Featured Audience Ratings

• Jim H

  
  Lonely people converge in various storylines involving sexual development and the improbability of connection. It's been a long time since I've seen a film that has been able to find profundity in life's little moments, but Miranda July's tour de force work in… More
  Lonely people converge in various storylines involving sexual development and the improbability of connection. It's been a long time since I've seen a film that has been able to find profundity in life's little moments, but Miranda July's tour de force work in <i>Me and You and Everyone We Know</i> is able to find gems in everyday occurrences. The most striking example of the beauty she finds in the benign happens in the third act, so I won't give in away, but the rest of the film is subtle and poignant too. And what is a better example of achieving the Altman Standard than the reveal of whom the boys are cyber-sexting with? I did think the film occasionally got quirky for quirky's sake like Christine putting socks on her ears, but the film's concentration on these characters' oppressive and oppressing loneliness makes the things they do for attention and recognition more motivated than a film with a weaker thematic through-line. Overall, Miranda July has a new fan, and I have a new example of why film can be a medium that communicates the occasional sublimity of life better than any other.

• Randy T

  
  Quirky, energetic and out-there. I absolutely loved it!

• Alice S

  
  Oh-so-weird/indie/pretentious......but oh-so-irresistibly cute/sad/beautiful in parts (and trust me, I tried hard to resist): Richard accidentally self-immolating his hand with lighter fluid instead of alcohol; six-year-old Robby innocently cybering about pooping back and forth into… More
  Oh-so-weird/indie/pretentious......but oh-so-irresistibly cute/sad/beautiful in parts (and trust me, I tried hard to resist): Richard accidentally self-immolating his hand with lighter fluid instead of alcohol; six-year-old Robby innocently cybering about pooping back and forth into each others' buttholes; Christine and Richard's meet-cute wherein they pretend to live their entire relationship together in a few street blocks; the sustained eye contact between Christine and Richard after he rejects her; Christine and Richard holding her mirror for fifteen seconds after gluing it; Peter bringing a stuffed animal for Sylvie's neurotically early hope chest, which she had heretofore filled with household appliances. The only story I wasn't into is the two neighborhood Lolitas trying to bait a potential pedophile. None of their motivations were set up properly. The filmmaker Miranda July seems like a total wackjob, but I guess I'll give her props for being so open with her wackjobiness, for instance, Christine, her performance artist alter ego (I'm assuming). The goofy Casio keyboard-esque score is a bit cloying at times but oddly atmospheric. I am very much enamored by John Hawkes' pugilist nose and sunken eyes. He's like an older, sadder version of DJ Qualls.

• Nicki M

  
  This is an all time favourite I finally got around to rewatching. I saw it quite a few times after I bought the DVD, but not for a good few years now. I have to say, it is still excellent. Miranda July has done a great job on this - both as the quirky lead actress and with directing… More
  This is an all time favourite I finally got around to rewatching. I saw it quite a few times after I bought the DVD, but not for a good few years now. I have to say, it is still excellent. Miranda July has done a great job on this - both as the quirky lead actress and with directing it. This is a true to life little story with believable yet eccentric characters, all well written and all perfectly cast, though I would say they are pretty much unknowns. Miranda plays Christine, a struggling writing/performer who drives the elderly for a day job. She meets shoe salesman, Richard (John Hawkes) who is going through a relationship breakup and adjusting to only having his two boys part time. There is an attraction between the two, but he is wary of getting involved again as his ex has been quite callous. His boys are also slight troubled. The youngest, Robby, has stuck up an internet romance with an older woman, and he makes her a proposition that i can't believe she accepts. (Obviously she does not realise he is a child). It would probably be revolting if it wasn't so beautifully and innocently written. I also like the teen girls, Heather and Rebecca, who are leading on an overweight older guy who likes to watch them, but doesn't have the nerve to do more than write notes and watch out his window. The young character, Sylvie, is also amusing, as she collects household utensils obsessively so she will have a dowry and glory box ready for her marriage. (Sylvie is about ten years old). This kind of reminds me of Todd Solondz, another favourite director of mine, but these characters are basically good, where a lot of his aren't so much. A movie about flawed and real people that is sad as well as funny. I love this movie and highly recommend it!

