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Visitors Review

phd_travel 2012-05-25 09:55:22

Unexpectedly funny and realistic - a real gem

This is a really good black comedy. A gambling addict takes a trip toVegas to rescue his niece from a life of hooking.Britney Snow is very good - she plays it straight and doesn't overactor make it silly. Broderick has found a role he is suited for. Hisdeadpan is great. Facinelli is great as the sleaze bag boyfriend. Thescene with him at the dinner is priceless. But it is the writing thatis the best. The way the dialog and situations unfold is fresh andspontaneous.The ending is realistic and although it is a comedy it has a goodbelievable ending. It's also a good look at addiction. There is a moralto the story.

Chris 2012-05-24 14:58:00

Alot of fun actually

My lady and I liked this movie alot. We laughed out loud quite a bit, and liked the characters. Vegas backdrop helped, but a fun and ironic movie.

2012-05-15 12:27:35

Broderick's Gift of Comedy

Matthew Broderick has the rare gift of comedy.He has the innate timing that allows him to deliver a funny line in the most tense situation, and still get his laugh.That's what he does regularly in FINDING AMANDA, a terrific dark comedy from writer-director Peter Tolan, now available on DVD from Magnolia Home Entertainment.Broderick plays a once-successful television comedy writer on a downward spiral. He's a recovering alcoholic, addicted to gambling and he's about to be fired from the terrible sitcom he's writing.In a desperate attempt to save his marriage (to Maura Tierney), he heads for Las Vegas, promising to bring home his runaway niece (Brittany Snow), who has become a hooker. But, sending Broderick to Vegas is like putting a person with an eating disorder in a candy store. By film's end, we're not sure which character needs saving the most.Broderick and Tolan supply DVD audio commentary.© Michael B. Druxman

JHaveyMovieReviews 2012-05-14 19:03:43

This is a solid movie.

You really can't say much about this movie except that it is all that it could be and it doesn't disappoint. Well you shouldn't have high expectations when you see it. On the other hand this movie is not outstanding either. Matthew does a great job with this movie and by the end of the movie you realize that this is a movie about a man finding himself. Finding Amanda is just a side story compared to the big picture. Do not expect big laughs because there really aren't any. It is funny at times, but it is a lot more than just a comedy.

Nate Matz 2012-05-11 05:23:00

Not really worth your time

Finding Amanda, the story of a man who lies more than I can stand andthe happiest hooker you will ever meet.I'm going to put this right out here up front. This movie tried to makea point about addiction and enjoying two vices of society, gambling andprostitution. However, the point is so heavily veiled that it nevercomes across, there is no epiphany and the ending, while kinda happy,really just leaves you thinking that the time you invested in trying tolike or relate to these people was wasted.Taylor Mendon (Broderick) is a producer for the worst show on TV whohas an addictive personality (sounds funny, but it really isn't). He isattending counseling to get over his addictions and while he has quitsmoking and drinking, he cannot give up gambling, rationalizing hislast quirk as acceptable. After all, he gave up smoking and drinking,two out of three is pretty good! Anyway, after he finds out his nieceAmanda is living in Vegas and is a hooker who has a drug problem (andafter his wife corners him in a lie) he decides to make it up to hiswife by "proving that he can quit gambling" by going to Vegas andgetting Amanda to rehab. Sounds noble, right? Wrong! You find out thathe is so addicted to gambling that he steals a check from his wifeBEFORE HE LEAVES. The first thing he does in Vegas is gamble (again,sounds funny, but it comes across as pathetic). You realize that youare not going to like this guy.OK, so eventually he finds Amanda (Snow), who is really just as sweetand chipper as any other Brittany Snow character I've seen. She isthrilled to be a hooker since she can afford a nice house and a nicecar. Oh, and if any of you guys out there are hoping to see her don asexy outfit, she really doesn't. She does not put on either the outfiton the poster or the DVD cover (I admit that was some of the allure torenting it, sorry). She wears conservative clothing and does not lookat all like a hooker.So, over time, we realize that both Taylor and Amanda are socomfortable with what they feel is acceptable behavior, we discoverthat these characters are borderline delusional, making every patheticexcuse to justify that they are happy.Eventually, cracks in there "perfect" lives form. We begin to notproject ourselves on to a character and instead sympathize with thesecondary, observer characters that are detached from the action. Ifound myself relating to Taylor's wife more than any other character, Ieven related to Steve Coogan a bit.So, the story begins to follow an organic path near the end and youbegin to realize that everything will fall into place, when at the lastminute, things just go wrong and the ending is bass-ackwards.Ultimately, this turned into a movie about observing people who don'trealize that they are delusional and selfish. In fact, you will likelyhate (and I don't mean love-to-hate) Taylor because he lies ALL THETIME!!! Chances are anything that you can take away from this movie isrealizing that you know at least one person like this.I did not like this movie, but didn't hate it either. This movie doesnot have me fuming, it just makes me want to forget that I saw it, andunfortunately for everyone involved, I likely will very soon.

