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ghostman
Joined: 18 May 2006
Posts: 482
Location: The area of your back you can't reach. |
Little Manhattan
Little Manhattan attempts to analyze love through the naive eyes of 10-yr-old Gabe, when he reunites with kindergarten gal pal Rosemary in karate class. What starts as casual sparring, evolves into a rollercoaster ride of emotions neither of them quite got in line for.
This is a very tough film to review without sounding absolutely ambiguous so please bear with me. Little Manhattan attempts to revisit the trials and tribulations, highs and lows of our first romance, in an empathic direction. Unfortunately, this doesn't exactly breed the most enlightening result. I don't want to give away too much, but the movie is clearly a grown-up film, that uses elementary characters who talk like pre-teens, yet think like adults. This can be advantageous to the film producers for several reasons, as the movie's screenplay doesn't require a charming, nimble-witted, heavy duty script of conventional standards, and at the same time immune from corny and melodramatic taboos. Still, the ideas are mature, sometimes so mature that the kid goes out of character with analogies only an adult could've contemplated... they're 10 friggin years old.
Overall, Little Manhattan's an above-average film, that can be lighthearted and enjoyable, or dramatic and tormenting, depending on which side of the pillow you woke up from.
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Wed May 24, 2006 9:24 am |
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ghostman
Joined: 18 May 2006
Posts: 482
Location: The area of your back you can't reach. |
quote:
Originally posted by cinemaKid:
When I saw the movie's preview, I really wanted to watch this movie, but it never happened. Perhaps I should ...
I have to confess. I kind of like stories like this one ...
No need to "confess" or feel ashamed. Don't forget, I'm the person who watched it.
If you like movies like this, pay it a rental. To give you a better idea of the movie, the screeplay was written by the guy behind The Wonder Years. Hence, the entire film is narrated by the voice of Gabe.
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Wed May 24, 2006 10:33 am |
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cinemaKid
Joined: 22 Mar 2005
Posts: 1819
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quote:
Originally posted by LucnetSolutions:
Nice review Ghostman, Don't think I ever heard fo this one.
This came out last year, and I saw its trailer here and there, but I don't think that the movie was advertised widely.
BTW, LucnetSolutions,
Your email doesn't seem to be working ... Do you have a correct email address?
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Thu May 25, 2006 9:55 am |
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cinemaKid
Joined: 22 Mar 2005
Posts: 1819
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Just watched this movie. Cute story. There is only one First Love; that's so true.
I used to live in New York city, so I can't help feeling a bit nostalgic and sentimental. It's a great city, and Upper Westside is definitely one of the nicest areas in my opinion. It's a good place to hang out.
With regard to the movie itself, I think that the movie shouldn't tried to let the movie tell its story rather than depending on narration too much. Josh Hutcherson's narration wasn't bad, but there was just too much narration in my opinion. That said, I was entertained. I don't feel like that I wasted my time or anything like that. Admittedly did I feel a bit sentimental though.
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Fri Jun 02, 2006 4:17 am |
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cinemaKid
Joined: 22 Mar 2005
Posts: 1819
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Re: Little Manhattan
quote:
Originally posted by ghostman:
This is a very tough film to review without sounding absolutely ambiguous so please bear with me. Little Manhattan attempts to revisit the trials and tribulations, highs and lows of our first romance, in an empathic direction. Unfortunately, this doesn't exactly breed the most enlightening result. I don't want to give away too much, but the movie is clearly a grown-up film, that uses elementary characters who talk like pre-teens, yet think like adults. This can be advantageous to the film producers for several reasons, as the movie's screenplay doesn't require a charming, nimble-witted, heavy duty script of conventional standards, and at the same time immune from corny and melodramatic taboos. Still, the ideas are mature, sometimes so mature that the kid goes out of character with analogies only an adult could've contemplated... they're 10 friggin years old.
