Genres

Visitors Review

jotix100 2012-05-24 16:40:09

Ordinary people

The death of Bennett Brewer, a popular teenager is at the center ofthis story. We watch as he and his girlfriend Rose are making love.Taking her back home, Bennett makes a tactical mistake in stopping inthe middle of a road to declare how much he loves her and how deeply hehas fallen in love for her. Unfortunately, it is at this moment when atruck comes out of nowhere, crashing against the car. Bennett is killedafter staying alive for seventeen minutes.We watch the distraught parents at the grave site. Rose, with an arm ona sling, comes to the funeral, but she stays out of the picture. Goinghome, in the limo, we see Grace and Allen Brewer with their other son,Ryan, sitting in stone silence. Never do we see these people comfortingone another, much less talk about the tragedy that is changing theirlives forever.Speed forward to three months after Bennett's death, when a pregnantRose shows up at the Brewers. Mysteriously, this teenager has no one inthe world, or so it appears. Later on, we learn she has a mothersomewhere. Allen is sympathetic to what Rose is experiencing. Grace, onthe other hand, wishes this intruder could be the one that had died,not her beloved Bennett.The problem with "The Greatest" lays in the way the screenplay by ShanaFeste, who also directed, does not make too much sense. One can makeexcuses for certain liberties most filmmakers take, but it isinconceivable the situation caused when Rose decide to crash with herwould be in-laws, and better yet, that they went along with taking thisstranger they knew nothing about into their midst. There are thingsthat have been presented in a better way in films on this subject.Susan Sarandon is asked to do another one of her bereaved motherstrying to cope with a big loss, something we have already seen her do,to much better results, one must add. Pierce Brosnan, whose companyproduced the film, and is listed as one of the people responsible forthe film, shows a much vulnerable side. His Allen is carrying a lot ofguilt inside him because of his involvement with a colleague. CarryMulligan, impressive in other films where she has appeared, does notelicit the viewer's sympathy, perhaps because of the way Ms. Festeconceived her character, or the direction given to her. MichaelShannon, an interesting actor, shows up in a small role toward the end.

collipal-1 2012-05-24 02:54:01

A generic drama aided by solid performances

I complained in various occasions about the family dramas which ignorethe story in order to plunge into the characters' suffering...and TheGreatest is one of them. As many of these dramas, the film relies oncompetent performances to keep us moderately interested, but there isnot too much story after all; we simply have a premise which could havebeen much more interesting if someone had made an effort to bring it abetter structure and an authentic message.After having established the situation during the first half hour, westill have 60 minutes in The Greatest to see how every member from afamily assimilates all the hard things they have to go through. Andsure, the things they live are enough extreme to justify various scenesabout suffering, consternation and compromise. In other words, all theactors have the opportunity of showing us their most afflictedexpressions, and their solid performances certainly make The Greatestto look better than what it really is.However, I am usually not left very satisfied by these movies whichconsist of a constant suffering, because I feel that they exploitreally tragic situations for the audience's entertainment; but I do notwant to discard the possibility that its artificial sentimentalitymight help someone to overcome a horrible personal situation, so Ithink I have to give it the benefit of the doubt and give The Greatesta slight recommendation for what it is: a generic drama which resultsmoderately interesting thanks to the performances from Susan Sarandon,Pierce Brosnan, Carey Mulligan and Johnny Simmons, whose collectivepresence is the only thing which makes this movie better than manydramas made for TV.

H0 PE 2012-05-14 04:24:40

Amazing movie about people, they bad choices, the mistakes and the love that could fix everything and give new hope in our life

I kind of cried a lot of times during the movie... (* embarrassed*)Really touched me how the small moments and the acting came through.The huge emotional hardships... The hurting... The missing moments thatwas missing by mistakes of someone... The problems we arise ourselveswith our human small-mindedness... This movie makes you realize howf*ed up we are, and still, we can do so much more... and when we LOVE!... if we LOVE and we give a chance to each other within our reallyscrewed up world, we can fix everything, and give hope to each otherfor a better future and for each other to make things right...Every little seconds passed in this movie, was visible on their(actor's) face that counts a lot for me in this move.Will watch it again thats for sure!

