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  • Carrie is a young Harvard graduate, healthy and pretty, and she lives in a New York City apartment paid for by her Dad. Despite such advantages, she is crippled by fear and insecurity. Stung by human cruelty and indifference, Carrie has become cynical, defensive and a loner without a job or purpose. Her fastidious nature only digs more holes for herself. Luckily, Carrie's therapist has a plan to get her out of the funk. Despite the straightforward and simple nature of the plan which requires that Carrie merely re-read a favorite book, find a friend, go on a date, get a pet and do something she loved as a child, Carrie balks, struggles and finds snarky ways to cut corners. Though Carrie struggles, the plan begins to work its magic in getting her to engage with the world again. She finds that the source of her pain is also the source of her strength.

    The main actor, Bel Powley, is charming and a wonder to watch. The dialogue is sharp and funny. I loved the theme of the story; a good person who is wounded emotionally and struggling with their innate power. In Carrie there is this timeless hero myth retold from a female perspective for a change. It is refreshing. The film is based on a book of the same name. The film gets a little clunky when it relies too heavily on lines. It then has a preordained quality like lemmings going to the sea. Overall, though, it is alluring and clever. Seen at the Miami International Film Festival.
  • I loved this movie. The main character I found captivating and I was on her side from the start. I have an interest in the subject of relationships, and the way the therapy was used was really interesting; The issues with boundaries were actually quite realistic, as was her distress at her absent father.
  • A better film than I thought. What I thought was seeing how it was received. It was based on the book of the same name, directed by a newcomer. A coming-of-age film, about a 19 year old smart girl, but struggling in the real world since finished her education. Particularly, she's having a trouble with her father in communicating. Not that she's incapable of blend in with the rest of the world, but she's preoccupied with what she's interested in. Now her therapist hints to make a list to accomplish things than the dull life according to him she's presently living on. During her attempt, what are all things she go through was told in the remaining narration.

    Bel Powley was brilliant in the title role. It was more like a sequel to her previous film 'The Diary of a Teenage Girl'. Like it was the next stage of her story. Between adulthood and teenhood, at the edge of teenage. Apart from her, the rest of the cast was decent. I usually like this kind of films, but they are all same. Developed from the basic storyline that we are very familiar with. In that perspective, this is not an impressive film, especially if you have seen plenty. Even though not bad for watching it once. Since the characters, cast and settings differ, besides the presentation was good, it surely a nice film to watch alone in a lazy weekend. Probably under- appreciated, but definitely an under- noticed film of the year.

    7/10
  • Gordon-1117 April 2017
    This film tells a story of an nineteen year old Harvard graduate, who is cynical and insecure about herself. She isolates from the world and is angry about everything, until her psychiatrist asks her to go and do a list of things that hopes to transform her.

    "Carrie Pilby" is a portrayal of an interesting character that is different from the usual girl next door. She is intelligent, pretty but highly guarded from the outside world. The story is about her trying to make sense of the world around her, which is not complicated to most people but unfathomable to her. It is satisfying to see her change and develop in just over a week. It is a sweet little romantic comedy to kill time with.
  • sfyaltsha23 June 2020
    Surprisingly delightful feel-good movie not only for the holidays. surely more people should see it!
  • Warning: Spoilers
    An honest try at portraying the struggle for relationship across generational lines. A lighthearted look at the downsides of being super smart. Supergeeks need love! While the performances are solid, it is hard to imagine the 'plot,' i.e., (spoiler, please read no further if you are spoiler averse) a faculty liaison with a sixteen year old. Jeez! Pretty Little Liars was more than enough in that vein.

    More to the point, how could someone this geeky get this much action with no awkwardness at all?

    I am a huge fan of both Gabriel Byrne and Nathan Lane but there were moments when I felt they were phoning it in, although phoning it in for these two remains excellent.

    A feel good movie with a lot to say about how confusing love is, but, oh, how necessary.
  • This movie was as fun to watch as anything that I have seen in a long time. Bel Powley was feisty, spunky, hilarious and also very touching throughout the whole movie. I see where Hailee Steinfeld was originally supposed to play the title role, but as wonderfully as Powley did, I'm actually glad Steinfeld was unavailable. I will undoubtedly enjoy watching this one again.
  • When u have a low EQ and high IQ and still feels like life missing something. Clear and understandable show of the once knowing all and still feeling miserable.

    Story is easy about belong to some people some places.

    The list made for the life as easy and some important for human life.

    I enjoyed the movie. So easy and beautiful all at once.

