A young man with Tourette's Syndrome embarks on a road trip with his recently-deceased mother's ashes.
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This is another example of where the score shown on IMDb (in this case 7.1) is no indication at all of the merit of a movie. Usually, my own rating is within a hair of the IMDb score; not in this case. This was 96 minutes of Hell for me. I didn't warm to any of the characters at all and I actively disliked most of them. Please, before anyone accuses me of not understanding or of being insensitive to mental illness, I am personally acquainted with it and have a much better understanding than most. This terrible movie made OCD and Tourette's syndrome look almost like fun; I have the impression that we were supposed to laugh every time Vincent went into one of his unconvincing profane rants or when Alex's OCD manifested in some particularly silly way. It probably wasn't the film-makers' intention to belittle the suffering of individuals affected by these conditions. But, all the same, this movie had at least the appearance of a comedy despite the fact that I didn't laugh even once. I had a complete lack of sympathy for the three sufferers and a dreadful desire for this lot of tripe just to end. Thankfully, I didn't pay much for the DVD. It's not one I'll ever watch again, so very poor was the movie. Please don't waste your time on this crap.
Two things you should know about this film.1. It works and you should see it. I don't want to make this more complicated than it needs to be. Humanistic films about an individual's problems set against the backdrop of a "road trip" are a tried-and-true Hollywood formula (think RAIN MAN, one of many) and this is one of the best. The characters are empathetic and engaging, the script is tight, and the direction by Gren Wells shows complete control of colors and settings (reminding me in many ways of the brilliant use of color in the series SENSE8). The two seasoned pros, Patrick and Sedgewick, are great but the young stars are nothing short of magnificent. Just see it.2. Zoë Kravitz basically channels a young Angelina Jolie from the first moment she appears in frame to the last. Her performance is hypnotic, the camera loves her, you likely will too, and one expects to see a lot of more of her in films and in years to come.
Wow! I laughed, cried, throughout this movie. I was amazed to find out that this was a directorial debut for director/writer Gren Wells. If you love falling in love with characters as they head on their journey, this movie is for you! Through the seriousness of the disorders this movie takes on (which, by the way, were beautifully portrayed by Kravitz, Patel and Sheehan) I was able to feel with them, laugh with them, and cry with them. The Tourette's Syndrome, OCD, and Anorexia that they took hold of was captivating. I could tell that a whole lot of thought was put into researching Tourette's by Gren Wells and Robert Sheehan because they gave us just enough of Tourette's. It would have been extremely easy to portray too much of ticks and mannerisms and make him look silly, but fortunately his interpretation was sincere and gave us just enough. I applaud him and the whole cast for the care they took with their characters and their corresponding illnesses. I would call this film 'careful' in the greatest way. It is extraordinary to find a director paired with an outstanding cast that take great care in their art. I loved it!
Absolutely loved this movie! It gives you real empathy for the things people and their families with these disabilities go through. It will make you want to cry at times but there are many laugh out loud moments. Somehow director, Gren Wells, manages to draw you into their world so that you laugh with the characters rather than at them, at the same time as you feel their pain. Can't say enough about the acting in this! Robert Sheehan, Dev Patel, and Zoe Kravitz are each outstanding and portray heartbreakingly real characters. Robert Patrick is wonderful as the frustrated father with no understanding of how to cope with his son and his challenges. Kyra Sedgewick as the doctor and director of an experimental program, is well cast and believable. Don't miss this one!