2012-05-13 05:53:04

Faux-notes...

Despite key performances that ring very true, the films overall impact is dampened by the outrageous ending that allows the tightly constructed character development to lose its naturalness, completely unraveling what it has worked so hard to achieve. What was that all about?The story is one that is emotionally stirring for sure. It centers on a married couple, Grace and Allen, who suffer an emotional shock to their lives when their teenage son Bennett is killed in a car accident. What happens next is equal parts tragic and beautiful as we see these two caring parents reduced to polar opposites as they battle each other grief by lathering on more grief. It doesn't help that they grieve in drastically different ways (as is so true with most couples) and so they are constantly on edge with one another. Add to the mix a drug addicted younger son, who is battling guilt for the way he regarded his brother, and a young woman who happens to be carrying Bennett's child, and you have a recipe for tear stained pillows.Sadly, it all falls apart in the films resolution.It is rare that a film can build up such a momentum that a singular mistake can cost it my devoted adoration. This year another film destroyed itself with its conclusion (I'm looking at you `I Am Love'), but even that film regains some respect upon further contemplation. What `The Greatest' does with the films final frames is a near travesty. It takes a perfectly somber and insightful family drama and reduces it to a sappy comedy. The whole woods scene was a mess and that car ride ("SHOW ME THE FACE") was laughably awkward and just felt like a different film altogether. In fact, everything that happened after Michael Shannon's awakening (why couldn't he stay in the coma) was a downhill race to clichéd horridness. It just discredited the honesty that the film was shooting for (or at least what I thought it was shooting for).But, the key performances here do make up for it in a way and make the film worth visiting, especially Carey Mulligan's heartbreaking performance as Rose, the young woman with a baby in her belly and a dire need to `know' the man who fathered it. Her scene with Brosnan (another great performance) where she tells him about meeting Bennett was just devastatingly real and sincere. Even though some of the plots weaknesses (namely the relationship between Rose and Bennett) are exposed in that monologue, it is the most impressionable part of the film and Mulligan sells every word.So, in the end I recommend seeing it, but don't expect it to be as wonderful as A.T. Hurley's review would have you think.Oh, and the film's name is one of the worst in recent years; seriously.

andrewjoseph480 2012-05-04 14:35:21

wonderful, moving Sundance film!

I saw this film at Sundance this year and was very impressed. I lost abrother six years ago and this was a realistic and intelligentportrayal of grief. What I like most about the movie is that it had ahopeful ending. My parents did not get a divorce after we lost mybrother and it was nice to see a movie that didn't end in the demise ofthe family.Pierce was really excellent - better than I've ever seen him before.Johnny Simmons was also wonderful. He provided the humor the movieneeded. If you get a chance to see this movie I would jump at theopportunity. It made me laugh and it made me cry. I think it will bevery cathartic to anyone that has ever lost someone they have loved.Really great job!

2012-05-04 09:43:43

The Greatest

This review is from: The Greatest (DVD) I would like to give this seller a very high rating. The movie arrived sooner than I had expected and in great condition. It was an awesome movie, I loved it. Thank you.

chicagopoetry 2012-05-01 20:36:46

Simple and Effective with Heartwarming Performances

The Greatest is a moving drama about the parents of a teenage boy whodies in an auto accident. The parents take in their late son'sgirlfriend, who is pregnant with their grandchild. Pierce Brosnan andSusan Surandon deliver emotionally charged performances as two peopleturned into complete mush by denial and obsession over the loss oftheir son, and Carey Mulligan also does a fine job as a lost soultrying to find some sense of family in the household of her deceasedboyfriend. Johnny Simmons does the best he can with a somewhatunderdeveloped character and everyone else outside of these four maincharacters come off as one dimensional and placed within the story forconvenience sake. But if what you desire is a movie that will make yourheart pang this is it. This one is worth watching simply because ofPierce Brosnan's realistic portrayal of a man making every conceivableeffort not to cry, but The Greatest also has other redeeming qualitiesas well. Susan Surandon is in top form and shows us what being anactress is all about. The somewhat happy ending is a much appreciatedrelief to an otherwise emotionally draining tearjerker.

