Love the cast, the acting, the writing, the story- all of it was so clever and intertwined. A really beautiful story of how small acts of kindness can mean the world to other people. Bill Nighy and Zoe Kazan are amazing actors and them together is everything I didn't know I needed. Give this movie a shot, it will bless your soul.
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Cten0517 February 2020It appears that most reviewers sought an adrenaline-filled action thriller or jazzy melodrama. This is not one of that too-common coin. Rather, like most films in which the quietly brilliant Bill Nighy appears, this one is delicate, smooth, evocative, relevant to just about every human who is not trying to escape being human (or is working to escape the madness of modern society and return to being just human).
This film honorably expands the canon of interwoven lifelines each of which, like the Borromean rings, supports and enriches other already-solid stories. Like Crash, 360, Magnolia and Hereafter, all of the characters are entirely plausible, especially when they find themselves coping with unfamiliar and threatening circumstances. Most rise to opportunity for self-improvement; a few find a chute to the pit.
Like most truly mind-expanding (dare one say "spiritual"?) movies, this one faces the conscious viewer with a series of "I've been there too" and "what would I do?" and "who would help me?" moments. And for the generous of heart, two persistent questions: How have I been helped along by people with no reason to get involved but their own generous mindsets; and What opportunities to help others, and thereby myself and my world, are presenting themselves in this moment?
Quiet, compelling, and worth a slot in any ethics or social-psychology class. -
therealjaysmoke21 August 2020Brilliant story, brilliant acting, brilliant directing. I don't understand why this movie has a low rating. From the very beginning, it captures you, quite sad at some point but it just kept getting better. A well deserving ending I must say.
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maniort16 February 2020There is nothing wrong with a movie that isn't polished like a diamond. No, the writing isn't perfect and the acting is not genius (albeit good), but stories are bigger than their words. The cinematography is very nice, especially if you're a fan of NY.
I look forward to more from the creator. -
The core story is about a young mother of two boys, married to an abusive policeman. They live outside the city and as the movie starts Zoe Kazan as Clara is driving into the city with the boys, her explanation is they are taking a short vacation.
In reality she is getting away from her abusive husband, desperate for a way out and to a better life for her and the boys. In the process things happen and her survival depends on the kindness of strangers. A nurse who leads a self-help group, workers at a soup kitchen, a manager of a Russian restaurant, and assorted others.
The success of the movie depends on how Zoe Kazan carries her part and she carries it well. Good movie for anyone who has an interest in human relations.
We watched it on Amazon movies via ROKU streaming. -
ulf-635-5233679 February 2022"What about you, Bonnie? Did you get manage to get through the week without hitting your dog?" Lone Scherfig has a unique fingerspitzengefühl and an absolute pitch for the distress of life. She has composed a breathtaking tale about a collection of odd existences colliding in the New York winter. A statement about life's many adversities but where goodness always triumphs in the end. A theme that the film industry is in dire need of.
It's a must see. -
srgymrat337 July 2021The production value isn't great - but honestly it's feel good , the characters are endearing and real and it's worth your time .
The protagonists didn't meet in some magical way , instead it really is through genuine kindness in real life situations which leaves the movie feeling genuine .
Good message , relatable characters and leaves you feeling better about humanity . -
spencejoshua-227367 October 2020This film is an oddity.......but in a good way. The story is centered around kindness and weaves the lives of common citizens together for an overall "feel good" experience. The interesting aspect is that even though the film is a positive tale, it deals with several negative elements of the real world. Child abuse, homelessness, drug use, loneliness, loss, etc. It intertwines these hopeless tones with a shimer of light at the end of the tunnel. The characters have just enough quirkiness to draw us in and hold our attention until each storyline has arrived at its respected destination.
Beautiful cinematography, great acting and fantastic story. I would watch again. -
nicholasabadzis14 March 2020The understated quality of this movie might be why it hasn't received better reviews. I don't think it means to be a treatise on homelessness or a precise rendition of the conditions thereof (an assumption I've seen some high profile critics make). That's a fate that befalls one of the characters and her two children, part of an ensemble whose interlinked stories together make a case for empathy and impulsive altruism being among the most admirable aspects of human nature.
