Genres

Visitors Review

aiga 2012-05-25 00:19:30

It's a treasure!

I have just returned from the theater and I must share my thoughts. Iwas – still am – incredibly moved by this movie. It has been a whilesince I saw anything that touched me so deeply. This movie is atreasure that has found its way to the audience in the era of thrillersand romcoms. The story is about people left behind after their lovedones have been violently taken away from them. They are trying to findtheir way back into life, but it is not easy. Each one of them islooking for something that would give the support or direction for thisnew life that they have to make now. For one person it is a new lovethat gives sense back to her existence. For the other person it is ahope of justice. Yet another one finds peace in a self actualization.The movie has an incredibly melancholy and soulful tone to it. It isvery quiet in spite of the intense suffering that it depicts. There areno loud manifestations or long intense monologues. There are just thesepeople. They look at you through the screen and you can feel their painand sorrow. These people have lost something irreplaceable, somethingthat, in a way, was a part of their being. How to cope with a loss likethat? The world depicted in the movie is a reflection of the humanemotions. It highlights the melancholy atmosphere of the movie. Thereare dark clouds and rain constantly present. The world is grey andjoyless, just as the people in it. All in all, I feel that the movie isperfect in its sadness. Still, it shows that there is hope even whenyou don't see any. The actors gave an excellent performance. Michelle Pfeiffer iswonderful and charming as usual. I must praise Ashton Kutcher. I likehis comedies where he usually gets to play handsome romantic fellows,but guess what! There is more to him than meets the eye! Well, therehave been movies, like The Butterfly Effect and The Guardian, where itwas noticeable that he has a serious drama actor potential. Then therewas Spread, which was something new and interesting. This movie,however, brings a whole new level out in him. There was no sign of theboisterous, self confident good-looking young man that he always plays.There was just this sad young man with these incredibly soulful eyesand no apparent aim in the future. Excellent performance! There was, however, one minus. I believe there is a great deal of thosewho would agree with me on the point. The movie has all the makings ofa real drama - in all the senses of the word. It depicts real people inthe real world with just as real problems. There are no particularsurprises or twists in the story, which in this case I don't considerto be a flaw. It is about the feeling that it brings. Usually I am afan of happy endings, but in this case I felt a bit cheated. I couldsee the shooting approaching, but I was still shocked and desperatewhen it happened. The following scene softened this blow and ultimatelyspoiled the movie a bit. I suppose that changing the ending of themovie might have resulted in the change of its general message as well,but I feel that it would have suited better.

Jim Riley 2012-05-24 13:38:28

Michelle Pfeiffer Attempting a Message Movie

If you were to film a row of country mailboxes with their lids flappingopen and shut over several weeks it would be roughly as interesting asthis movie -- and far more credible.Ashton Kutcher plays a big, silent, slow-talking wrestler who can'tcommunicate his feelings about his murdered sister, except to subjecthimself to dangerous bench-press challenges, alone in the trainingroom. He remains about this communicative for the first sixty minutesof the film, and he appears to waver between "half-wit" and "strongsilent type" (really, REALLY silent type) for so long, you get theimpression the screenwriter couldn't quite decide what to do with humanclay before him.That's where Michelle Pfeiffer comes along, with lines so pedestrian("I work at the community center", "I cry at weddings") they seemgeared to stay within her range of performance, and yet she still can'tmanage them. Believe it or not, she makes Ashton Kutcher look somethinglike an actor.Very miss-able. I still don't know how it ends.

Melissa Mendelson 2012-05-20 22:45:53

Grip of Drama

Our eyes are an ocean, surrounded with life, and a river of emotionflows through our heart. And the cold, senseless waves of death crashupon the shore, threatening to break it apart, and tears are thefragments spiraling downward into oblivion. And lives swim like amillion goldfish, trying to carry the weight of this world.And the waves of Drama overwhelm us as we fall deep into the life ofWalter, a man struggling with the burden of death and the life thatfollows in its wake, and as currents pull us through his conflict do wedrown in a heart and soul portrayed through the talents of AshtonKutcher . And as the tides come in, ripping with a powerful storylineare we swept off our feet through grief and love in delicate hands andbeauty through the talent of Michelle Pfeiffer , and the story pulls usinto two lives intertwining, soothing open wounds, and piecing lifeback together again. And a beautiful tale echoes in the end, amagnificent fragment of Drama,Personal Effects.

