It's a big shame that no one goes to see Rodrigo's movie. I saw it in the theater tonight with eleven other people. Eleven people witnessed what is probably the best work Annette Bening has ever done, some of the best of Naomi Watts' character, the most interesting thing Sam Jackson has done in a decade, and the many bits of brilliant smaller roles played by the basically perfectly-cast cast. What's wrong with people?
I did. Twice.
This movie is extraordinary. The acting by Bening and Watts is off the charts magnificent, frightening, haunting and devastatingly sad. I was blown away. It is an extremely intelligent picture with very uncompromising and troubled characters. Deep, moving. There are so many scenes that move you -- but the one that killed me was the scene near the end where Bening discovers something and sits on the sofa. Jimmy Smits comes in. The resulting dialogue is simply unbelievable.
All of the supporting actresses from Lisa Gay Hamilton to Cherry Jones to Shareeka Epps to Amy Brenneman to Elizabeth Pena and Elpidia Carillo are great in sometimes brief roles.
It's sad that no one wants to see grown up movies anymore. Thank God Garcia wrote this and got it made. Very valuable experience.
I am free. But life is so cheap.
i saw it in Lincoln Center Angelika cinemas with no more than 10 people....
i must say it was indeed one of Annette's BEST performances....
she is my FAV Actress in the UNIVERSE.....
and she has Outdone herself...
NAOMI Watts too does a Very GOOD job...
and so does Kerry Washington...........
i hope HOPE HOPE tht Annette Does win an OSCAR soon enough..
lets just stick to that.... for now.
I keep hearing about it, but I had no clue it even came out yet. Is it on DVD or will it be soon?
Kristen Stewart
http://tinyurl.com/3ay3qxt
I couldn't finish this movie because it was way too depressing. Well if you can handle that, then it should be alright. The plot is OK, but not spectacular. It is predictable, but wasn't executed nicely enough to a point where you can look past its predictability.
So no, it's not amazing. It's fine, but not good.
Too bad then for thse who did not see it. It's not out yet in Holland untill November but I saw it in a sort of film festival and it was by far the best film I saw on that day or in the last few months, VERY moving, moved me to tears (unlike others in the cinema who walked away quite untouched).A film to cherish forever. Not to be missed!!
sharePersonally, I'm glad if no one sees it. I think the anti-adoption message is reprehensible. Elsewhere on this board I have put my opinion of the movie (which just saw this past weekend). I didn't like it as a movie because I thought the characters acted unlike real people act. I didn't like it as propaganda because I think the message (putting up a child for adoption leads to the adopted child and the mother who allows the child to be adopted to lives of unrelieved misery [until the child is replaced by a surrogate] -- even the young woman who can't have children is punished for attempting to adopt a child] is destructive and evil. The fewer people that see this movie, the better I'll feel.
--
GEORGE
And all's fair in love and war?
MRS. BAILEY
[primly] I don't know about war.
I thought this was a damned good film.
shareI thought the movie was anti-adoption too. I can understand Karen's sense of loss, but it seems like Naomi Watt's character was like a little child that because she is angry at her parents thinks she's adopted and thinks her real mom and dad are a king and queen that misses her greatly.
The man who left his wife because she was infertile was a punk. It was a miserable movie filled with miserable people.
plkdldf: I've been sitting with your comments for awhile now after having seen the film. I'm not sure I agree it's anti-adoption. I think it's an extremely difficult movie, not easily accessible at least for me. But I think adoption is a difficult issue and I think that presenting the movie with a title "Mother and Child" allowed many interpretations of what that relationship can look like. The idea for many of the characters of "not knowing" proved life altering but the reality of parenthood for Kerry Washington's character was refreshing. No one in the family had the "prefect family" model, from single parents, divorced parents, widowers, etc.
shareit's one of the top 10 movies of this year so far.
==
"We are all Hezbollah now! Kill the unbelievers!"
[deleted]
I have admired Rodrigo Garcia's work before and was very impressed with Mother and Child. The acting is extraordinary and the story of the embittered middle-aged woman (Bening) still thinking about the baby she gave away is true and honest. The story of her daughter (Watts) is equally fascinating - both women being so alike in many ways and although they have never met, the genetics are clear. The third story is also one that happens again and again when one of the couple decides that he/she cannot go through with it.
I didn't find the film to be anti-adoption but clearly shows the difficulties of this process. Garcia has an amazing way of portraying women so accurately and was helped with outstanding performances by his cast. I don't think I have ever seen Annette Bening give a better performance and Naomi Watts, always so good in every film, is impressive in her role. I enjoyed seeing Jimmy Smits after so many years and Samuel Jackson - well after so much trash, a pleasure to see him acting again.
The film made me think of the characters long after I saw it and I hope to see it again. Of course it is a shame that few people saw the film but that doesn't say anything about the film, rather that the highest box-office is obtained by the worst films! The average film goer doesn't want to see films where he needs to think - give him all the trash about werewolfs and stupid inane comedies. Hollywood aims at the lowest common denominator in order to make the largest box-office.
I salute Garcia for making such a little gem and continuing to make quality films.
I really enjoyed this movie.The casting was perfect.
shareWould love to but it wasn't even screened in the UK, can't even get the DVD unless you order it from Spain. Pretty weird considering NW was born in Britain and Samuel LJ is becoming increasingly British. What's that about?
sharei don't even remember it being at the theater. how do great films like this get so lost?
shareI too didn't know it was released in theatres. The last I heard he was looking for distribution and wam I see it on my cable's demand. I've only watched part of it but I plan to rewatch from the beginning.
share