sue toth 2012-05-01 17:39:45

Incredible

I've been wanting to see this movie for a long time & finally had theopportunity after it's release on DVD. It was definitely worth thewait, if only for the amazing performances. Pierce Brosnan wasincredible, especially in the scene in the back of the car. Everyemotion could be read on his face - no words needed. Carey Mulligan waswonderful too - she deserves all the acclaim she's been getting. I wasafraid it would be too emotionally devastating as I've lost a son aswell, but although I was touched deeply, I was also left with a senseof hope. I'm only sorry that it didn't open in theaters across thecountry so more people would have had a chance to see it. Don't beafraid of the subject matter, go out & rent it (but have a box ofKleenex handy).

edwagreen 2012-04-30 07:26:51

It Sure isn't "The Greatest." **1/2

There is just entirely too much going on in this picture.Despite the fact that Pierce Brosnan is hopelessly miscast as thehusband to a very old looking Susan Sarandon, the film goes on and onand could conceivably rival "Peyton Place."When their son is killed in an auto accident and his girlfriendinjured, the parents soon learn she is pregnant. Mother Sarandon isbitchy and refuses to accept the girl. The younger brother meets a girlat grief counseling and they like each other until he finds outsomething about her. Exhausted, Brosnan appears to have a coronary, butdoesn't, while his son lights up a joint in another room.The guy involved in the fatal accident comes out of a coma and tellsSarandon that her son's last words were that he loved the girlfriend.When Sarandon hears these words, suddenly she looks better and everyoneis happy. Come on. We know that people deal with grief differently but this is alittle too much to take.

teddytensta 2012-04-29 15:41:01

"The Greatest". An Emotional story of Love and Family

i am writing this review right after viewing the movie. this movie isabout a family and a teenage girl grieving the loss of their belovedson and boyfriend. the loss gets together the young girl and the brokenfamily. this is a beautiful and emotional story mixed with a great setof cast.throughout the movie you are shown memories from the relationshipbetween this young girl and this boy. an intriguing love story thatsurely made their mark in my heart. this is truly on of the best lovestory's ever, alongside with a perfect drama story of a broken motherand a father living in denial of his sons death, and their other sonwith mentally problems and a drug addictions.this movie with its outstanding performances from Pierce Brosnan, CareyMulligan and especially Susan Sarandon and its story will truly makeyou emotional, i can admit that there were a few tears on my cheeksduring the movie.i strongly recommend this movie, it will make you change the way yousee things, you will understand the true meaning of family and love.8/10

2012-04-29 08:54:40

Amazing.

I thought this movie was fantastic.The performances were honest and inspired. The music was perfect - sotired of all the overdone "adorable" scoring that's happening in theseindependent movies lately.Pierce Brosnan should win an award for his portrayal of the brokenfather. Karey Mulligan deserves all the It Girl praise she is getting.And the young boy was amazing! A part that could have beentwo-dimensional had so much soul. The writing was the best part. It was heartbreaking without everfeeling cheesy. First time writer-director Shana Feste should bewalking out of Park City with honors simply for being brave enough tobe simple.

2012-04-29 06:04:01

Watch it for Pierce Brosnan alone . .

Pierce Brosnan IS this movie. Scene after scene he gives his all - just SO believable. The limo scene in this movie is just so, well . . so riveting, though no one says a word . . But on the negative side I thought that Brosnan and Sarandon had no chemistry whatsoever - he had more chemistry in the brief scene with the woman he had an affair with! The actor who played Bennett rang true, but I didn't connect with anybody else. Carey Mulligan was just not believable as the pregnant girlfriend - she herself said she lost the 'love of her life' - not a lot of depth in feeling was conveyed however.

wmjaho 2012-04-25 04:17:55

Powerful story of family grief.