Weaver 2012-05-20 10:01:31

Dung in digital form

If you are in a relationship with someone, sometimes you have to get the DVD that they want to get. I watched this. It is poo.

gradyharp 2012-05-14 01:55:11

Things Left Behind - 'Good Stuff'

PERSONAL EFFECTS is a solid little film written by director DavidHollander and the fine novelist Rick Moody. The premise is a study ofhow the traumatic deaths of people affect those left behind. The storyis well told, allows the audience to explore the group therapy approachoffered to families of violently killed people - the various means ofresponding to loss, the differing reactions from those who cannot letgo of the hate they have for losing a loved one, and introduces aninteresting concept of having one of the characters who narrates thefilm be a deaf mute young man! Gloria (Kathy Bates) is the mother of twins - the girl was beenbrutalized and murdered and the boy Andrew (Ashton Kuchter) has lefthis career as a wrestler to return to the scene of the crime to mournhis sister and to demand the perpetrator be convicted and imprisoned:his career has been put on hold and he ekes out a living dressed as achicken for a fast food chicken restaurant. During the ongoing twin'strial, Andrew meets Linda (Michelle Pfeiffer) whose alcoholic husbandhas been killed and she is left to support her teenage deaf mute sonClay (Spencer Hudson). Through series of grieving meetings and periodsof isolation on the part of each of the characters, each finds ways tosupport the other and a love affair develops between the older Lindaand the younger Andrew as he agrees to accompany her to her variousweddings for which she serves a planner. How these characters comes togrips with resolution of their losses is well tied together by film'send. This is not a great movie, but the performances by the leads are quitefine. This is a movie with a message, one that delves into territorywith which many are not familiar, and for that reason alone it is wellworth watching. Grady Harp

dude42008 2012-05-13 17:46:47

Amazing

I've never written a review for a movie before. But after seeing suchnegative reviews for this movie I had to step up and say something. Ithought this movie was great! The acting was superb and the plot wasrealistic. Some people seemed to think that the relationship betweenMichelle Pfeiffer and Ashton Kutcher was weird or creepy because of theage difference. This is absurd. There is nothing wrong with an olderwomen falling in love with a younger man. Another problem people seemedto have with this movie was it's pace. Not me, I was enveloped intothis movie from start to finish, and that's saying something since mostof the time I watch DVDs I pause to take a break and do something elsefor a bit. I thought the story was engaging and the relationshipbetween Michelle and Ashton believable.If you're someone that's into movies involving regular people dealingwith the stress and depression that life can cause then this movie isfor you. But if your looking for the typical fake Hollywood stuff thenyou might want to pass this up.On a side note, the only reason I gave this a 9 out of 10 was because Ithought the ending could have been a tad bit better. Otherwise thismovie is flawless.

aleksandranasteska 2012-05-12 01:08:00

What a treat!!!