    P. Em.
  • A socially awkward, highly intelligent teen, is trying to find some happiness in the world. All the bad reviews seem to yearn for a caricature, so absolutely awkward and intelligent they can barely function in the real world. Unfortunately for them this is far more realististic. Just a person not quite in sync with the real world trying to find their rhythm. This a sweet, feel good movie. It has real heart, you know that because your automatically connect with the main character. It's lovely from start to finish.
  • I watch films to learn or be uplifted. Carrie Pilby, now on Netflix, uplifted me. Based on a young adult novel about a quirky teenage protege from London who went to Harvard when she was fourteen, this comedy went down easy. Bel Powley as Carrie hits all the right notes with her big expressive eyes and wry reactions to a weird world. Her therapist is played by Nathan Lane; her father by Gabriel Byrne. Can't go wrong there. Carrie's mother died, she is at odds with her father, and her therapist suggests a list of goals to accomplish to help acclimate her to relationships and so-called normal life interactions so Carrie won't end up being a brilliant but unhappy, lonely person. I didn't think this coming-of-age story would be my genre, but I liked the trailer and gave it a try. I enjoyed all the bit actors and just went with the flow of this light film.
  • I enjoyed the idea of an intelligent and prickly woman making her way in life alone. It seemed like a good idea but I didn't love the execution.

    First, this had been sold to me as a "romance" err, no. If you're looking for that, skip this one. Second Carrie is sold as a smart woman but she doesn't act like one. She is Harvard trained but accepts a job proofing legal briefs and basically doing foolish things. The movie wants to have the same extroverted message that they all do, namely that you can't survive without love and others. Ok sure, then make that case. But like all of these movies... the magical insanely handsome guy shows up and is into her, for no apparent reason. The movie just assumes happiness when, prior to, Carrie had suffered after having a good looking guy show her attention.
  • A breath of fresh air. A bit of a Salinger's catcher in the rye in it. Infused with good values and so a drop of a bit of an antidote to an increasingly cynical society. Feel good and a pleasant hour and a half.
  • Absolutely loved her as a ditzy teenage Princess Margaret in "A Royal Night Out" and while this movie is less slapstick, she's equally good or even better here. Love the way she plays off Nathan Lane and Gabriel Byrne, although most of the Byrne scenes are long-distance. She's also great with the boy next door and her blind date, not to mention her hapless efforts to manage her "pets."

    While Powley is not a conventional movie starlet beauty, this film really shows her at her best advantage, and it was funny to first see her play a brainless teenage Princess obsessed with the Lindy Hop charming the proprietor of a London "knocking shop," and then be equally convincing as a Harvard brainiac charming both a straying fiance and her neighboring musician. Worth your time.
  • Carrie Pilby is supposed to be a hyper intelligent but socially incapable 19-year old. You learn this within the first 5 minutes of the movie. After that starting scene it appears everybody forgot about those characteristics except for some "super intelligent" quotes she recites. She is far from socially incapable, makes absolute standard if not above average smalltalk and flirts with all guys below 50 years the movie has to offer. There is not one scene where it is of any relevance that she is super intelligent. She even behaves super dumb when it comes to her intelligence and brags about it like no uninvented intelligent person would do. Clearly noone involved in the making of this movie ever had to do with any high intelligent person. The main actress just plays flirty clumpsy hot chick like you can find in any high-school movie. Please stop making these pointless movies that are foreseeable and lack humour in every joke.
  • After leaving the theatre without being moved to feel something memorable from the past three blockbusters I've seen, I'm happy I stumbled upon this movie while it was playing in LA. Not only did I love it, I didn't check my watch once, that's saying something. And, what more do you need to say when a movie makes you feel great? Nothing!
  • Warning: Spoilers
    Quick warning for people who read the book. It wont be that accurate.

    When i read the book i loved the story and the humble amount of lgbt representation. I'm not saying that every movie these days should include something queer, i am saying that the book did involve a bit more dept of Carrie's sexuality and that this element in the story was very enjoyable and relatable for me to read.

    The movie also cuts off some characters i personally thought of as good additions to the story and as people that shaped Carrie more as a person.

    Some other things that kind of bothered me was that Harisson in the book i read was portrayed as an older man in his 40s and in the movie he looked like a 25 year old cutie. The list was also not quite accurate but i didn't mind that too much since these points did make the movie itself more enjoyable and more fitting for the movie industry.

    The thing that bothered me most was the ending. It ended on such a romantic note while i wished it would've ended a bit more similair to the book since that ending gave me more satisfaction that our loved Carrie would finally be a bit more at peace and satisfied with her life.

    Besides all the bringdowns the movie on is own is a highly enjoyable screenplay to spend your time on. With some relatable moments, quite amazing acting if i may say so myself and overall, a good plot and story.