This is exactly right. It's like someone who's older than college graduate (or even much older) looks back his/her First Love, analyzes, writes a story and lets a child tell that story. Analysis is not bad. It actually brings up number of interesting points. Good observation. The story itself isn't bad, either. It's a good story; it's a sweet story. If there is some problem, then that's the child's telling the story, more specifically, the analysis. The world is a big place, so there might be a really matured analytic child, but that's not me, nor do most children act or think like him. But again, this is not a bad movie. It's a sweet story, and I think that many people would enjoy watching this movie.
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Fri Jun 02, 2006 4:26 am |
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ghostman
Joined: 18 May 2006
Posts: 482
Location: The area of your back you can't reach. |
quote:
Originally posted by cinemaKid:
Just watched this movie. Cute story. There is only one First Love; that's so true.
I used to live in New York city, so I can't help feeling a bit nostalgic and sentimental. It's a great city, and Upper Westside is definitely one of the nicest areas in my opinion. It's a good place to hang out.
With regard to the movie itself, I think that the movie shouldn't tried to let the movie tell its story rather than depending on narration too much. Josh Hutcherson's narration wasn't bad, but there was just too much narration in my opinion. That said, I was entertained. I don't feel like that I wasted my time or anything like that. Admittedly did I feel a bit sentimental though.
I felt that way also. I can't say the narration was bad, but sometimes I did realize it wasn't that great either.
For the most part, I enjoy romantic films such as these, even if they're not exactly Pride & Prejudice. As long as it's not Alex & Emma, I suppose I'm quite lenient with films of this nature.
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Fri Jun 02, 2006 11:02 pm |
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ghostman
Joined: 18 May 2006
Posts: 482
Location: The area of your back you can't reach. |
Re: Little Manhattan
quote:
Originally posted by cinemaKid:
quote:
Originally posted by ghostman:
This is a very tough film to review without sounding absolutely ambiguous so please bear with me. Little Manhattan attempts to revisit the trials and tribulations, highs and lows of our first romance, in an empathic direction. Unfortunately, this doesn't exactly breed the most enlightening result. I don't want to give away too much, but the movie is clearly a grown-up film, that uses elementary characters who talk like pre-teens, yet think like adults. This can be advantageous to the film producers for several reasons, as the movie's screenplay doesn't require a charming, nimble-witted, heavy duty script of conventional standards, and at the same time immune from corny and melodramatic taboos. Still, the ideas are mature, sometimes so mature that the kid goes out of character with analogies only an adult could've contemplated... they're 10 friggin years old.
This is exactly right. It's like someone who's older than college graduate (or even much older) looks back his/her First Love, analyzes, writes a story and lets a child tell that story. Analysis is not bad. It actually brings up number of interesting points. Good observation. The story itself isn't bad, either. It's a good story; it's a sweet story. If there is some problem, then that's the child's telling the story, more specifically, the analysis. The world is a big place, so there might be a really matured analytic child, but that's not me, nor do most children act or think like him. But again, this is not a bad movie. It's a sweet story, and I think that many people would enjoy watching this movie.
It's odd because the director was advertising the film as the anti-Dakota Fanning-esque movie, where the 10-year-old speaks like a 20-year-old, although... she's more fluent than most 18-year-olds if you ever see her in interviews.
The movie did throw in adult concepts. I completely agree with your assessment of someone much older looking back on his first love. It's something we can all relate to as adults, and the fact that the actors are so young adds the ingredient of innocence to it.
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Fri Jun 02, 2006 11:08 pm |
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cinemaKid
Joined: 22 Mar 2005
Posts: 1819
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Re: Little Manhattan
quote:
Originally posted by ghostman:
It's odd because the director was advertising the film as the anti-Dakota Fanning-esque movie, where the 10-year-old speaks like a 20-year-old, although... she's more fluent than most 18-year-olds if you ever see her in interviews.
Watched her interview clips a couple of times. It's bizarre.
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Fri Jun 02, 2006 11:12 pm |
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