The film started off very unassuming. Before you know it tho, I washopelessly engaged in a poignant story told bona fide. The cast wasunison in being their characters, and a sense of balance threadedthrough the entire film. Everyone humbly served the plot. That wastruly inspiring, in this age saturated with blockbusters and stars,where we're used to having our senses bombarded with glamour.Being a sucker for photography, I have to say: brilliant. It reminds meof Darius Khonji's (DOP) Before the Rain...I loved the look of theentire movie, especially the warmth that surrounded Tom's houseopposite the rest of the gloom. To me it was metaphor for Tom's heart:honest and good. Beautifully done!I thought Ashton was amazing. I though the young deaf man was great.Aleks Paunovic=Tom: heart rendering...visceral. I've seen Paunovic invarious roles, and every time I get lost in the character! Wow! I hopewe get to see lots more of this actor. Tom was as sweet and attentiongrabbing as John Coffey in The Green Mile. As for the film as a whole, a sense of oneness of all it's elements,very coherent and intentional. I felt strung by the development of theevents. I like Hollander's style. This is a great representation ofAmerican film. I hope it does festivals in Europe as well. Itcontradicts Hollywood and it's a very truthful representation of themajority of American people. Not the BIG people's lives only. I reallylike that. Thank you, to the director.What I absolutely LOVED about the movie, is that even though it wasabout difficult situations, I didn't 'drown' at the end. I survived,not in the big kind of 'SAVE THE WORLD DAY' but in the 'it's possiblethat things will turn out good' kinda way. To me, this was a storyabout HOPE. Just what we need these days. Congarats!

bsmtpa 2012-05-11 14:00:15

Very Good Adult TV Movie.. Ashton Kutcher Excellent

I usually don't watch Lifetime movies but it was a rare Saturday Nightthat i was home.. nothing else was on...the tube... Turned to Lifetimeand saw an original TV film with Michelle Pfeifer was about tobegin.."Personal Effects" The minute it stated I was hoooked... LoveMichelle Pfeifer and she was excellent in the role of a somewhat olderwoman who falls for (through various circumstances) a younger man,played by Aston Kutcher ..now I've heard of him but had never (ithought seen him act ) Not only is he good looking and a"hunk" but hecan really act he played the part of a confused somewhat depressedyoung man so well..I felt so sympathetic towards him ..Excellentperformance know now, thanks to IMDb.that he's married to Demi Moore,and I did see him in "Bobby" and possibly the "70's Show". He waswonderful as was Michelle and the entire cast including Kathy Bates inanother unbelievably good performance as "Kutcher's mom . Very adultquite graphic ,a bit violent but very well done and well acted.. Theplot has a few implausabilities and was a bit confusing but stick withit... One of the best made for TV films I've seen in awhile Shown onthe Lifetime Network

2012-05-11 06:00:12

A Gem!

This movie was a great surprise. I did not know what to expect and ended up loving it. It is like a small indie flick but it stars three well-known actors: Michelle Pfeiffer, Kathy Bates, and Ashton Kutcher. I was surprised by what a good actor Ashton Kutcher is.The movie starts out with a group of people meeting together in a grief support group. Ashton Kutcher's sister has been murdered and Michelle Pfeiffer's husband has been murdered. Kathy Bates plays Ashton Kutcher's mother. Michelle Pfeiffer has a teen-aged son who is deaf. Ashton Kutcher had the potential to be a nationally recognized wrestler prior to his sister's murder. After her murder, he returns home to be with his mother and to watch the trial. He reaches out to Michelle Pfeiffer's son by getting him involved in wrestling. Gradually, Ashton Kutcher and Michelle Pfeiffer become attracted to each other and begin a relationship that is poignantly sweet and deep.I highly recommend this movie. It's a gem.

gilani-kamal 2012-05-10 17:17:06

An every day story presented beautifully

Although an ordinary story, a story which in normal circumstances won'teven have been worth being told but the way it has been presented hasmade its worth. It tells how some times people who have almost thesimilar problems can some times come close to each other and understandeach other. Its a story of two individuals who come to know each othersimply by chance while attending their respective court cases. Walterwho is a wrestler and physically strong but emotionally sensitivedisplays a good control over his emotions and upholds the principles ofdecency.Good movie to watch.

