Only

I just saw the film ONLY in its Toronto theatrical release. Absolutely loved it. The film is gentle and loving and hopeful and magical and real. In the Q&A after the screening we learned that the film is 98% scripted and only 2% ad-lib but the actors are so natural that you really do leave the theatre feeling like you have spent the day with them. It reminds us about being 12 when we think that we are smarter than our parents but would rather roll around in fresh snow than talk about it. And that hint of a first love, when you meet someone who really gets you. The use of music is also perfect. The soundtrack is filled with Indie artists which rocks and rolls us through the film.

I just had the wonderful privilege of viewing this beautiful "captured moment" film. Everything about it just clicked and resonated exquisitely. From the painfully true performances from the film's young leads (a feat in itself) to the simple yet hauntingly emotive cinematography. Keeping it simple is the script's biggest asset, focusing entirely on the mundanely beautiful moments in life. It captured the awkward and boring moments of growing up in a small town. This was such an inspiring film, showing me not only the power of simple, personal storytelling but also in the digital medium itself. I was very happy to have gotten the chance to see this film and I strongly urge others to do the same if they have the opportunity. It's honest film-making to it's very heart.

Just saw Only for the second time and I am was just as moved as the first time I saw it.

The two leads, Elena and Jacob are totally believable as regular kids. At a time when children are becoming very self-conscious they provide raw performance that expose all sorts of embarrassing things to each other and the audience. The beauty of the story is found in the grace and ease that each character comes to accept the other for whom they are.

This beauty is supported by the wonderful cinematography that provides a magical landscape that children explore.

It is hard to imagine that many films will ever do as good a job of telling a story about this stage in childhood as Only does. It is just too hard to capture the actors between childhood and puberty. And it is equal has hard to avoid all the commercial clichés about how children should behave in film.

There is nothing in the movie to offend but the viewer must be prepared, like the children in the film to relax and just let things happen. The rewards for doing so are worth it.

The first time I saw Only, I spent hours afterwords wrapped safely in the knowledge that to be human in this world is an almost unbearably sweet and precious thing.

The second time I saw Only, I found myself having a physical reaction, feeling nervousness and excitement of a sort that I haven't had since I was as young as the leads.

I look forward to seeing the film a third time, and many times thereafter.

If you still have any room left in your heart for honesty, innocence and wonder, this is a film worth investigating. That description sounds trite and saccharine, but it's meant with unflinching honesty.

This doesn't even touch on specifics yet, but rest assured that the cinematography, acting, and soundtrack are all perfectly aligned with what I've said above, both in terms of quality and aesthetic.

There is an unwavering beauty underlying all things, and I take this film as proof.

This is a sweet movie that grows on you as you watch it. I encouraged my friends to see it with me, and all of them enjoyed it very much as well. Its storyline is simple, but it is played out so flawlessly well that it is much better than many movies with more intricate plots. It's a thoughtful meditation on the lives of two lonely adolescents who, for a day, have the chance to experience a powerful connection between themselves and someone else, a chance, the movie makes clear, that neither of them have too often. As they traipse around the Perry Sound area, discussing everything from whether books are better than movies to their deepest fears, we have the privilege to see their friendship slowly, tentatively and very realistically develop. Watch this movie! It is an absolute treat.