Customer Reviews

Personal Effects

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I rented this movie on a sort of lark, thinking from the scant, critical reviews I'd read online that it might be an amusing dud where Ashton Kutcher tries to act and can't. Was I ever wrong! This is a beautiful, sensitive and deeply moving drama that had me literally at the edge of my seat by the end of it. Michele Pfeiffer is brilliant, and Ashton Kutcher a fine dramatic actor who reminded me a bit of Woody Harrelson in his portrayal. This movie is better than 90 percent or more of regular theatrical releases, and I can't understand why it went straight to DVD. The supporting cast, including Kathy Bates as a grieving mother, is wonderful; the story, written by the author of the highly acclaimed "The Ice Storm" original and very affecting. It brought to mind both "In the Bedroom" and "Little Children." I'd like to buy it and watch it again. It makes me think Kutcher could have a future as a leading man.

This movie was a great surprise. I did not know what to expect and ended up loving it. It is like a small indie flick but it stars three well-known actors: Michelle Pfeiffer, Kathy Bates, and Ashton Kutcher. I was surprised by what a good actor Ashton Kutcher is.

The movie starts out with a group of people meeting together in a grief support group. Ashton Kutcher's sister has been murdered and Michelle Pfeiffer's husband has been murdered. Kathy Bates plays Ashton Kutcher's mother. Michelle Pfeiffer has a teen-aged son who is deaf. Ashton Kutcher had the potential to be a nationally recognized wrestler prior to his sister's murder. After her murder, he returns home to be with his mother and to watch the trial. He reaches out to Michelle Pfeiffer's son by getting him involved in wrestling. Gradually, Ashton Kutcher and Michelle Pfeiffer become attracted to each other and begin a relationship that is poignantly sweet and deep.

I highly recommend this movie. It's a gem.

PERSONAL EFFECTS is a solid little film written by director David Hollander and the fine novelist Rick Moody. The premise is a study of how the traumatic deaths of people affect those left behind. The story is well told, allows the audience to explore the group therapy approach offered to families of violently killed people - the various means of responding to loss, the differing reactions from those who cannot let go of the hate they have for losing a loved one, and introduces an interesting concept of having one of the characters who narrates the film be a deaf mute young man!

Gloria (Kathy Bates) is the mother of twins - the girl was been brutalized and murdered and the boy Andrew (Ashton Kuchter) has left his career as a wrestler to return to the scene of the crime to mourn his sister and to demand the perpetrator be convicted and imprisoned: his career has been put on hold and he ekes out a living dressed as a chicken for a fast food chicken restaurant. During the ongoing twin's trial, Andrew meets Linda (Michelle Pfeiffer) whose alcoholic husband has been killed and she is left to support her teenage deaf mute son Clay (Spencer Hudson). Through series of grieving meetings and periods of isolation on the part of each of the characters, each finds ways to support the other and a love affair develops between the older Linda and the younger Andrew as he agrees to accompany her to her various weddings for which she serves a planner. How these characters comes to grips with resolution of their losses is well tied together by film's end.

This is not a great movie, but the performances by the leads are quite fine. This is a movie with a message, one that delves into territory with which many are not familiar, and for that reason alone it is well worth watching. Grady Harp, March 09

I was pleasantly surprised with this movie. The characters were well developed and the performances were well above my expectations. Michelle Pfeiffer played her role with a gentleness and vulnerability that I have rarely seen from her and Ashton Kutcher was perfect in his portrayal of a young man trying to deal with loss...and guilt.

The film tells the story of two families attempting to come to terms with the deaths of significant family members - a father and a sister. And it portrays the various ways we have as humans of trying to cope with the loss that results from death.

The relationships that arise from the attempts to deal with the losses are what makes this story so very precious. I am always surprised at what grows out of grief (based on personal experience) despite the tears and heartache. The emptiness left by our loved ones departure is an emptiness that awaits the arrival of something or someone new...if we only let it.

Great movie, great perfomances, well written script and a tough subject served well by a finely crafted piece of cinematic art.

A friend gave me this movie. I didn't know what to expect. I was surprisingly surprised. I think Ashton did a wonderful job. Actually, the whole cast was great. Having lost a family member to a brutal death, I could relate to Ashton's character and felt he expressed my pain perfectly. The exploration of grief from different angles was well written. I hope to see Ashton in more movies where he can show how he has grown as an actor.

