Intense, gripping, stylish and poignant

It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

This is ultimately a movie about the very bad things that can happen when we don't address our unease, when we just try to brush it off, whether that's to fit in or to preserve our self-image.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

This movie is about us, our lives, the lives of our parents and children all in just two and a half hour. It touches you deeply and makes you examine your own life profoundly. Great movie of life.

Just when I thought this was another chronicle of Godless people living without a code, they threw in some worthwhile scenes with coded adults. A photography teacher, a corrections officer, a restaurant employer, a girlfriend, and a reformed dad all tried to teach our apathetic protagonist some valuable life lessons. Those were great scenes. They had to throw in some political propaganda against President Bush, for Obama and singer "Bright Eyes," to appease their stars or themselves I imagine. At least they showed religious people as sincere and kind before they gently mocked the concept.Something this long starts to feel self-indulgent. But most scenes are thoughtful and carefully made. I'll give it a grudging recommendation.

Interesting concept and epic fail no lessons learned no heart no nothing. Oh what could have been....the mom and daughter try to

(Minor spoilers possible)The worst part of the movie was for me probably the ending, as it was open-ended and I feel like many of the lifelines demanded a stronger closure. Especially the protagonist's sister's life got left out of the story starting halfway.It had a potential esp. thanks to the longterm recording, but the main idea isn't quite there. What this movie does right at places is leading us through the contrast of how people change through growing up and how exactly the situations change around them. The characters felt flat at times (the mid part gets us the most involved) and towards the end even out of nowhere nihilistic, which struck me as overdone at places. I must say I loved the part with the teacher about the art giving him the waking-up call.The movie ends as the protagonist enters the college and I feel like it could've been better if they just waited for him to enter the stage of a working adult (how did his career and personal life turns up after everything he's gone through, hm?)So all in all, watch for the minor events that show life contrasting during different periods while growing up, but be ready for rather a slow movie with boring passages and mediocre ending.