DICK STEEL 2012-05-09 18:04:48

A Nutshell Review: Personal Effects

I suppose Ashton Kutcher is a shoo-in for his role here. Given aromantic relationship between a young man and a much older woman,Kutcher's real life experiences would have probably given him a headstart in the auditions (if there was one), since he has walked thetalk, and this aspect of the story would come off as no surprise. Thenagain, for writer-director David Hollander, this could have beengetting this talked-about area out of the way, because the story hereis richer than what the synopsis had painted, offering an engaging taleabout the connections found between lost, broken souls.The entire film is shrouded and draped in deep melancholy, and even theart direction and sets are nary bright and dandy, despite havingweddings, an occasion for happiness, interspersed throughout thenarrative. Hollander had crafted a series of multi-faceted charactersand they got fleshed out brilliantly through the wonderful individualnuances to bring out the uniqueness of each one, with a common threadbetween them in having to be found holding onto things from the past,or plagued by the unhappy nightmares that life had dished out to them.For those who have lost someone dear, you'd probably feel just aboutthe same way as the characters here, and especially in that seeking ofjustice when a crime has been committed against a loved one.For those who equate Ashton Kutcher with his popular P'unked gagseries, you'd probably already know about his flair for comedy, havinghis fair share of films like What Happened In Vegas and Just Marriedproviding that showcase for his comic timing. For me, there's alwaysthis much under-exploited aspect of Kutcher's talent for dramaticflair. Glimpses of it are seen in The Butterfly Effect, one of myfavourite films in recent times, and that same angst, despair and sheerquiet determination become more prominent here.As for Michelle Pfeiffer, who wouldn't welcome her luminous presence?Last seen in Stardust after an extremely long hiatus from the silverscreen, her role as the widow Linda brings about a certain sense ofregal frailty, being the single parent to bring up a mute son Clay(Spencer Hudson) against difficult odds. Attracted to Kutcher's Walter,their relationship is actually nothing to scoff about, what being acradle snatcher and all, but because of that instant connection thatthey share in the pain of having lost someone dear, and having to sitthrough agonizing court cases that could swing in anyone's favour.And of course rounding up the star-studded cast is Kathy Bates asWalter's mom, attending therapy sessions to cope with the pain of loss,and learning to let go. Special mention too goes to Spencer Hudson'sperformance as the gentle giant Clay, who gets to show that he's nopushover when he gets cornered. While that led to some predictableelements toward the end, it wrapped up pretty nicely (though some maysay cop-out), in having a rather confusing start iron itself outproperly. Hollander managed to bookend the film going full circle, andI thought it was a neat spark of interest at the front in keepingthings very fluid to engage the audience's attention.Personal Effects is quiet, effectively emotive film that got blessed bya great cast highlighting that in moments of grief, there are alwaysthose whom we can turn to for comforting solace. It has potential tomake it to my end of year shortlist of favourite films, and without adoubt, recommended!

Hitchcoc 2012-05-09 16:12:12

A Bit Contrived, but Still Effective

I have to admit, I started with a prejudice against Ashton Kutcher. Ishould have learned from my initial unsubstantiated dislike of BradPitt. He is one of those handsome young men whose movie credentialshaven't been impressive. I wonder if perhaps that stems from lack ofopportunity. I see a film like this as a transitional one where we cansee his acting ability. He does a nice job with the angst and angerbrought about by the utter unfairness of life. Bad things happen andjustice isn't done and we shouldn't pass judgment on a life if we don'thave some real knowledge of that person. I liked the chemistry betweenthe two leads. The relationship with the deaf son was a bit of a reach.There's no reason they communicated so badly. There is written speech,lip reading, and other forms of communication; even the most basicelements of sign language. It makes Kutcher's character seem rathershallow to think that he would spend so much time with this boy andstill not literally understand him. Things do get a bit contrived atthe end (I won't spoil it), but if you want to take away a single thingfrom this film. realize the pain that is life and the possibilitiesthat those painful things can hand you.

pc95 2012-05-07 23:38:52

Meanders but Thematically OK

Personal Effects feels longer than it runs. There's a lot of interludecuts, music, and closeups of Kutcher and Pfieffer - some done wellwhile others lagging. In short the movie meanders. The relationship isnot believable really, however, the general story and themes of lossseem to hit it right with anger and sadness during dialog, exchanges,and especially court scenes. Sometimes the dialog between the leads isdull, and the supposed chemistry doesn't seem real, but the supportingcast did a good job, including Kathy Bates and Spencer Hudson. Do nothave high opinion of Kutcher's acting ability, but he manages tosuffice in this role. The music was hit and miss especially annoyingwith folksy back-playing here and there. OK drama.

