Words and Pictures (2014)

Thanks for the memories!

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

Seven-eighths of this movie is tolerable. And then there is the intolerable quarter hour of dreadful movie making that brings the score for this down from an acceptable 6 or 7 to only a 4 out of ten.Some of the dialogue is lifted right out of Porky's 2. OK, maybe not *that* movie specifically, but you've heard it all before. Limey teacher plays football/soccer whatever and keeps his hair mussed up and face unshaven. He turns into a pig at home, trashes his living space. Drinks too much. Has lousy relationship with son. Yeah, you've seen it all before.And before I go on, someone please tell the DP not to move the camera so much with long dolly shots with stuff popping up between the subject and the camera, yeah I know it looks kewl and all and artsy, but it should be used SPARINGLY.Now, here's how to make this movie better and raise its score by at least a point: stop watching right after the presentation they were talking about all through the movie. Stop it right there. Stop it. STOP. You'll save your sanity by not blowing your brains out because you never see how this script is directed from the point of view of an amateur.Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed 7/8 of this film. But that one eighth is a turd in the pudding.

What is the meaning of a movie that displays a very talented English teacher and writer as an alcoholic who is obnoxious, unlikeable, and totally wasting his life / talent away because he is addicted to alcohol. Why not just watch someone puking his guts (life) out for 90 minutes. Very sad if this is what interests you. What is the point ? Lots of very poor character traits shown in the students, and spineless administration that lets the kids get away with this. Yes, the movie portrays reality, but not the healthy side. Look for something else to do with your time. Suggestions: Radio, Listen to your Heart, Unconditional, The Odd Life of Timothy Green, Ring the Bell, and The Mighty, to name a few. All display healthy reality shows of characters that have handicaps, but overcome them with strength, determination, humor, and honesty. Support traits that make society better, not those that bring people down to the gutter.

I find it hard to rate a picture with Clive Owen and Juliette Binoche as mediocre, but I have to. I watched this through because they are two of my favorite actors. I have followed their careers with enthusiasm from their early days.This movie is a sappy hybrid of a romantic comedy in the vein of Noel Coward and an inspirational story for adolescents along the lines of "Dead Poets Society". Setting it in Maine made it seem even more implausible and awkward. Clive Owen does a good American accent, but I think he is less powerful without his normal voice. Juliette Binoche held up her end better, but the role wasn't really suited to her talent.The teenagers were very teenager-like. Hammy and overly emotional. Adding veterans like Bruce Davison and Amy Brenneman didn't really help much, since their parts were very superficial. Christian Scheider stood out in the role of Owen's son, reacting to his father's alcoholism.Alcoholism was showcased excessively. Sobriety was a terse footnote. The chronic disease of Binoche's character was portrayed as just a drag, something that just got in the way, as opposed to a challenge leading to ascendancy. This would have made sense in a movie that wasn't trying to be a romantic comedy at times. Overall, the film was a disappointment.

Firstly, I never watch anything that might be remotely 'romantic comedy'; I loathe the genre. So it was with trepidation that I chose to watch Words and Pictures. Was I going to throw away two hours on drivel served up as 'falling in love' and my hard-earned? Delightfully, no.Perhaps because I'm both a writer and an artist, the concept immediately grabbed me... and for me, the whole premise started a flow of thought that was intriguing. But the movie had to prove itself, and for at least the first twenty minutes I held myself ready to hate it.Carefully blended in a mix of excellent acting, a clever script, a good look and wonderful pacing, this movie hits the mark. Yes, there are some formulas at work but they were 'saved' by actors who knew exactly where to begin and end and where to leave the drama alone.If you're looking for action, the usual slush and froth of rom-com and a Hollywood sex scene that has become all too familiar, you might find this a little slow for you. But if you're all grown up and enjoy wit, charm with a dash or realism, this should delight.