• Spencer S

  
  One of the most ambiguously eccentric films that I have ever come across, the oddness could have overwhelmed the film easily enough, rendering it yet another cultural remnant of obscurity. Instead, Miranda July does an impressive job of truly fleshing out all her characters, making… More
  One of the most ambiguously eccentric films that I have ever come across, the oddness could have overwhelmed the film easily enough, rendering it yet another cultural remnant of obscurity. Instead, Miranda July does an impressive job of truly fleshing out all her characters, making for intricate subplots that intertwine between the two main characters of Richard, a single father who works in a shoe store, and Christine, a senior-cab driver by day and video performance artist by night. The film revolves around their mutual attraction, and Richard's flailing denial of his feelings, resulting in tension within his household and with his ex-wife. Christine is aware of Richard's apparent fear as he pushes her farther and farther away, so she waits until he finally confronts whatever problems he faces. Subplots include a couple of promiscuous teenage girls, Richard's sons and their online activity, and a Contemporary Art Museum's curator, inclined to take on a nubile Christine, and try to find acceptance for herself. It's a riveting and exclusively strange film, but the main focus of intimacy and recognition for who you are is never overshadowed.

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"Say, "You poop into my butt hole and I poop into your butt hole... back and forth... forever."</i> A lonely shoe salesman and an eccentric performance artist struggle to connect in this unique take on contemporary life. <center><font size=+2… More
  <i>"Say, "You poop into my butt hole and I poop into your butt hole... back and forth... forever."</i> A lonely shoe salesman and an eccentric performance artist struggle to connect in this unique take on contemporary life. <center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> A remarkable first film for the incredibly gifted and talented July, who wrote, directed and co-stars in this winning comedy/drama character study with eccentric bumps and grinds - just like life! - with an admirable quirky sense of mischief and surprisingly poignant knack for the soulful. Hawkes - in an equally amazing performance of quiet, implosive substance - stars as a recently separated family man and shoe salesman who attempts to adjust somewhat reluctantly to the jarring effects of his life in transition and to desperately bond with his seemingly indifferent eldest son Thompson (very good as well) and the adorably precocious and alarmingly sweet and natural Ratcliff, his youngest. In the midst he meets up with July's slightly askew yet also desiring to be loved artist-wannabe who does her best to get by with the daily drudgeries and pitfalls with a smile, upbeat persona and self-confidence thisclose to coming to a halt and perhaps a breakdown despite her efforts. July has restored my faith in independent film-making and in general film going - one of the best films I have seen this year and in her gracefully off-beat touchstones to the human spirit and is a joy to watch this instant perfect gem unspool. Her somewhat unorthodox/semi-improvised stylings, clever visuals (her pas de deus with a video camera and her shoes echo Charlie Chaplin's dinner roll dance in The Gold Rush!) and awe-inspiring handle with her actors is a triumph in not being too pleased with the proceedings and lets them just be. Also noteworthy is her other child actress, Westerman - resembling a Cherry Jones Mini-Me - with her years beyond her demeanor and assured tone of self-discipline and domestic docility is one of the funniest/saddest things I've ever seen committed to celluloid. The true stunner is the pre-adolescent Ratcliff with his innocent angel face as he has one of cinema's most unlikely meet-cutes of all time in a computer sex-chat lounge that results in one of the most heartbreakingly sweet encounters between a couple that could've been (trust me this is worth the price of admission alone!) It will have you laughing out loud at the absurdity while the occasional jaw-drop of stony silence at the sudden lump-in-the-throat-en-rush of tears. I eagerly await July's next foray.

• Jake .

  
  "You and Me and Everyone We Know" is strangely awesome. Its just so wierd and flinty. It possibly took itself a bit seriously, but its really pretty capitivating. The storyline are varied and interwoven- that is something that I always like. Personally, I didn't think… More
  "You and Me and Everyone We Know" is strangely awesome. Its just so wierd and flinty. It possibly took itself a bit seriously, but its really pretty capitivating. The storyline are varied and interwoven- that is something that I always like. Personally, I didn't think all of the acting was that great, but it passes. The characters are all oddballs, but they are also human enough to really be plausible and they can still be related too. Its certainly not one of the best of its genre, but its fun and flinty and enjoyable to watch. I really reminded me of Happy-Go-Lucky which is one of my favorite movies. So, its a good movie to watch and enjoy. Laugh and little and move on.

