Featured Audience Ratings

• Cynthia S

  
  Am I rooting for the underdogs these days? I was mesmerized by this movie, yet others seemed to not like it.....Great cast. Captivating. Raw, without being cheap. This is a story largely revolving around religion and music, but mostly having to do with personal struggles, and ethics.… More
  Am I rooting for the underdogs these days? I was mesmerized by this movie, yet others seemed to not like it.....Great cast. Captivating. Raw, without being cheap. This is a story largely revolving around religion and music, but mostly having to do with personal struggles, and ethics. Well done film, with a very satisfying ending. Personally, I think that Mark Ruffalo has a promising career as a director.

• ♥˩ƳИИ &

  
  Cast:Mark Ruffalo, Christopher Thornton, Orlando Bloom, Juliette Lewis, Laura Linney, John Carroll Lynch, Noah Emmerich, James Karen, Nathan Wetherington Director:Mark Ruffalo Summary: Struggling for survival on the rough streets of Los Angeles, newly paralyzed DJ… More
  Cast:Mark Ruffalo, Christopher Thornton, Orlando Bloom, Juliette Lewis, Laura Linney, John Carroll Lynch, Noah Emmerich, James Karen, Nathan Wetherington Director:Mark Ruffalo Summary: Struggling for survival on the rough streets of Los Angeles, newly paralyzed DJ "Delicious" Dean O'Dwyer gains the supernatural ability to heal the sick. But he uses the gift to capitalize on his dreams of rock success in this offbeat drama. Written by Thornton, Mark Ruffalo's directorial debut also stars Orlando Bloom as the front man of a rock band and Laura Linney as the group's persistent manager. My Thoughts: "I wish I could say I loved the film and that Mark Ruffalo did an amazing job at directing. But I just didn't care for the movie or it's character's. The directing was a bit shaky. It wasn't bad but it wasn't great either. I know this story has to do with what Mark's friend Chris kind of went through with trying healing techniques. Orlando Bloom wasn't at all impressive in this role. I'm not sure if it was his acting or the character. I liked Juliette Lewis in this. The story just doesn't play out well. It was just OK and I wish I could say some positive things about the film since I am a big fan of Mark's, but honestly the film fell flat as well as the acting."

• Walter M

  
  In "Sympathy for Delicious," Dean(Christopher Thornton, who also wrote), a paraplegic, is disappointed at the lack of results when he is dragged to see a preacher(John Carroll Lynch) by his friend Rene(Noah Emmerich). Dean gets more tangible results from Father Joe(Mark… More
  In "Sympathy for Delicious," Dean(Christopher Thornton, who also wrote), a paraplegic, is disappointed at the lack of results when he is dragged to see a preacher(John Carroll Lynch) by his friend Rene(Noah Emmerich). Dean gets more tangible results from Father Joe(Mark Ruffalo, who directed), a more down to earth man of god, who wants Dean to move out of his car and into an assisted living facility but Dean is holding out for an SRO. On a professional level, Ariel(Juliette Lewis) likes Dean's DJ work so much that she invites him into her band, over the objections of their manager Nina(Laura Linney) who has apparently never heard punk rock before. And that's when news of Dean's healing ability starts to leak out. Mark Ruffalo is definitely one of the best actors around right now but sadly with his first directorial effort "Sympathy for Delicious," does not show the same level of aptitude, with a fondness for stunt casting and cliched shots of the Los Angeles River. To be fair, I do not think the most experienced of directors would have had much luck with this very uneasy mix of magic realism and rock and roll. So as much as I appreciate any effort to explore the plight of the homeless, wading into Ken Russell's old territory of music gods should never be for the faint of heart.

• Sol C

  
  Ruffalo's directorial debut was so so. The film reminded me of the film, The Touch with Skeet Ulrich and Christopher Walken, however, I thought that film was better. Ruffalo had a good idea for a film but didn't execute it correctly I thought Christopher Thornton was miscast… More
  Ruffalo's directorial debut was so so. The film reminded me of the film, The Touch with Skeet Ulrich and Christopher Walken, however, I thought that film was better. Ruffalo had a good idea for a film but didn't execute it correctly I thought Christopher Thornton was miscast in the lead role. Ruffalo should have gone with another actor like Sam Rockwell for that role. All of the other actors in this ensemble did a good job. I hope Ruffalo's next film that he directs, will be better.

• Christopher H

  
  There is enough going on in this Mark Ruffalo production to keep things interesting, but never outstanding. Christopher Thornton is a new enough face to keep the film exciting, yet the dialogue and plot tend to hold him down. Ruffalo's performance compliments the film nicely, but… More
  There is enough going on in this Mark Ruffalo production to keep things interesting, but never outstanding. Christopher Thornton is a new enough face to keep the film exciting, yet the dialogue and plot tend to hold him down. Ruffalo's performance compliments the film nicely, but over all, the rest of the cast misses their mark, or perhaps never even reaches it.

• matt s

  
  I had high hopes for this film since I heard Ruffalo was directing it and The Besnard Lakes were doing the music. However, after reading the reviews, I figured it was probably one of those mishandled films/vanity projects. And I was wrong. This is an interesting little parable, sort… More
  I had high hopes for this film since I heard Ruffalo was directing it and The Besnard Lakes were doing the music. However, after reading the reviews, I figured it was probably one of those mishandled films/vanity projects. And I was wrong. This is an interesting little parable, sort of like Jose Saramago's The Gospel According to Jesus Christ. Christopher Thornton plays a down-on-his-luck, homeless DJ who finds the power to heal. Absurdly and feeling used by the local priest, he goes on the road with a local touring band and becomes a circus act and danger to himself and others. Ruffalo is once again amazing. The film isn't bad, and it shows Ruffalo's eye for great performances (except for Orlando Bloom, who manages to infuse his performance with Lord of the Rings-style bullshit). The film, while telling a fantasy/Catholic guilt story, has realistic portrayals that make up for time lapses and kept me interested and pinned. A lot of films that touch on these themes would probably make the whole thing a carnival, but because of the nuance and amazing atmosphere, I felt compelled, even touched. I don't know what I and critics were expecting. It's no masterpiece, for sure, but it's a lot better than the other films that have been released this year. These days, that's more than enough.

Read all 6 featured audience ratings