Anyone that has ever lost a child has plumbed the depths of grief. Andwhile numerous movies have tried to depict that paralyzing depression,most fall well short of the mark. (I recall In the Bedroom fromSundance 2001, starring Sissy Spacek, Tom Wilkinson and MarissaTomei—it was good, but couldn't fully expose the raw nerve laid barewith the passing of a child.) The Greatest provides a powerful glimpse into the depths of a family'sgrief. Writer-Director Shana Feste delivers a finely-honed script andvery capable direction to give the actors plenty of room to deal withtheir emotional burdens while still keeping the story moving along. Onereason is the deft interlacing of the backstory that led to 18-year-oldBennett Brewer's death—a violent collision while his car sat in themiddle of the road and he spoke fervently to Rose (British actressCarey Mulligan). Bennett's parents, played by Pierce Brosnan and SusanSarandon, find Rose thrust into their lives, and along with brotherSean (Miles Robbins—son of Sarandon and Tim Robbins) they all deal withtheir loss.While the script is tight, the acting is even better. Brosnan gives theperformance of his life as the mathematics professor who is emotionallydevastated but can't let it out. And Sarandon is equally impressive asthe obsessive mother whose grief is pushing the borders of her sanity.But the real find may be Mulligan, who has an Audrey Tautou (Amelie)innocent vibrancy that declares a star is born.As one might expect, this is an emotionally wrenching movie, but not anentirely depressing one. There is a message of hope, even though itmight come in a package too conveniently wrapped and delivered. Andwhile its theme may be a problem at the box office, those that take itin will be rewarded for their investment.Sundance Moment: Director Feste told the audience she wrote the scriptwhile she was a nanny. Sarandon said she didn't like seeing the movie,but never revealed why. Perhaps because it dealt so vividly with apainful subject. But maybe because the movie made her look old, haggardand an emotional wreck. Props to her for taking the role.

lewiskendell 2012-04-24 13:27:18

Spotty characterization undermines what could have been a great movie.

"I want to know everything I would know if he was still alive. I wantmore memories of him."After their teenage son Bennett (Aaron Johnson) dies in an accident,Allen and Grace (Pierce Brosnan and Susan Sarandon) are left unablepick up the pieces and move on after his death. But when the youngwoman (Carey Mulligan) who's carrying Bennett's unborn baby arrives attheir doorstep with nowhere else to go, the tension and pain ofBennett's death is brought forward in a way that will either destroythe family, or finally push them towards dealing with their grief.Scenes of Rose and Bennett's relationship before his death are alsowoven throughout the movie, and provide a nice way to better know thetwo characters.The Greatest started off pretty well. The scenario of a familystruggling with the loss of a child isn't an uncommon one, but the castseemed well on their way to delivering a solid story about loss andhealing. Mulligan was excellent, and Brosnan and Sarandon were solid,even though they occasionally didn't quite deliver the emotion thatthey were reaching for in a few scenes. No, my problem with TheGreatest wasn't the actors or the premise, it was the writing.The story takes the oddest detours at times, often with littlerelevance to, well...the actual story. This really seemed apparent withthe character of Ryan, whose entire subplot with the girl he meets haslittle relevance on his character arc, and made his resolution feelartificial, as a result. And Rose and Allen's trip to a teenage partyseemed completely out of place, and I was left wondering what it wassupposed to add to the story. The characters also didn't appear to havea truly solid identity, and as a result, some of their decisions andinteractions didn't come off as genuine. It's like writer and directorShana Feste had ideas about what she wanted to see happen in the movie,but didn't bother to build those ideas around relatable and believablecharacters. A movie like this depends on making a connection betweenthe audience and the characters, and at times, that connection feltvery hollow, for me.The Greatest is an okay movie, but I'm convinced that it could havebeen much better with a script written by someone with a better graspon creating solid characters.