    I recommend you watch it since i would never say it was a waste of my time. It was a good movie, yet dissapointing for someone who loved the book so much like me.
  • Cringy, poorly written dialogues. All the ridiculous hollywood clichés of what smart people should act/talk like (80% rubbish). Overall entertaining Sunday afternoon movie, to watch with good company and completely forget you've ever seen it.
  • This movie was exactly what I was looking for in the moment. A lighthearted, quirky, and engaging film. The character who played Kilby, Bel Powley, was adorable in her role. It was a pretty predictable plot, albeit entertaining as far as dialogue and acting goes. It did its job with ONE exception. Colin O'Donoghue played a douche, which is unacceptable. He's too good of an actor, and too attractive for that boring typical bro role.
  • A good, engaging film, fairly standard romcom stuff though. Marred for me by the annoyingness of the title character, and also the fact that they would keep saying 'Franny and Zoe'. The title of the book is 'Franny and Zooey', and I thought it is generally acknowledged to be pronounced Zooey!
  • I was so excited to see this film at the Toronto filmfest last week. You might enjoy it because it's very funny - a hyper verbal genius, 19 and a year out of college, taking on the hypocrisies of adulthood, and sparring with therapist (Nathan Lane) and some other interesting characters. Some of the jokes were dry and some more obvious. But there's a lot to make you think besides just laughing. I enjoyed seeing 19-yar-old Carrie's beliefs challenged in so many different ways. She sets out to expose a few "cheaters" in society but is surprised to find the situations not as black and white as she thought. Isn't that what we all learn as we grow? Ultimately she does the right thing, but it's not always easy. I am leaving out the spoilers but I just want to say that you will be surprised by a few of the twists and turns. I haven't read the book it's based on so I can't compare it to that, but I will say that it's funny, charming and I LOVE the actors. I think this movie will do well with an audience like me, recent college grads and anyone in 30s/40s/50s questioning where they fit into the world.. Can't wait till its in theaters so I can bring friends!
  • kosmasp2 April 2018
    Finding your way is not always the easiest thing to do. Of course that doesn't mean every movie about self discovery or about maturing will speak to all people. Obviously one other reviewer even had an issue with this being a festival film (as if the movie is to blame). But if you can look past labels and want an interesting story, this could be it.

    It's not the best ever (though of course individual opinion can differ, subjective viewing and "baggage" one may have from previous experiences), but it's a nice drama and the acting is at least decent. There are some nice threads throughout the movie and the characters are likeable despite their obvious flaws. A light nice movie then ...
  • What I liked:
    • interesting background and core premise
    • quirky (and a bit dry) sense of humor
    • William Moseley (as Cy) comes across a breath of fresh air with an authentic feel to it


    What I didn't like:
    • barely any character building
    • predictability throughout the entire film
    • the main character doesn't make it easy to root for her: she's portrayed as a highly intelligent young girl who isn't too shy reminding that either. She name drops and refuses to 'lower' herself to fit in the crowd yet I struggled to see her intelligence having any real relevance in this story
  • brynt200924 December 2019
    A very underrated film,so quirky and ,eventually,romantic. A small understated film like this only works if the writing,direction and acting are first rate and ,wow,that sure is the case here underlined with a killer closing line. Wonderful film,enjoyed it so much,proof that films of this ilk can still be made .
  • Probably weakest in the beginning. She is quite irritating, and the movie would probably worked better as a romantic comedy if she had been more awkward and a little less unattractive. But having created such an ugly duckling, by comparison the swan at the end seems only superficially better.

    So the real flaw in the movie, realized by reflection after it ends, is that the movie is entirely selfish from her perspective. Unlike other movies in the genre, she brings no joy to anyone else, and remains as deeply flawed at the end as she is at the beginning. There really is no inner beauty to be found, or at least none that we ever see.

    I really don't think it is a very healthy movie to watch because I felt the character was doomed. She never seemed to learn the lesson that in order to receive, one needs to give.
  • Every year I see some films at the Toronto Film Festival. I usually avoid American films, but this year, Carrie Pilby had an intriguing premise and, what the hell, the Cohen brothers and Alexandre Payne are also American and they make excellent movies. So I decided to renounce my no-American films prejudice and ... I got to regret spending 2 hours and $22 that I will never get back. As I said, a very interesting premise - an exceptionally bright young woman's quest for fitting in and for finding her way. It was such a lost opportunity! Mediocre acting (I have seen better in sitcoms), hardly any character build-up, formulaic situations with formulaic and oh-so-predictable resolutions. In order to remind us that the main character was extremely brilliant they made her drop names (Kierkegaard, Camus and Salinger) and mention in passing that she reads 20 books or so in a single week. Other than that, she did not come across as bright or, at least, special in any way, even if they made her speak with a British accent. It was such a mediocre, run of the mill, formulaic, predictable film that they did not even miss the chance to lecture us - insistently and at a great length - what constitutes an acceptable sexual relationship and what does not. (Don't get excited, no nudity.) Oh, and in order to use all cookie-cutter trademarks of an American B movie, they also had some cool and oh so cute guys hitting on our genius girl. Sigh! PS: If you are into sugary romantic flicks, do watch it, but don't spend $22 to see it at a festival - they have these movies every day on most TV movie channels.
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