An above average film about a gifted young man from the Bronx who draws inspiration from a reclusive author.
There are several elements which could have been overdone in this film: prejudice, class differences, breaking out from poverty, isolation. But the film is really about the friendship which develops between Jamal and Forrester, and how it changes both of their lives. Had the film tried to develop everything else, it would have lost this principal focus, and much of its impact.
Sean Connery does a masterful job, as always, and Rob Brown as Jamal is a natural. Anna Paquin is charming, as is the chemistry between her character and Jamal.
A bit less sentimental than "Good Will Hunting," if you liked that film, you will like this one. If you don't like films that don't have a lot of action, avoid this film. I have always said that character development makes or breaks a film, and this film develops its characters superbly.
The music, though different than you might expect from a typical Hollywood production, is excellent and fits the movie well. Smoky jazz/blues, moody in some places, playful in others. I especially liked the jazz guitar rendition of "Somewhere, Over the Rainbow." A final note: The camera work is VERY tight, and my wife and I both felt that a lot of the scenes were being cut off by the "pan and scan." We found this distracting, so we feel that this movie is probably best viewed "widescreen."
There are several elements which could have been overdone in this film: prejudice, class differences, breaking out from poverty, isolation. But the film is really about the friendship which develops between Jamal and Forrester, and how it changes both of their lives. Had the film tried to develop everything else, it would have lost this principal focus, and much of its impact.
Sean Connery does a masterful job, as always, and Rob Brown as Jamal is a natural. Anna Paquin is charming, as is the chemistry between her character and Jamal.
A bit less sentimental than "Good Will Hunting," if you liked that film, you will like this one. If you don't like films that don't have a lot of action, avoid this film. I have always said that character development makes or breaks a film, and this film develops its characters superbly.
The music, though different than you might expect from a typical Hollywood production, is excellent and fits the movie well. Smoky jazz/blues, moody in some places, playful in others. I especially liked the jazz guitar rendition of "Somewhere, Over the Rainbow." A final note: The camera work is VERY tight, and my wife and I both felt that a lot of the scenes were being cut off by the "pan and scan." We found this distracting, so we feel that this movie is probably best viewed "widescreen."