband and wife is hard to follow sometimes, as are the purpose of various scenes, notably what look like outtakes from "Orange is the New Black". Does the film have a moral, a point? Missed it if so.

It is a pity that "A Map of the World" was not better directed. It had it all, a wonderful story, brilliant actors but the movie somehow lacked guidance. In spite of this problem, Sigourney Weaver was nothing short of magnificent, her performance did deserve an Academy Award nomination. It is astonishing how well she plays roles that range from comedy to drama, always doing it beautifully. If "A Map of the World" were to be directed by somebody else, it would have been a masterpiece.

Here's yet another nod to composer, arranger and musician/performer Pat Metheny (sans the Group, as was incorrectly identified in another review). On this soundtrack, Metheny is accompanied by an unidentified chamber orchestra (percussion, violin, harp, flute, viola, cello, horn, bass, clarinet and the talented Gil Goldstein on organ).

Mostly variations on the title track, these melodic interpretations are quite eloquent (as one would come to expect from both Metheny & PMG), but arranged such that they never overtake the scene in which they are scored. Metheny contributes his own brilliant lead acoustic guitars, as well as piano and keyboards, with an overall combined feel of his previous Secret Story and Beyond the Missouri Sky releases.

A warm, introspective journey, this set of 28 tunes (6 less than a minute long and another 10 less than 2 minutes) are well-crafted and are worthy for a listen on a Sunday morning with coffee, in front of the fireplace with a nice bottle of wine or a drive in the country, esp. for those in the midwestern US.

kudos to Sigourney Weaver for yet another outstanding and sympathetic performance. David Straithairn also is effective as the husband, caught in a web of chaos; Weaver as a school nurse is accused of child abuse in a small Wisconsin town; this after a child she is babysitting accidentally drowns. (The mother of the drowned child is portrayed by Julianne Moore).

Look for an excellent part with Arliss Howard as the defense attorney; it is a shocking surprise that 5 other children come forward accusing Weaver; it develops into a sort of witch hunt- and the actress playing the prosecutor is quite odious.

"A Map of the World" is not an easy story to take to; there are many complicated and also malicious sides of several characters; The character Weaver portrays is complex; guilty, and angry about a child accidentally dying, she accepts prison as an appropriate sentence, and even injures herself; She remains sympathetic however, throughout this film, and that is a rare talent that many actors could NEVER carry off. A must see. 9/10.

This is a tough task. I want to explain why this film is very worthy of a viewing, without giving any spoilers away. It's not the most incredible film ever made, but it's so much better than many films made in 1999. It's beauty is organic, in that from a good story/novel comes a very finely honed and skilled script. A story that manages the odd laugh in some very dark situations. A script that gives us the kitchen sink drama of folk attempting the American dream, the tense drama that sometimes has you wondering whether you like that person you loved a minute ago, and some very normal, human days. Then you take the immensely talented Sigourney Weaver, David Strathairn, and Julianne Moore (along with other mentionables such as Richard McMillan and Aunjanue Ellis) to deliver the dialogue, and we already have something worth watching.

I could attempt to interpret it, and tell you what it's all about, what it all 'means' but, in essence it's a story about some people dealing with some extraordinary events in their ordinary lives. What we learn, or take away from it is down to the individual watching.

The direction, and photography is flawless, with some subtle colour themes running throughout the movie. Greys and pale blues, set with rust and bright orange as the story progresses; fields and concrete, hope and despair. The story is linear, but very rarely the camera cunningly takes us to different times and places. The soundtrack is just fine, and while it, and the film sometimes verge on being a little saccharine (which it manages to avoid in the main), what we see here are some very talented people making a good solid film.

A lot of the time what you think is about to happen next, often does. But be ready for a couple of surprises, and even if what happens next is what you suspected would occur, just watch some people acting their socks off!

I only found this film because the DVD was on sale for half a dollar, and bought it purely on the strength of Sigourney Weaver and Julianne Moore, who have never let me down. They are a couple of the best actors of their generation - I only have to point you to Snowcake, The Hours, or Magnolia for solid proof of that. Apart from their obvious acting abilities, I particularly applaud their lack of vanity, and dedication to getting things right.

If you think you're into good film, and want to see all of them before you die, then you really should watch this one.