Homelessness is one thematic layer to a story that investigates kindness as the social glue that matters most and is possibly also the most underrated of dispositions or inclinations, often being seen as weak or oversensitive. Personally, I found it a lovely film, quite moving in places with its acknowledgment that, without kindness and the generosity of strangers, society would fall apart. -
bobcperkins20 February 2022Man. To read some of these reviews you'd think that there isn't any such thing as kind stranger. So I guess my first comment would be "Be the change." It looks like if you enjoyed the movie you think the world is salvageable. If you think the world is endless cruelty then the movie is too fluffy.
Zoe Kazan is who makes this movie work. I found her to be very compelling as a battered mom up against a system that too often protects the victimizers. That really happens, as you know if you've ever worked around a women and children's shelter. I'll pretty much watch anything with Bill Nighy in it, even if this is one of his lesser performances. Some of the minor characters were very endearing. On the whole, I thought it was a nice ensemble piece and a good weekend night movie. My wife works at a public school and really wanted to watch something to help restore her faith in humanity. I don't think it was entirely effective, but it was a good break. Yes, some of the plot devices are too convenient but I didn't think they were necessarily unbelievable; odd things happen in life that only look crazy in the rearview mirror. If you're looking for Citizen Kane or Pulp Fiction, this ain't it. But if you can handle the idea of people supporting each other within a loving community this will likely do you for an evening. -
margaretwillasimon24 October 2020There's nothing wrong with this movie except everything. The concept has such good potential but there is no follow through. The acting is fine but the actors don't have much to work with. The script is curt and clunky. There is no chemistry between characters. There is absolutely no back story for any of the characters except Claire and even that is shallow. Nothing is explained properly. It try's to be heartfelt but it's just boooorrrrriiinnnnggg. The two young boys were the best part of this movie. I really wanted to like it.
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DogePelis201530 May 2021It is a moving movie; it has a very good plot and quality performances; it is too undervalued; I highly recommend it.
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blr-btc1 March 2021The story of many women, told from a compassionate and well tortured perspective to really pull on the heart strings...
I can despise modern feminism and still love this film. A convergence of injustice, human rights, health care, social marginalization, poverty, violence and the individuals that try and fix what's wrong in society, long before institutions can or would.
Zoe Kazan profiles well for a young mother its a pity that her personal politics is so much more preachy than this script, that subtly takes us to a place of sober introspection and mankind's obligation to love thy neighbor.
It is believable in that all the character arcs had their own agendas but still found a way to bring kindness to their part of the world!
The NYC backdrops and score were delightful.
Some missed opportunities with the ending.
Nice film. -
Nevergivea109 February 2022What is wrong with me? Why do I watch a movie with so many 9 and 10 ratings and I see crap? Is it the boring story? The corny acting? The fact that it's supposed to be New York and it's filmed Canada? Probably all of the above. Just because a movie has a "feel good" vibe, doesn't make it a good movie. Remember, a 10 rating means perfection. If you think this is perfect, we're from different worlds.
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AJ_McAninch19 February 2022It has its moments, but overall, the film is just not as good as it could have been. It is curiously emotionless considering the topic, with a weak, meandering, undeveloped script, and inexplicable decisions made every other step as it then eventually winds down. What a shame because the themes are important, and the actors are pretty good.
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danybur27 May 2021Summary
In the midst of so much gratuitous misery that seems to be fashionable in today's cinema, where the protagonist faces a series of despicable characters, Lone Scherfig's film lives up to its title, since its protagonist, a mother with two children, he finds a true solidarity network that brings light and hope to a situation of sudden and absolute helplessness
Review
Clara (Zoe Kazan) escapes with her two children to New York from an abusive husband, a policeman (Esben Smed), with a car as all capital. In the city, her path will meet Alice, a nurse (Andrea Riseborough), Jeff, a giddy young man (Caleb Landry Jones) and Mark, who runs a peculiar Russian restaurant (Tahar Rahim) owned by a phlegmatic Bill Nighy.
As in any choral film, the way in which all the characters converge at the hand of Alice (a true fairy godmother of what we could precisely define as a fairy tale or a Christmas tale) can be somewhat forced. Each of the characters carries a backpack and it will be seen if she manages to alleviate it and lighten those of the others.