Jackpollins 2012-05-07 18:51:15

What's with all the rave? This is total and complete trash

I've always wanted to see Ashton Kutcher in a drama. Sadly, his firstdrama is the complete piece of garbage, Personal Effects. Kutcher playsa man who plans to get revenge on the person who recently killed hissister. He meets a woman named Linda (Michelle Pfeiffer). This sets outa creepy relationship between a 24 year old and a 40 or 50-ishsomething year old. Kutcher and Pfeiffer are both at their worst,portraying stupid and unlikable characters. The movie is slow andboring, making me look at my watch every second. I didn't believe asecond of the movie, these two people probably wouldn't be talking toeach other, more or less falling in love with each other. Kathy Batesplay Walter (Kutcher)'s mom, Gloria, and even a great actress likeBates is terrible in this movie. The film never lets a single actorshow how good they are. It drifts into a painful thriller out ofnowhere, as Kutcher seeks revenge. I thought this would be out of themovie, but apparently the movie is trying to have as many bad plots aspossible for it. By the end, I just wanted to get away from this movieand its characters. It's too bad, too, this could have been a great mixof genres, but instead it is just dull. Do yourself a favor and skipPersonal Effects.

2012-05-05 08:47:43

Miscast

"Personal Effects" deals with a very heavy subject ... grieving people dealing with the violent deaths of loved ones. After his sister's brutal rape and murder, Walter (Ashton Kutcher) gives up his promising wrestling career in order to care for his family and monitor the case of his sister's alleged killer. Through a support group, he meets Linda, (Michelle Pfeiffer)a widow grieving her husband's violent death, and the two become closer when the trials of their loved ones' killers are running concurrently. Kutcher's relationship with Pfeiffer grows from platonic to romantic, and Kutcher also takes an interest in Linda's angry, troubled, deaf son Clay.After "Spread," "Personal Effects" is the second film I've seen recently that casts Ashton Kutcher as a dramatic lead. Like in "Spread," Kutcher is paired with an older, more seasoned actress, and in both cases, this mostly just makes obvious how feather-light Kutcher's presence really is. Kutcher and Pfeiffer have a smidgen of chemistry, and despite their 20 year age difference, Pfeiffer is still so beautiful that there's no doubt that even pretty boy Kutcher would find her attractive. But Pfeiffer is such a far superior actor that Kutcher seems wooden by comparison. It's clear Kutcher is going for subtle and stoic, but the result is, unfortunately, somewhat vapid.Also adding considerably superior acting chops to the film is Kathy Bates, who plays Walter's mother, Gloria, mourning the death of her daughter and caring for her grandchild. Once again, Bates' gravitas make Kutcher seem like an amateur in comparison.By casting a stronger actor in the lead (Ryan Gosling or Joseph Gordon-Levitt come to mind), this could have been a much better film. Until his acting improves, Kutcher should stick with goofy comedy and prank shows.

rbaron-4 2012-05-04 13:30:15

I got this free at the gym and I still feel punk'd!

I do not mind taking a chance on a Director I am not familiar with whenI see established names such as the luminous Michelle Pfeiffer andwonderful Kathy Bates. Having never seen a single thing Ashton Kutcherhas been in, I had no opinion one way or another. After seeing this film it is clear, Mr Kutcher was a painfuldisappointment. It also seems quite plausible that the director of thisfilm had a crush on him as I recall no less than a dozen close ups ofhis face and all long shots of Michelle P. You do not take the mostbeautiful face to grace the screen in the decades between Liz Taylorand Angelina Jolie and skip close-ups!***Potential Spoilers***In addition there is more to prove the director/screenwriter is new athis job. Clumsy attempts at "art house" moves such as, I kid you not, 3separate eyeball close-ups, awkward hand-held cam, slow motions shotswhere they make no sense (going out for a cigarette requires slowmotion?), scenes that were shot out of sequence (The verdicts of twoseparate trials come in backwards and at an implausible pace). It isobvious that either attempts were made to move the movie forwardquickly or the writer ran out of scene ideas to develop thesecharacters. I mean, what in the heck was the Niece character for,anyway?? Finally, there was no attempt to write about family dynamicsbefore forcing these very different people together. All in all... a big no and further proof Hollywood cannot write forwomen over 40.The stars I give are for Pfeiffer, Bates and the boy who playedPfeiffers son.