sg_projects 2012-04-20 19:35:49

Don't Bother

Acknowledged that this film doesn't make you press stop/eject (or getup and leave the theater) but please take a random plug at the rest ofthe offerings out there and you'll be more satisfied.Decent acting but with the exception of a couple of scenes it mostlystops there... For those who voted higher than 5 out of 10, you have really lost yourmind!!With Pierce and Susan on board, all in all, a real disappointment for atheme that many might have appreciated and could have worked.JB

2012-04-20 05:26:14

Not the greatest

Warning: spoilersLet's start with the good: First off the cast of the movie is great- I really don't think they could have done much better as far as casting, all of the actors performances where spot on. My favorite parts of the movie were the flashbacks of the romance between Aaron Johnson and Carey Mulligan. I thought they completely captured the feeling of teenage love and the excitement and nervousness that goes along with it. Now onto the bad: There were a few things about the movie that bothered me. First, while the majority of the movie was slow going, the ending was super rushed. While the ending was supposed to be sweet and all tied together in a nice neat package I found it unbelievable and corny. Also unbelievable was that the son Bennet, who was prom king and voted most liked, never had a girlfriend in high school. How many guys did you know in high school who were prom king yet also single? Answer: none. Oh and the fact that Carey Mulligans's character graduated from high school, got asked out by her crush of more than 4 year, lost her virginity, subsequently got pregnant, and finally got in a car accident that ended up killing her new boyfriend, all in the same day. Really? I would have found it much more believable if they had spread those series of events out over at least a couple of months rather than have it occur over the span of one day.Anyway is the movie worth watching? Yes, if you are desperately bored and can watch it free on Netflix. But if you are looking for a good movie on a Saturday night I say skip it- there are plenty of better movies.

cheers-2 2012-04-19 19:01:44

An Unexpected Journey

I am house/pet sitting for my parents and since there is absolutelynothing else to do way out here in the boondocks, I usually rentPay-Per-View movies when I am here. They have quite a selection withTime Warner, much better than what we get with Dish. Anyway, I had thehardest time deciding on what to watch. I don't watch many moviesanymore either because I do not have the attention span when around thekids and/or because just about everything out of Hollywood has beencrap for the past few years. Tonight I chose a movie which was notcrap. It was actually remarkably good. It is called, The Greatest.Starring Susan Sarandon, Pierce Brosnan and Carey Mulligan, TheGreatest is the exact kind of drama I was looking for. I had neverheard of it before today, but my gut told me to rent it...and rent it Idid. I felt like watching a good crier. Boy was it. I teared upcountless times throughout the entire movie. It was heartbreaking yetendearing...it was so very real but a reality one never wants toendure...and the acting, I forgot who I was watching. Just fantastic.It is difficult to write a review when you desperately do not want toreveal any spoilers. I will say this movie's basic plot is about agrieving family. A couple and their son must go through the horribletragedy of losing their 18 year old son and brother. The boy alsoleaves behind a young woman he has deeply loved from afar for years.After his death, the family learns of her being pregnant and they takeher in during the deepest moments of their grief. The roller coaster ofemotion, the differences in reactions...it is all so natural. Theentire film flowed beautifully. Just pure human.In the beginning, Susan Sarandon's character as the mother, wakes froma seemingly peaceful sleep only to wake to the sound of the alarmhaving to remember all over again that her heart is broken. As soon asher mind is aware of her reality, she breaks down in gut wrenchingagony. I always felt that one of the worst parts of loss is that wholepart of having to remember it each and every time you wake up. It makesyou not want to fall asleep at all. The father, played brilliantly byPierce Brosnan, avoided these bursts of emotion by not sleeping, notfeeling, not talking – very pragmatic and simply going through themotions of his daily life. The son, feeling invisible has his ownstruggles in coming to terms with a brother who he wished he hadhated...then, maybe it wouldn't hurt as badly.The young woman, Carey Mulligan – she is just gorgeous, comes intotheir lives completely unexpectedly. And her presence and the soon tobe presence of the grandchild forces one parent to finally grieve andthe other to finally begin to live again.The words and the emotions displayed on screen were almost tangible andeven recognizable. It was a reminder of not only how short life can be,but also how many different forms of love there are in this journeythrough life. We can love from miles away without a spoken word. We canlove our children as though we need them to breathe. We can love ourspouse like no one else can understand...through troubles and errors,with age and tragedy that one person can still be your right arm. Thereare no two loves a like. And because of that there are no two deathsalike. We will each grieve a loss in a different way. But we allexperience these phases in life and there truly is no way around it. Wewill all have a loss which will leave us empty and hollow. We will alllove another person more than what feels safe. And we will all have topick ourselves up again regardless of what knocked us down.The Greatest was a great surprise. I liked it so much more than Iexpected. From now on...my gut gets to pick the flick.

