Personal Effects (2009)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

David Hollander

Writers (WGA):

David Hollander (screenplay)
Rick Moody (short story "Mansion on the Hill")

Release Date:

27 March 2009 (Taiwan)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The space between loss and love.

Plot:

Walter, 24, is a wrestler, competing for a spot on the national team when he learns of his sister's brutal death...

Cast

Michelle Pfeiffer	...	Linda
Ashton Kutcher	...	Walter
Kathy Bates	...	Gloria
Spencer Hudson	...	Clay
John Mann	...	Hank
David Lewis	...	Bruce
Rob LaBelle	...	Paul Camden
Aleks Paunovic	...	Tom Friedinger
Brian Markinson	...	Henry Finneran
Sarah Lind	...	Annie
Alissa Skovbye	...	Beth
Kyle Toy	...	Jose
Dean Wray	...	Larry
Brock Johnson	...	Mark
Mary Black	...	Peggy Friedinger

MPAA:

Rated R for language, some violence and disturbing images.

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Mexico:B | Singapore:NC-16

Filming Locations:

Kitsilano, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Cinefilm

Movie Connections:

References "Late Show with David Letterman" (1993)

What a treat!!!

The film started off very unassuming. Before you know it tho, I was hopelessly engaged in a poignant story told bona fide. The cast was unison in being their characters, and a sense of balance threaded through the entire film. Everyone humbly served the plot. That was truly 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 me of Darius Khonji's (DOP) Before the Rain...I loved the look of the entire movie, especially the warmth that surrounded Tom's house opposite 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 in various roles, and every time I get lost in the character! Wow! I hope we get to see lots more of this actor. Tom was as sweet and attention grabbing 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 the events. I like Hollander's style. This is a great representation of American film. I hope it does festivals in Europe as well. It contradicts Hollywood and it's a very truthful representation of the majority of American people. Not the BIG people's lives only. I really like that. Thank you, to the director.

What I absolutely LOVED about the movie, is that even though it was about 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 possible that things will turn out good' kinda way. To me, this was a story about HOPE. Just what we need these days. Congarats!