Following Clara (a middle-class mother suddenly faced with homelessness) we will enter the world of social assistance in New York City, with an approach that avoids outrageousness, although for some it may be indulgent or naive.
The cast performs solvently, from the charming Zoe Kazan (notable in The Plot Against America) to a Tahar Rahim on the antipodes of his assassin from The Serpent, to the multi-faceted, altruistic and committed Alice of Andrea Riseborough.
In the midst of so much gratuitous and schematic miserabilism that seems to be fashionable in today's cinema, where the protagonist faces a series of despicable characters, Lone Scherfig's film lives up to its original title, as Clara meets with a true solidarity network that brings light and hope to a situation of sudden and utter helplessness. -
kosmasp15 July 2023Sorry ... I reckon it is that time of day, where my brain is just fried up - so no pun intended. Reviewing and rating so many movies is almost like work. And you don't even get paid for it. I will not say it is my kindness to inform people about movies ... on the other hand I am a stranger to most of you ... so there is that I reckon.
If you are able to be kind - be kind! It goes a long way and you may help others be kind to any encounter they may have in their day. Really good actors do whatever they have to - so that the movie works. Short stories of sorts and a connection for all of them? If so which one will it be ... well you decide .... -
random-707788 December 2019This was just an awful film. Tennessee Williams and Zoe Kazan's grandfather must both be rolling in their graves. The director and writer ought to both get out of the film business, as should half of the cast.
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cheer8824 April 2022When I started watching the first time, I was bored by the uninspired storyline and quitted after first few minutes. Then a few weeks later, I picked it up again and surprisingly I finished it. So I decided to review it.
Well, domestic abuse is not a subject to be treated lightheaded. But if this is not the main story line then it should be a sub plot. It could not be all cheers and feeling good even in worst situations. However, there were some not so cliche moments which griped my attentions and was enough for me to finish watching it. Besides, Bill Nighy was there to draw me back in. But I will not go back to watch it again. -
bagpussjazz8 August 2020I loved this film. It has an unwavering pace and it gently wraps itself around you as you watch it. I felt gently enveloped. I cared about the characters and I realised about half an hour in, that I was hooked. I really do not understand the negative comments about no story, or ending. The story line was deftly projected, the characters being delineated almost like a web being woven in front of you. It's not a thrill film, so if you like things simple and easy to digest, then stick to a diet of fast food; this is a repast of many dishes, all of them fine food.
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fellini_5870130 December 2020There's no doubt this film has good intentions and knows it audience target but in the end result its a hot mess of a film its a cliche of unoriginality borrowed from other films, its overwritten melodrama its predictable, it is purposely emotionall and manipulates the audience to drag out a bucket of tears. The are far better films that depict the misery of the human condition give me a Ken Loach film or a film by the Dardenne Brothers any day. A talented cast totally wasted in this prententious film.
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jdjj-273-7459828 July 2020And beautifully observed, well acted and atmospheric. It tells a simple story, believably, to a beautiful soundtrack. A thoroughly enjoyable film
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kq99916 February 2020The story is a good one but the movie is not. I think the problem is all the actors, except for Billy Nighy, are really, really bad. I have never seen such a large group of actors in one presentation that do not have any acting skills. How the talented Mr. Nighy got involved in this mess we will never know.
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sjanders-8643020 October 2020Lone Sherfig directs this wonderful story that is not far fetched. The mom and two boys run from violent dad, a cop. They meet Tahar Rahim who is managing a Russian restaurant. The lawyer friend of Tahar's takes Zoe's case and wins. Her husband goes to jail. Bravo. I could watch Zoe Kazan read the phone book. Now I discover Tahar Rahim is also a great actor. Enjoyed this film. Even minor characters are interesting like the nurse and the lawyer. Bill Nighy is great to see also.
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Gordon-1125 February 2020The story just doesn't go anywhere. It lacks intensity, engagement or emotion. The woman and two children runs around for no reason for a long time, and I lost interest in the film already by the time we find out why. The ending isn't poignant it touching either.