2012-05-10 09:52:48

Jaded, fun, interesting to watch and with just the right dose of realism

Mathew Broderick has become a favorite actor of mine. I never was a Ferris Bueller fan, but after seeing "Election" I really started liking Broderick's work. "Biloxi Blues" was great too. "Finding Amanda" starts off at a pretty jaded pace, but at the same time it hits the nail right on the head with its characters coming to grips with who they are, though mostly the tone is light and comedic with black humor undertones. It's interesting from beginning to end (a strange scenario) and easy to watch. His wife is the woman who played Jim Carrey's wife in "Liar Liar", and she puts in a similar performance which works. Broderick's character of sympathetic loser is comparable to his character of high school teacher in Election (great movie). If you liked either of those movies I think you'd like this as well. I found it wholly entertaining. It had a very appropriate ending.

2012-05-06 05:51:18

Pretty suspensful

This book took many turns and twists. At one point your thought one character was the suspect and then it would change and it was focusing on another character. Thoroughly enjoyed.

Gordon-11 2012-05-05 16:59:35

Great character development

This film is about a troubled middle aged man with addiction problemstrying to rescue his niece from prostitution in Las Vegas.Taylor is hopelessly addicted to gambling, hoping one day he will winit big. Amanda earns money by prostitution in Las Vegas, and issuccessful as she manages to make money to buy a house and a car at thetender age of 20. It is obvious that Taylor and Amanda are characterswith things in common. They live in their own fantasy world, thinkingthat someday it will magically transform into utopia.Given the subject matter, I find it surprising that "Finding Amanda" ismarketed as a comedy. There are funny moments, but it is more aemotional drama about the two waking up from their dreamland. Taylor'saddiction is convincingly portrayed by the adorable Matthew Broderick.Amanda is also a likable character, but she is far too happy and fluffyto be a person with a turbulent background. Greg, on the other hand, isconvincingly despicable and disgusting."Finding Amanda" is slow at times, but it gives viewers ample time todigest what goes on with the characters. It provokes people to lookinto their lives, and maybe we can find a part of us that ishypocritical like Taylor is. This film is for people who like seriousand emotional films, and it will not appeal to romantic comedy fans.

2012-05-05 12:36:55

half-hearted comedy/drama

**1/2Harried sitcom writer Taylor Mendon is a recovering addict and compulsive gambler who heads to Las Vegas to rescue his ditzy twenty-year-old niece from a career in prostitution and to get her to enroll in rehab. The problem is that Amanda (Brittany Snow) is more than happy with the choices she's made and finds it rather hypocritical and presumptuous of her uncle of all people to be on his high horse regarding how she's living her life. Matthew Broderick has always excelled at playing the well-meaning, bumbling nebbish, but here, playing a well-meaning, bumbling nebbish who also happens to have alcohol and drug-dependency problems, he defies credibility. Moreover, writer/director Peter Tolan never quite strikes that proper balance between the lighthearted and the serious that he's so earnestly striving for (and which he often achieves on "Rescue Me"). That being said, "Finding Amanda" does have a nice feel for its settings, a partially unexpected resolution, and enough goodwill to almost make it an enjoyable experience.

thesar-2 2012-05-04 21:55:19

Never Trust a Gambler, even me.

Though not his best work, (see: Election, and of course the classicFerris Bueller's Day Off) Matthew Broderick still shined in "FindingAmanda" as a degenerate, somewhat-recovering gambler/drug user/drinker.His counterpart, Brittany Snow – sometime eerily looking like hisformer counterpart Reese Witherspoon from Election – also did a fairlygood job as his prostitute niece. Though not as funny as I thought itwould be, Broderick certainly delivers some pretty snappy lines (suchas the kitchen knife) and truly shows what goes on for someone trulyaddicted and trying their best to convince their loved ones they don'thave a problem, everything's under control. This is coming from someonewho lives near Broderick's character in his lifestyle – minus the drugsand gambling other than horse races, that is – so, though biased, it ismore clear to see that stories, lives, end up the same way as this(more tragedy than) comedy does. It's not a family movie, though – theydon't just tell you about the prostitute's life, they show you.Absolute recommendation, but a solid four out of five (this scale isdoubled, so I selected 8/10) stars as some of the predictable scenesyou can see coming from the Mandalay Bay to the Stratosphere. (Sidenote: I read some reviews as this is the worst of 2008. Though theystill might not like this film, I challenge those individuals to see:The Happening, 88 Minutes, Indiana Jones 4, Deal, Funny Games, Jumper,Speed Racer, I could go on…)

Rayparkerjrlover 2012-05-01 15:35:33

..Who cares! Its Matthew Broderick!