• Anthony L

  
  At first sight it may seem like a pretentious indie film, typical of what you might expect from a video artist. Well, it is and it?s not. I don't think its pretentious at all, it?s a really quirky and quite touching story about interwoven lives of slightly broken people, trying… More
  At first sight it may seem like a pretentious indie film, typical of what you might expect from a video artist. Well, it is and it?s not. I don't think its pretentious at all, it?s a really quirky and quite touching story about interwoven lives of slightly broken people, trying to fix themselves and each other. Nothing truly original but one of the best in recent years! ))><((

• Luke B

  
  Multifaceted and quirky film with a great humbling feel. The film just comes right out and says "we're all fucked up" so let's stop hiding it. John Hawkes finally gets a decent sized role as an awkward father/shoe sales man. He starts the film by setting his own… More
  Multifaceted and quirky film with a great humbling feel. The film just comes right out and says "we're all fucked up" so let's stop hiding it. John Hawkes finally gets a decent sized role as an awkward father/shoe sales man. He starts the film by setting his own hand alight. It's a great act of rebellion against his ex-wife and a completely inappropriate way of reaching out to his two children. The film is absolutely filled with oddballs and each of them finding acceptance, usually from the people they least expect. It's humour is often a tad "wrong" but also very funny. If a 6 year old boy talking about pooping back on forth on an internet chat room isn't funny, then what is? It mixes honesty with peculiar fantasy and it brings great big smirkiness.

• Stefanie C

  
  quirky. my favorite scene is the child showing up at the park to meet the woman from the internet chat line...disturbingly funny and touching.

• Stella D

  
  a little self consciously quirky but very funny and sweet. the kids were adorable and the ending was perfect. we'll go everywhere even tho we're scared

• Aaron N

  
  Christine Jesperson: [seeing his bandage] Whoa, what happened? Richard Swersey: You want the short version or the long one? Christine Jesperson: The long one. Richard Swersey: I tried to save my life but it didn't work. Christine Jesperson: Wow. What's the short one? Richard… More
  Christine Jesperson: [seeing his bandage] Whoa, what happened? Richard Swersey: You want the short version or the long one? Christine Jesperson: The long one. Richard Swersey: I tried to save my life but it didn't work. Christine Jesperson: Wow. What's the short one? Richard Swersey: I burned it. Here's a little movie that easily fits into the category of offbeat and quirky, but that is never a bad thing if its an enjoyable experience. Writer and director Miranda July, who also stars in the film and is in fact a contemporary artist besides filmmaker, shows a story containing a number of characters, most living in the same neighborhood, all communicating in a way that would be understood by what the title suggests applied to them. The biggest star would be John Hawkes, a man who has appeared in plenty of small roles over the years, and is probably recognized by moviegoers as "hey its that guy." Here he is a recently separated man, trying to make his new home work for him and his two boys. Robby: Ask her if she likes baloney. The two boys also have events going on in their lives, including internet chat room conversations that they are too young to be involved in, and their relationship to the neighboring girls. One of these girls has a hope chest full of items for when she gets married, she's probably around 11 years old. Two other girls deal with a conversation they were to young to be having with an older man and what could be... Then there's July's character, Christine who has a cab service for the elderly as well as a life in creating contemporary art, submitting it to people who have their own ways in considering what's "good." So all of this could sound like a jumble when describing it, but it is a wonderful indie comedy, full of moments that are very nice and poignant. Andrew: Dude, did you just give her the family discount? Richard Swersey: Yeah. She's my neighbor, and I'm trying to work on my karma. Do you know what karma means? Andrew: Yeah. Richard Swersey: It means that she owes me one. Along with the characters, the soundtrack too, is very quirky, and even goes to the point of fitting in some Cody Chestnut tunes, an artist I particularly like, so kudos. The characters are all well handled. The actors know what they are doing, particularly some of these child actors, the youngest son is also very adorable. This movie isn't as much about having a defined plot, as it is about showing a few weeks in the lives of these people and what comes from chance encounters, followed by certain character arcs and resolutions to the all of the little strands. It's a large ensemble movie that gave me the same sort of curious and comforting feeling I got when I watched Amelie or Punch-Drunk-Love for the first time. Very nice and offbeat movie. Richard Swersey: Yeah, the "Ice Land" sign is halfway. It's the halfway point. Christine Jesperson: Ice Land is - It's kind of like that point in a relationship, you know, where you suddenly realize it's not going to last forever. You know, you can see the end in sight. Tyrone Street. Richard Swersey: Yeah, but we're not even there yet. We're still at the good part. We're not even sick of each other yet. Christine Jesperson: I'm not sick of you at all.