2012-05-03 12:33:52

Pleasantly surprised

I didn't know what to expect from this film but was pleasantly surprised. Some people have said Kutcher was wooden, awkward...but I think he fit this role. I am a grief counselor. I think the characters were pretty true to themselves. Here he is, a 24 year old successful athlete, with good lucks, etc. but unprepared for an ugly visitor like "murder" in his family. His feelings are locked up in his stiff body. Although he is portraying a lot of depth if you really watch him. He relies on all of his old coping mechanisms to deal with it (running, working out, even sex) but ulimately can't escape his feelings. I have seen many people look like that after a death.Clay also added an interesting twist to this plot. He is perceptive in many ways, but due to his deafness just doesn't get the whole picture. Like all of the characters, they are all wrapped up in their own lives, their own grief while trying to love those around them. Sometimes succeeding and sometimes not.Anyway, a strange but intriguing film and, I think,ultimately worth watching.

Okiebug 2012-05-03 05:36:56

A lesson for families of murder victims

Dark and some stiffness in the acting. Kept waiting for a hook but instead found myself relating to the characters as they dealt with grief and loss. The view into the support group for families of murder victims was somewhat smarmy but rang true in the graceless and desparate way we move on through such devastating losses. Just keep moving forward despite the indignities of being the sad chicken, or the angry neglected deaf kid that almost finds a way to channel the anger. Broken people dealing with day to day life and sudden loss. Adrift in territories few of us acknowlege until we are forced there by fate. We deny the realities of death and more so the realities of murder. One must go on and this film uses a lot of closeup face shots into unblinking eyes brimming with loss, numb and yet intense. Although it will not win any awards or break records it will stay with you for a very long time. A risky film but a worthy film.

2012-04-30 14:17:56

a film about death...and life

This review is from: Personal Effects (DVD) I was pleasantly surprised with this movie. The characters were well developed and the performances were well above my expectations. Michelle Pfeiffer played her role with a gentleness and vulnerability that I have rarely seen from her and Ashton Kutcher was perfect in his portrayal of a young man trying to deal with loss...and guilt.The film tells the story of two families attempting to come to terms with the deaths of significant family members - a father and a sister. And it portrays the various ways we have as humans of trying to cope with the loss that results from death. The relationships that arise from the attempts to deal with the losses are what makes this story so very precious. I am always surprised at what grows out of grief (based on personal experience) despite the tears and heartache. The emptiness left by our loved ones departure is an emptiness that awaits the arrival of something or someone new...if we only let it.Great movie, great perfomances, well written script and a tough subject served well by a finely crafted piece of cinematic art.

katea-2 2012-04-30 09:56:15

What a Disappointment and Waste of Time

Michelle Pfiefer, a wonderful actor, was awful. She didn't react muchto anything that happened in the story. Kathy Bates had nothing to do.Taking part was a waste of her time. Ashton Kutcher really doesn't act.The story parts were a jumbled up mess like pieces of puzzles that camefrom different boxes. Could this movie be fixed? I doubt it. It shouldnever have been made at all. Why are there good screenplays that neverget off the shelf and something like gets made, including some goodactors. Why did they even consider taking part after reading the firstten pages? The pieces of the story, the camera work, the characterswere all in a fog. "Pieces" keep coming up as I write this. The storyis filled with pieces that don't fit together. They don't make a goodfractured story line either. Nothing could fix such a mess.