Look, to me, just because he stars in it, Its a DARN GOOD MOVIE. Nuff said. For some of us, Matty 'got it like that'. Even after Ferris Bueller. Critics and the like, need to get past FB and see the actor for who he really is. CLASSIC....all that, and he is 'FINE' TOO. THE AGING CUTIE!!!!! Poo and hogwarts to all who disagree. After all we all have the right to our opinions!Matty acts his ASS off is ANYTHING he does.

John 2012-05-01 04:12:09

Not Funny

This is a black comedy. That is, it tries to find humor in tragic and sad circumstances. These are messed up people, and they aren't funny, so I'm not sure what one is supposed to like about this unpleasant film.

extremefilm 2012-04-29 07:12:01

Worst movie I have seen in years...

Despite what many have said... the plot was pointless and predictable,the acting was terrible (especially Broderick) and none of it wasoriginal or very funny. This film deserves much less of my time thanthis. I have to have 10 lines of text to submit this, so I will tellyou that this is my first comment on IMDb despite looking at the siteand reading reviews a few times a week for the past couple of years. Ifelt strongly enough about how bad this film was that I finally createdan account to spread the word.I regret watching the whole thing. Please don't make the same mistake.I hope that I can save at least one person from watching it by postingthis comment... my joy will be full if I succeed and I will feelredemption.

An Aussie 2012-04-28 20:33:18

Sucks

This movie was previewed on the DISH network a couple of days before it came it, I turned it off 30 minutes in. There is no reason to get to know the characters.

2012-04-27 18:33:12

atrocious, had to turn it off

Starts innocuous enough, but once they get to Vegas it's one degenerative situation after another. Nothing funny that I saw. Furthermore, cheesiest depiction of Vegas ever, they didn't even bother to shoot on location, but created tacky sets. Nothing redeeming, shame on Matthew.

2012-04-27 00:33:28

What a strange movie!

Let me preface this, my husband bought this from a bargain bin so we paid next to nothing for it. With that said, it's an interesting movie. It's a dry comedy with a sad story. Broderick's character is addicted to alcohol and gambling. He decides to go to Vegas to find his niece who is a hooker and supposedly on drugs. It's a depressing story about poor decisions from both characters. There are scenes that made my husband and I uncomfortable but others we laughed at. It's not a movie I'd loan to most of my friends but it was an interesting movie to watch. I'd say rent it before buying it unless you can find it in a bargain bin.

random 2012-04-20 14:21:44

YEAH!

loved brittney snow did great! she was a great actress and so cute..good job! this movie was fun and never had parts you would want to miss.

shayup 2012-04-19 23:30:54

Comedic yes, but also touching

I enjoyed this movie and think that it should find an audience intheaters. This movie is described as a comedy and while it is funny, itis also kind of sad at times. I don't understand the other review thattotally trashes it. It's not the greatest movie but certainly aboveaverage in most areas. There are some great comedic moments primarily because of MatthewBroderick's expressions, timing and his overall lovable loser persona.Brittany Snow gives a strong performance as well. The supporting castalso gives very good performances. I found some of the more seriousmoments very touching. The writing is a bit off beat and at times,misplaced, but the actors do a wonderful job trying to compensate forthat. There is also great chemistry between Matthew and Brittany,reminded me a lot of Election with Matthew and Reese Witherspoon. Gosee it!!!

YsabelM 2012-04-14 02:21:39

Don't Watch It !

The story is so boring and flat you'll probably fall asleep by the middle. And the catch at the end was so dumb ! It was totally so pointless to watch. Unless you want a boring story line that tries to be funny with drugs and hookers but fails dramatically, then I recommend it to you.

Luke 2012-04-13 20:26:22

Finding Amanda

The good thing about Finding Amanda is that is shows the consequences for foolish actions. It didn't take it to the extreme, for perhaps that would've taken away from the enjoyment of the film, but it still gives you a good idea. It's also a pretty funny movie at times. It's as funny as it is sad. It's worth watching.