• Jennifer X

  
  The "poop back-and-forth" line still puts me in giggles every time. The delivery couldn't be more hysterical. The whimsy naivete never gets annoying - thanks to Miranda July, who is cute in a quirky, onionskin-layer sort, never saccharine - and provides for a very… More
  The "poop back-and-forth" line still puts me in giggles every time. The delivery couldn't be more hysterical. The whimsy naivete never gets annoying - thanks to Miranda July, who is cute in a quirky, onionskin-layer sort, never saccharine - and provides for a very enjoyable experience.

• Robert C

  
  This felt totally real, yet completely bizzare. A "slice of life" type film, with a twisted edge. Featuring a cast of characters who while emotionally "disturbed" in various degrees... are all still completely likeable and captivating. This strange and… More
  This felt totally real, yet completely bizzare. A "slice of life" type film, with a twisted edge. Featuring a cast of characters who while emotionally "disturbed" in various degrees... are all still completely likeable and captivating. This strange and often surreal tale would not have been as engaging if it weren't for the excellent cast attached to it. The ENTIRE cast was superb, including the younger memebers, who (for me) "break" more often then "make" a film.

• Curtis L

  
  I couldn't believe how amazing this movie is. It's been a while since I've seen such perfect dialog and characters. You just want to hug and kiss everyone in it. "In 20 years everything will be digital." "No it won't. Not soup." "Why… More
  I couldn't believe how amazing this movie is. It's been a while since I've seen such perfect dialog and characters. You just want to hug and kiss everyone in it. "In 20 years everything will be digital." "No it won't. Not soup." "Why not?" "Because it's a liquid." It makes me want to talk to strange people and just be interested in life again.

• xGary X

  
  A shoe salesman splits up with his wife and enters into single fatherdom by spouting gen X platitudes about the meaning of life at his McJob before entering into the most unconvincing romance between two irritating people this side of Anakin and Padme. Meanwhile an old man goes… More
  A shoe salesman splits up with his wife and enters into single fatherdom by spouting gen X platitudes about the meaning of life at his McJob before entering into the most unconvincing romance between two irritating people this side of Anakin and Padme. Meanwhile an old man goes through the usual "grab the moment while you can" cliches and underage kids flirt with sexual encounters in the most distasteful (but "quirky", so it's OK) way. Throw in a token death, kooky "artist" making inane analogies about relationships and shouting out "YOU ARE LOVED" to a doomed goldfish like the immature rantings of a second year film student and you've got everything that's wrong with indie cinema. At least the similarly vacuous Garden State had likeable characters and a few laughs. This is unfunny, pretentious dross pretending it's profound by being wacky and filming a sunset in handycam. Apparently this turd has won awards; that just goes to show that if a dog was caught short in an art gallery, there'd still be a cretin who'd proclaim it's business as a masterpiece. A complete insult to the intelligence.

• Lanning :

  
  Second great ensemble job I've seen in a week, the other being <i>Zodiac</i>. This is a very gentle, very quiet film about connections we make with other human beings. <p>As with many gentle films, there is no high drama, but the "drama" of everyday… More
  Second great ensemble job I've seen in a week, the other being <i>Zodiac</i>. This is a very gentle, very quiet film about connections we make with other human beings. <p>As with many gentle films, there is no high drama, but the "drama" of everyday life is beautifully captured here. I've been impressed with John Hawkes before, but this is his best work so far. Visually, he may never fit the screen heartthrob image, but there is no doubt that he is a fine actor. I can't remember ever seeing Miranda July before, but she is a comer.

• Red L

  
  OK, this movie makes me think. There are many stories between the inter-related characters. The children's performances are wonderful. Mostly kids that keep to themselves, that are doing their best, but seeking something that is missing. The funniest lines are in a chatroom… More
  OK, this movie makes me think. There are many stories between the inter-related characters. The children's performances are wonderful. Mostly kids that keep to themselves, that are doing their best, but seeking something that is missing. The funniest lines are in a chatroom between six-year old Robby and some unknown female. I need to see this movie again.

• Drew S

  
  I resent the fact that this movie tries so achingly hard to be "quirky" and "indie", but it's touching and different nonetheless, with characters you're liable to never forget. The plot feels a little coincidental, though, so that gets a little tiresome.