This is a powerful story about loss of people close to us and overwhelming power of grief that can alter course of anyone's life. Walter is a young man in college whose twin sister is brutally murdered. Laura's husband was shot to death by his friend and she is left to care for her deaf teenage son on her own. Both walter and laura belong to different generations and lifestyles, but mutual loss of their loved ones binds them together.

For anyone who believes that pain is necessary part of life, while suffering is optional one has to wonder if they have experienced grief of a loved one that can take over life of any individual. This is a powerful story about two people who find that their loss and love for each other is a way to their own emotional salvation.

Ashton Kutcher and Michelle Pfeiffer make perfect duo for their roles. It is easy to imagine a young 24-year old man falling for an older woman as beautiful as Laura. Kathy Bates who plays Walter's mother is absolutely amazing in her role of a grieving mother.

Had not heard a thing about his title and it received little to no support for distribution. Part of my higher rating is that it falls into the non self absorbed category containing several A-list actors, and is a great film.

A long story of good people suffering through different levels of anger, depression, retribution, loss, and in the end trying to find some semblance of living a decent life. What makes this movie watchable is the film quality and style; A great deal of close-ups, panoramic focuses, and slow-motion with zooms - all whilst looking incredible on Blu. Each main actor performed believably, but especially the deaf newcomer (playing a deaf teen) Spencer Hudson who shows some wonderful depth.

The filming locations and city-scapes in Canada looked flawless. A good deal of effort was obviously put into making this look clear, professional and meticulously framed. This writer/director's freshman piece was preserved excellently, and looks especially pristine in Blu; excellent start. The DTS gets used primarily with the music, as 99% of this film is dialogue. The blue tint, gloomy weather and dark clothing are prevalent throughout, but the yellow chicken suit and wedding scenes give some vibrancy occasionally. I just have to mention again that the clarity is awesome...wow.

Customers have watched it playing in the store and appear quite surprised by the film. For me, this is Ashton's best film and performance to date, so hopefully the haters will take a rest and give this a chance. I have seen the same reaction here that I read about elsewhere in people saying how bad this is because of Mr. Demi, but I think of this as an owner for the Michelle and Ash fans, and a renter for the Kathy Bates group.

I had to ding one star because this is a classic role model for how not to do a behind the scenes piece. It runs 19 minutes and contains 11 minutes of long takes from the film. I just watched two hours of gloom, I do not feel like watching it again right after to learn about how they got there. The remainder is mostly about how great everyone is, so hopefully the filmmaker has learned that Blu has the capability to hold lots of material, so make it worthwhile next time. No other features.

This is a quiet, understated movie that is just excellent. I had never heard of this movie before, but just finished watching it on Lifetime TV. It IS a quiet gem as one of the other reviewers stated. I felt moved enough to log onto amazon and read some reviews.

As usual, the poignant, quiet films that say much in an understated fashion go unnoticed. What a shame. This is another keeper.

The descriptions of this film do little justice to the actual plot and the relationships between the characters. The previews sensationalize the older woman/younger man relationship, but that is misleading.

The acting is sensitive and believable. Ashton Kutcher did a wonderful job as an inarticulate man cut in half by the loss of his twin, Kathy Bates never falters and Michelle Pfeiffer is tender as a grieving widow with a troubled son, portrayed by a compelling Spencer Hudson. Each character tries to cope in their own way, while reaching out to each other.

The film is never preachy, but addresses the choices we make and gives some sense of the pain and frustration of those left behind by acts of brutality and violence.

I didn't know what to expect from this film but was pleasantly surprised. Some people have said Kutcher was wooden, awkward...but I think he fit this role. I am a grief counselor. I think the characters were pretty true to themselves. Here he is, a 24 year old successful athlete, with good lucks, etc. but unprepared for an ugly visitor like "murder" in his family. His feelings are locked up in his stiff body. Although he is portraying a lot of depth if you really watch him. He relies on all of his old coping mechanisms to deal with it (running, working out, even sex) but ulimately can't escape his feelings. I have seen many people look like that after a death.

Clay also added an interesting twist to this plot. He is perceptive in many ways, but due to his deafness just doesn't get the whole picture. Like all of the characters, they are all wrapped up in their own lives, their own grief while trying to love those around them. Sometimes succeeding and sometimes not.

Anyway, a strange but intriguing film and, I think,ultimately worth watching.