Best movie of this year hands down!

From my favorite movies..

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

humanness (noun) - the quality of being humanSet against the beautiful backdrop of "fog city", a powerful drama plays out, depicting the experiences, emotions, and actions that constitute the many facets of the universal human condition ... gain and loss, joy and grief, pride and shame, success and failure, loyalty and betrayal, suffering and salvation.This movie embraces issues that society likes to pretend don't exist. It shows, with glaring clarity, the incredible frailty of human life and why, all said and done, the value of a human life cannot be appraised in terms of wealth. On a deeper level, it demonstrates the fleeting and impermanent nature of everything in the world of tangible physical form.We are shown that one day's success can morph into failure the next. We are taught to appreciate what we have today, for tomorrow, it might leave an empty space in its wake. We are taught to look beyond the obvious, especially when it comes to judging another human being. We are motivated to ask - what is the point of this rat race, after all ? What am I really chasing after, and am I looking for it in the right place ?Just as soon as you have begun to develop a hatred for the self-serving ruthlessness of a character you've begun to paint as the bad guy, he shocks you by revealing his compassion, and you are left wondering whether he's a hero or villain. Just as soon as you've categorized him, he reveals that he is only human and doesn't fit your neat little categories anymore. Then it hits you ... ultimately, there are no good guys or bad guys in the drama of life ... no winners or losers ... only sufferers of the human condition ... that which compels us to act out as puppets of our desires and fears. And, no one is immune ... we are all vulnerable. Every character in this movie ... yes, every single one ... earns your compassion ... your love ... your tears.If you are someone who likes to believe fantasies like "life is great" and "focus on the positive and everything will be OK", you may be left with the sharp discomfort of questioning your illusions. However, if you're someone who is open to facing and accepting reality, it will resonate with you and move you very deeply.10/10 ... they could not have done anything any better. The cast ... every human in it ... was believable and tailored to the role. The musical score punctuated the on-screen drama perfectly.

Dark story of two tragic characters and a catalyst for disaster. I don't think that many of the posters on the site recognized that the two men in the movie, Lester and Behrani are actually bookends to some degree because they seem to be narcissists who want their own way, regardless. Lester throws away his wife and kids in order to get the woman he wants (at least for the time being) and Behrani strikes his wife when she dares question the ethics of selling a home for three times what he paid for it. Both men rely heavily on the appearance of power, and dare anyone to get in their way. They will not even listen to their wives or girlfriend, as they think they know best. Behrani is the wiser one, as he knows that power doesn't only come from the firearm carried, but from a brave heart. Everyone in the story underestimates the other and judges on appearances alone. Behrani sees Kathy simply as a reckless and overly emotional woman, without realizing that she has suffered a loss and is combating alcoholism. Kathy and Lester see an immigrant who takes advantage of a situation to jack up prices, when Behrani just wants to restore his family to their previous great fortune. Behrani realizes too late that appearances and money mean nothing when your own child is lost. Behrani, the narcissist, will cause the death of his own wife rather than admit his failures in protecting their child. Lester realizes, too late, that 'having the eyes of a child' as Behrani says, will cause you to throw everything away for an uncertain future. All are headstrong characters on a road to destruction in order to get what they want. Kathy sits perched, like a succubus, high above the tragic action.Is she a victim or a villain? The only wrong note in the film was how Behrani's wife would climb the outdoor steps in her doped up state? Otherwise a dark but thought provoking film, similar to American Beauty in its depiction of the dark side of the American Dream, and the tragedy of not truly understanding, but believing that you do.

I recommend watching this movie as an analogy for situations when you can sympathize with two sides of a conflict but also need to see how there is no easy answer. I see a very strong metaphor to the Israel-Palestine conflict, without giving too much away, view the Iranian, Behrani (Ben Kingsley), as the Israelis, being evicted from their home in Europe after World War II due to a descent into madness and attempting to build a new home with a great deal of hard work, and Kathy as the Palestinians, who rightfully own the house but had it re-possessed. View Lester the Police Officer as the other Arab counties and the Lawyer as the Americans. View the sex scene as the thrill and exhilaration of conflict.Superbly acted and directed. When viewed as an analogy to the Israeli and Palestinians it is the only movie I've seen that allows me to fully empathize with both sides and yet not take a side. Can anyone reply with a similar movie on this topic? I've seen no other movie that fits this topic so well, and I'm not sure if the Author intended this interpretation, however, there is this quote in the movie about the land of milk and honey, which is a biblical reference to Israel."Dat's what they say of this country back home, Kath: 'America, the land of milk and honey.' Bot they never tell you the milk's gone sour and the honey's stolen."

Massoud Amir Behrani (Ben Kingsley) and Nadereh (Shohreh Aghdashloo) are Iranian exiles. He is still maintaining a facade of success but is actually working menial jobs. He buys a bungalow at an auction, moves in his family and then intends to flip it. Kathy Nicolo (Jennifer Connelly) was wrongly evicted for $500 of unpaid business taxes. She has been depressed for months after being abandoned by her husband. Sympathetic Deputy Sheriff Lester Burdon (Ron Eldard) tries to help and has an affair with her. It's a desperate struggle for both sides.This is a depressing tragedy. It is unrelenting in its direction. This is expertly laid down by newcomer Vadim Perelman. It does go to a very dark place but it is not coming out of nowhere. One must almost abandon all hope and enjoy this descend into personal destruction.