• Nate Z

  
  [center][font=Arial][color=darkred][img]http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/5341/photo032sw.jpg[/img][/color][/font][/center] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ? The visuals by Tim Burton are suitably lavish but it?s missing the heart of the 1971 film. I… More
  [center][font=Arial][color=darkred][img]http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/5341/photo032sw.jpg[/img][/color][/font][/center] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ? The visuals by Tim Burton are suitably lavish but it?s missing the heart of the 1971 film. I never thought I?d say a movie worked despite Johnny Depp?s performance, but that?s the case here. It was far too off. Whereas Gene Wilder had the dichotomy of warmth and madness, Depp was just the kooky Michael Jackson-esque weirdo in a bobbed haircut (I thought Neverland had been found). Perhaps the added Michael Jackson vibe makes the premise a lot darker, what with luring children into a chocolate factory. Charlie is a really boring character lacking definition beyond his ?goodness.? Once they get to the factory he?s basically wallpaper, watching his peers fall one by one to their vices. I?m not sold on a Wonka back-story. I don?t need to know why he is as he is; I need no tormented childhood and daddy issues. This new film has more polish but the old film has more togetherness and lasting power.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Nate?s Grade: B-[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Me, You, and Everyone We Know ? This movie is going to affect people very differently. Writer/director Miranda July, a note performance artist, has created a world of people fumbling for human connection. It?s deeply arty, meaning that meaning will be considerably different per viewer. For whatever reason, I was able to ride July?s artistic wavelength and enjoyed the series of oddball characters and weird vignettes, like a chain of cars keeping a goldfish alive atop one of their roofs. The film deals frankly with sexuality and involves teens experimenting, but the film exists in a world where sexuality still had its curiosities and detached humor, truly like a kid?s point of view. This movie has two of the most profoundly romantic moments of any film I?ve seen all year, but they are just moments. [i]Me, and You, and Everyone We Know [/i]is a movie built around moments. There are enough of them for me and I appreciated July?s unique voice.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Nate?s Grade: B+[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Lord of War ? Andrew Niccol is back in my cadre of cool. He?s responsible for two awesome movies ([i]Gattaca[/i], [i]The Truman Show[/i]) and one very lackluster Hollywood satire ([i]Simone[/i]). But now the man is back and [i]Lord of War[/i] is a startling look into the amoral world of international arms dealing. The film is enthralling as Uri (Nicolas Cage) narrates us about the ins-and-outs of his world a la Ray Liotta in [i]Goodfellas[/i]. Not to be outdone by a juicy narrative by Niccol the writer, Niccol the director adds lots of stylish flash to his tale. The opening watches the manufacturing and journey of one bullet, it?s ending destination in the head of a little African boy caught in the crossfire. It?s jarring, it?s powerful, and it?s direct. That?s [i]Lord of War[/i] in a nutshell.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Nate?s Grade: A-[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Corpse Bride ? Not as good as [i]Nightmare Before Christmas[/i], but really, what can be? Tim Burton second stop-motion animated film is beautifully crafted and emotionally involving. It?s interesting because all three characters in the movie?s love triangle have really done nothing wrong, and our sympathies are stretched to all three. The contrast of the world of the living (drab, formal) and the dead (colorful, lively) is stark, and death in [i]Corpse Bride[/i] is presented as simply another stage of living. Therefore, you don?t have to worry about scaring the kids with this one. The ending is a bit too conventional and the songs are all lackluster, nothing ever as remotely humable as Danny Elfman?s masterpieces in [i]Nightmare Before Christmas[/i]. Despite the unfair comparisons, [i]Corpse [/i]Bride is easy on the eyes, amusing, and nicely romantic.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Nate?s Grade: B[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]The Skeleton Key ? The marketing said it was horror (voodoo, creepy kids), but it?s less a horror movie and more a [i]Twilight Zone[/i] tale. It has its share of jump scares and tries to draw out an atmosphere of dread. You see a lot of how doors work from inside locks. [i]The Skeleton Key tries [/i]to be overly clever despite its plot holes, but at least the film runs its course. It wasn?t trying to throw out a contrived ending. Kate Hudson needs better roles than these do-nothing parts; she?s far too cute to languish. And how many times did she inspect late-night noises in her underwear? The most entertaining aspect of [i]The Skeleton Key[/i] may be gazing at a pre-Katrina New Orleans.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Nate?s Grade: B-[/color][/font]

Read all 20 featured audience ratings