Gordon-11 2012-04-19 06:55:44

Treasure your family before its too late

This film is about a family who grief over the loss of their son in atraffic accident. This process is complicated by the unexpected arrivalof a teenage girl who claims to have their son's unborn child."The Greatest" is powerful and touching. The mother, played by theamazing Susan Sarandon, is relentless in knowing the truth about herson's final moments. She gives such a moving performance that anyonegets saddened by her tragic loss. Carey Mulligan also deserves mention,as she displays a spectrum of convincing emotions effortlessly. Judgingby the stream of great movies she is in, she will be a big star andHollywood knows it."The Greatest" is a powerful story that moves anyone easily. As SusanSarandon's character says, once your child is born, a woman knows thather child is the greatest. It is easy to relate to this statement, andyet everyone seems to be forgetting to celebrate this fact. As thisfilm shows, you never know what you have got until its gone. "TheGreatest" is a powerful reminder that you should treasure your familybefore its too late.

2012-04-14 00:45:35

It was okay

The Brewers' teenage son Bennet (Johnson) dies in an automobileaccident and the parents Allen (Brosnan) and Grace (Sarandon) aredevastated. Then a knock on their door and there's Rose (Milligan), whotells them she is pregnant and Bennet was the father, and she has noplace to go. Hollywood keeps cranking out these made-for-TV movies, but they mighthave to do some cutting in the opening scenes when Bennet and Rose goall the way. Kind of tastefully done but an uncomfortable way start amovie. The thing that bothered me the most was the way the auto accidenthappened. When you find out what was done and where it was done, youwill shake your head in utter disbelief. But, Rose never lets that outof the bag and I kept wishing she would have. Grace doesn't want Rosein the house, but Allen does. You know there was going to be a bigconfrontation somewhere down the line, but it comes in an oblique way.You can imagine all kinds of scenarios and some of them come to pass,but nothing uncomfortable the rest of the way. It was okay for a made-for-TV movie, but you might want to get a box ofKleenex for the scenes near the end.Violence: No. Sex: Yes, in the beginning Nudity: No. Language: No.Ra

perkypops 2012-04-13 06:42:31

A powerful drama about grief and a lot more besides. Recommended.

The subject matter seems simple. Boy gets girl pregnant and dies inroad traffic accident, and his passing opens all kinds of wounds withinhis grieving family. But this story is far from a simple one aboutgrief, as it explores jealousy, morbidity, self destruction, and somuch more, as Rose, the pregnant girlfriend, pieces together thepicture of Bennett the boy she has secretly loved for four years butreally only known for just a few hours.Beautifully acted with powerful performances all round, this film is acarefully guided tour about emotional healing processes which is neverover sentimental. There are several memorable moments in this filmwhere relationships are threaded together or torn apart by virtue ofthe wonderful script. The film is exceedingly well edited.You will see more entertaining films but if you are looking for depthof character and well crafted story telling then this takes somebeating.