Overrated

Disturbing yet enthralling

A different way of telling a story

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

This is a slow paced movie that doesn't finish its story until almost the very last minute. In a very casual, relaxed and roundabout way, embodied by the characters (particularly Ed Asner's Leo), the movie deals with ordinary people dealing with ordinary issues in their everyday lives.Each character initially may seem superficial and unremarkable, but by the movie's end, each one's story has been quietly explored and explained, in a way that ought to make us think a little more about all the "ordinary" people we meet in everyday life, each of whom, like us, has a whole lifetime of joys and sorrows behind them, and we never know what they may be dealing with at any given moment.The acting may not be Academy Award level, but that's because the roles are not Academy Award roles. The actors all do fine jobs of portraying their characters which, again, may seem superficial at the beginning but are shown to be a bit more complex by the end.As some of the negative reviews indicate, this movie is not for everyone. This movie is very dialogue heavy -- don't watch it if you're in the mood for an action movie. There is humor, but it's low key, so don't watch it if you're in the mood for a hilarious comedy. This movie is simple, but not stupid, so don't watch it if you're in the mood for some mindless entertainment. But if you're already relaxed and in the mood for a calm, character and dialogue driven movie that will leave you thinking a little, I would certainly recommend this movie.I gave it nine stars rather than ten because there is some language in the movie. It's not gratuitous, I just didn't feel it was entirely necessary.

There is no point to the movie, so do not bother asking.An actor's film, perhaps that is because the story was a stage play originally.A sly selection to rid oneself of unwanted company, sure, if you yourself can get passed the first five minutes.Spoiler Alert The reason the protagonist, Joel, attends the men's support group is because they all see themselves with personality deficiencies from being an oddball to a person with a stutter. "Joel, you're here among friends." Joel is drawn to join them as if by some mysterious 'Twilight Zone' magnetism.I cannot say how the stage production executed the move, but in the movie, we the audience were deliberately deprived of the conversation that the newly arrived protagonist has with the aging Ed Asner character, Leo. We the audience are not told whether or not Joel was invited.Following the "big reveal" scene, Joel breakdown and shares his story which the other characters can empathize.

actors who study actors and acting are about the only people who will enjoy this film. an unbelievable story with a drifting script and Joel -the main character- comes across as just stupid.i first thought this was a support group for the mentally unstable. by the end of the movie i could see i wasn't wrong. but that's not what the film is about!! the writer and director have other intentions. you'll have to suffer through this yourself to see what that intention is.as i state above if you want to study an exercise in 'acting' this is a good choice. if you want entertainment don't bother! if you want to get rid of company quickly put this movie on - they'll be gone in 10 minutes.

I, like the main character, initially kept wondering why he was there. And as the movie progressed I, like the main character, wondered less and less about that and more and more about the characters and what was going on with them. I wouldn't necessarily call this a 'guys' movie, because I think a similar scenario could happen with women. But guys are more loathe to discuss the things, the inner fears and loneliness and insecurities that we all do have. It is not a very complicated story. In fact, there is no plot to speak of. But it is a warm and comforting little tale that shows the best qualities of friendship- the giving and receiving of empathy and understanding- and the need we all have for that. This is not a movie full of the touchy-feely-express-yourself-explore your-inner-self type moments guys hate, but there are honest moments of emotion and as an insular person I found myself caring about these characters, and wondering why I didn't have friends like this in my life.