Memorable, crazy movie

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

I actually read the novel Labor Day by Joyce Maynard before I rented the film. The book is very good and packs an emotional wallop at the end (a similar ending with some added nuances). Having read the book, I knew what was going to happen so in some ways it took away any of the suspense that existed in the film for people who were seeing the story for the first time.I think the book fills in the details of the characters' lives better than the film does, however the director obviously had to choose how to provide the background stories of Adele and Frank, and given their individual pasts, it wasn't an easy feat. The director did an admirable job in my opinion, yet I don't know if I hadn't read the book if I'd have been able to piece together Frank's story all that well.The casting of Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin was very inspired and they each captured their characters believably. This is a love story ultimately and being told from the perspective of a 13 year old boy adds a perspective that is refreshing.

Labor Day is a film that may require further meditation. On first glance, the film seems to go nowhere and it may seem like a bland romance, but it's a deeper film than expected and it takes time getting used to the romance. It's nice to see Jason Reitman explore a new theme and set a different tone from his other films, even if the end product results in not being his best film. The characters are worth paying attention to and I really enjoyed the acting and the simple tone of the film. Jason Reitman's film is about a depressed single mother named Adele who lives at home with her teenage son. Their lives change when a man named Frank, a recent prison escapee, enter their lives. With the manhunt increasing tenfold, Frank and Adele begin an unlikely romance. The film works due to the charisma of the two leads. Kate Winslet, who is no stranger to unexpected romances, does a great job as the depressed, nervous Adele who is torn with a dark past. Josh Brolin likewise is excellent as Frank, the commanding but gentle man who may not have committed the crime he is accused of. Overall, Labor Day is a better film that I was expecting. It does have some noticeable flaws. The plot itself got somewhat confusing with the random flashbacks that could use some explaining. I also felt some of the dialog is much more simple than most Reitman films. But I praise Reitman for crafting a interesting, if not tragic romance coming from unexpected situations. It's a different tone and I think he tackled it nicely. I rate this film 8/10.

The movie presents yet another blow to my single-male ego. So now even a known escaped murderer can sweep a beautiful woman off her feet, in one weekend no less, better than I can? I should just give up.OK, I will just accept that this concept is just movie magic and suspend my disbelief for the sake of the movie. I guess I will also suspend my disbelief that a protective mother would let an escaped murderer (no matter how calm or attractive) stay in her house under any circumstances. And I will suspend disbelief that a mature-for-his-age boy would not do something (anything) to protect his mom from the perceived threat (especially as he should have felt guilty about bringing the stranger into their lives in the first place). And lastly, I should just accept that a murderer on the run would spend time outside in broad daylight performing chores for the captive family when the neighborhood is swarming with police searching for him.Other than those flaws, the movie is quite well done, with good acting performances all- around, good story pacing, and a script detailed enough to build three dimensional characters outside of the main story.Just because I am a sucker for romance, I will recommend this movie (with the above reservations) to fellow romance-seekers.

I just finished watching this movie after renting it from RedBox, and this was a great movie. Definitely one that will make you feel really good. Let me talk about what makes this movie great. The plot of this movie that we are familiar with of Adele played by Kate Winslet and her 13-year old son Henry, played by Gattlin Griffith hiding an escaped convict, Frank played by Josh Brolin from authorities, and seeing him for who he is. That sounds like a plot that we'd see on Soap Operas. But, watching this movie does not look like tuning into television for a Soap Opera because it doesn't have that kind of mood. What else is great from this movie, the movie takes place in the '80s, 1987 a time a lot of us wish to go back to even if we weren't born back then considering life to have been more simple then. A lot of this movie is told from Henry's point of view. He's a good kid and likable character, and it shows some of his emotions which are typical of boys his age. This movie also takes place in a rural area. That being said, as rural areas are typically quiet this movie is mostly quiet with slow background music, and slow scenes such as characters walking. But, that being said the movie was great because slow scenes can sometimes make a movie boring or realistic. I felt like this movie was slow, but not boring and definitely realistic. The characters we meet in this movie also seem like realistic people, like your everyday type of people. The plot from this movie also seems realistic, and it does not show scenes that seem like they wouldn't or couldn't happen.Sometimes, it's nice to watch movies that seem like real life, even if the story might be fiction. Movies with relatable and believable characters, as we can connect more if the characters seem relatable. Also, we might be used to a lot of special effects nowadays, or fun fictitious plots which there's nothing wrong about that. But, sometimes it's nice to watch a movie where they don't go all out to film it, without so many special effects, and without a plot or action that only seems to happen in movies. Sometimes a person can think small if they want a good movie, not needing an extremely expensive budget and countless special effects to make a successful movie. They can make an entertaining movie and even show characters that seem like your everyday people. I felt like Henry made this movie very likable. Also, if you are not sure about the plot of the movie, minus an ex convict staying at somebody's house, you will not be too sure what to expect as the slowness of the movie makes the scenes less predictable. I really wasn't sure what to expect. You expect something, but you ask yourself when will it happen and will it happen?If you're up for an easy movie, and a love story then this movie definitely is for you. It will show typical life, and make it seem so happy. I give this movie a 10/10, because I felt like it was really well done, especially for a simple movie.