Sorry about the cheap joke, couldn't resist...
I rented this film having no idea what it was about, I was just stunned by the long list of fabulous actors an the cover. And not one of them, and certainly not the director, disappointed me.
Like so many people have mentioned, my favourite episode was also the second, with Robiun Wright Penn and Jason Isaacs. It was the most natural one, the one most of us probably can identify with. Something similar might or has happened to each of us, so we can relate to it better than maybe to the other stories. Although the one with Amy Brenneman and William Fichtner comes second and it's a very close second.
Unfortunately, I have to add that there was one thing which bothered me. Dakota Fanning and Glenn Close would have made a great couple as grandmother and grandchild, but mother and daughter... sorry, Ms Close is simply too old for such a young child.
In the first story I didn't even realize that it was one long shot, going for ten, eleven minutes. I just noticed that during the stroll through the supermarket. And from this moment on I loved this film deeply. Very often editing takes a bit of the atmosphere away, often it adds on the other hand, especially in action films. But here, with these very personal stories, where the viewer almost feels as an intruder or spy on these characters, here it was the only way to do it. Otherwise the whole film might have become just a concoction of small stories, but with no soul or heart. This film has both. And lots of it.
I rented this film having no idea what it was about, I was just stunned by the long list of fabulous actors an the cover. And not one of them, and certainly not the director, disappointed me.
Like so many people have mentioned, my favourite episode was also the second, with Robiun Wright Penn and Jason Isaacs. It was the most natural one, the one most of us probably can identify with. Something similar might or has happened to each of us, so we can relate to it better than maybe to the other stories. Although the one with Amy Brenneman and William Fichtner comes second and it's a very close second.
Unfortunately, I have to add that there was one thing which bothered me. Dakota Fanning and Glenn Close would have made a great couple as grandmother and grandchild, but mother and daughter... sorry, Ms Close is simply too old for such a young child.
In the first story I didn't even realize that it was one long shot, going for ten, eleven minutes. I just noticed that during the stroll through the supermarket. And from this moment on I loved this film deeply. Very often editing takes a bit of the atmosphere away, often it adds on the other hand, especially in action films. But here, with these very personal stories, where the viewer almost feels as an intruder or spy on these characters, here it was the only way to do it. Otherwise the whole film might have become just a concoction of small stories, but with no soul or heart. This film has both. And lots of it.