Spoiler Alert...
Added 1/31/2010
The English accented and meantally slow animal lover Bobby (CHRISTIAN BALE = the man of acting itself....so DO NOT miss all his work!!!!!!!!) and his stepdad "the Fat" (the bald Daniel Benzali) has a modern thrilling, ridiculous mano a mano since their last encounter in the 6th century from Prince of Jutland(aka Royal Deceit)!!!!!!!
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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This Might Be the Best Entertainment Ever... Shhhhhh, It's a Secret.
Added 1/7/2010
Christian Bale and John Hurt deliver the finest performances I've watched in quite some time. I was particularly impressed with Mr. Bale's portrayal of Bobby, a young man who is slightly afflicted with minor mental retardation as the outcome of a car crash where his parents died.
He has reached the "age of consent" (18) and comes to the realization that his Uncle (and guardian) is really an evil man who is about to have him institutionalized so he can control Bobby's very sizable inheritance. Bobby runs away and his life starts to open for him.
John Hurt plays a very mysterious man who lives in the forrest and survives by his own talents and his wits. What he teaches Bobby is how good can overtake evil.
Any further storyline description could be a "spoiler," so that's as far as I tread.
I will however, say that the entire production of this "sleeper" film was executed by devine professionals who knew what they were doing and did it! Nothing was shoddy in any respect.
Mr. Bale is an absolute knock-out in every way.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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A movie for those with a "I brake for squirrels" bumper sticker!
Added 1/22/2009
I bought this movie in the used section at Blockbuster because of the description on the DVD packaging. Good deal for $3.99. But what a treasure the movie really is! For me the movie is about the study and contrasts of human relationships and people's relationships with nature and animals. It's a very moving film.
As mentioned by other reviewers, this movie really is an allegorical tale. To me it works on many levels. Christian Bale is a naiive, pained soul who runs away from a hurtful environment. He runs into John Hurt's character in the woods. John Hurt reinforces Bale's love of animals and Hurt also finds Bale's character freeing enough to share his own history.
Together they share a small cottage in the woods where they both find comfort and solace being nature's caretakers.
The dénouement of the film happens when Bales and Hurt's characters come face to face with the very thing they know is true: of all the animals, the cruelest is man. Bales comes to the realization at a critical point in the movie that he has to be the protector not only of the small animals and creatures that he loves but also the protector of fellow harmless human beings, and most importantly, he finds his place in the world and needs to defend it.
Christian Bale is phenomenal. I can see why he has a cult-like fanatical following. I am now a convert.
I've never liked a too formulaic movie and this movie is very different: a pained young man develops a relationship with an old loner in the woods and they bury dead animals together? Wow! But it is exactly that unusual situation that makes the film work. Getting in touch with mother nature reveals much about human nature. It's a very sincere film about healing, trust, happiness, courage, compassion, and contentment. The film is rated "R" for some violence but if you let your kids see depictions of war or street violence on TV or in movies, or play those various violent video games then those kids SHOULD watch this film. It's a good film for the heart, mind, and soul.
2 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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I love christian bale
Added 1/31/2007
I'm Korean..
So...My English is not very good...
What I really want to say is..... christian bale is a good player..
I love christian bale..
4 out of 6 people found this helpful.
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Is it a Psychological Drama, and Odd Couple Movie, or a Thriller?
Added 1/4/2007
Unfortunately, this movie doesn't know what kind of movie it is. It starts out as a psychological drama, even an odd couple movie, but then suddenly, unexpectedly veers into a thriller. If they wanted it to be a thriller, they needed to show more of the evil side of 'Fats' much earlier in the movie. If they wanted it to be a psychological drama, then they needed to peacefully overcome the evil of 'Fats' to show that Bobby could have a fulfilling life, even with his intellectual limitations. Both aspects of the movie are very good, but they simply don't reasonably fit together. Because the acting of John Hurt and Christian Bale is excellent, it is worth watching. (Rarely is a normal intelligence actor able to believably play a truly simple character, but Mr. Bale does the best job I've ever seen.)
3 out of 5 people found this helpful.
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Spoiler Alert...
Added 1/31/2010
The English accented and meantally slow animal lover Bobby (CHRISTIAN BALE = the man of acting itself....so DO NOT miss all his work!!!!!!!!) and his stepdad "the Fat" (the bald Daniel Benzali) has a modern thrilling, ridiculous mano a mano since their last encounter in the 6th century from Prince of Jutland(aka Royal Deceit)!!!!!!!
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
This Might Be the Best Entertainment Ever... Shhhhhh, It's a Secret.
Added 1/7/2010
Christian Bale and John Hurt deliver the finest performances I've watched in quite some time. I was particularly impressed with Mr. Bale's portrayal of Bobby, a young man who is slightly afflicted with minor mental retardation as the outcome of a car crash where his parents died.
He has reached the "age of consent" (18) and comes to the realization that his Uncle (and guardian) is really an evil man who is about to have him institutionalized so he can control Bobby's very sizable inheritance. Bobby runs away and his life starts to open for him.
John Hurt plays a very mysterious man who lives in the forrest and survives by his own talents and his wits. What he teaches Bobby is how good can overtake evil.
Any further storyline description could be a "spoiler," so that's as far as I tread.
I will however, say that the entire production of this "sleeper" film was executed by devine professionals who knew what they were doing and did it! Nothing was shoddy in any respect.
Mr. Bale is an absolute knock-out in every way.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
A movie for those with a "I brake for squirrels" bumper sticker!
Added 1/22/2009
I bought this movie in the used section at Blockbuster because of the description on the DVD packaging. Good deal for $3.99. But what a treasure the movie really is! For me the movie is about the study and contrasts of human relationships and people's relationships with nature and animals. It's a very moving film.
As mentioned by other reviewers, this movie really is an allegorical tale. To me it works on many levels. Christian Bale is a naiive, pained soul who runs away from a hurtful environment. He runs into John Hurt's character in the woods. John Hurt reinforces Bale's love of animals and Hurt also finds Bale's character freeing enough to share his own history.
Together they share a small cottage in the woods where they both find comfort and solace being nature's caretakers.
The dénouement of the film happens when Bales and Hurt's characters come face to face with the very thing they know is true: of all the animals, the cruelest is man. Bales comes to the realization at a critical point in the movie that he has to be the protector not only of the small animals and creatures that he loves but also the protector of fellow harmless human beings, and most importantly, he finds his place in the world and needs to defend it.
Christian Bale is phenomenal. I can see why he has a cult-like fanatical following. I am now a convert.
I've never liked a too formulaic movie and this movie is very different: a pained young man develops a relationship with an old loner in the woods and they bury dead animals together? Wow! But it is exactly that unusual situation that makes the film work. Getting in touch with mother nature reveals much about human nature. It's a very sincere film about healing, trust, happiness, courage, compassion, and contentment. The film is rated "R" for some violence but if you let your kids see depictions of war or street violence on TV or in movies, or play those various violent video games then those kids SHOULD watch this film. It's a good film for the heart, mind, and soul.
2 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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