Emotional arithmetic (2008)

I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much

Great Film overall

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

"Emotional Arithmetic" based on a novel by Matt Cohen (a Jew?), begins with an astounding remark "If you ask me if I believe in God, I am forced to answer does God believe in us?" The film is not about atheism. It reflects on the terrible scars left by war on orphans, on individuals who stand up and protest when wrong is done, on relationships forged in times of stress, pain and loss.The charm of Paolo Barzman's film rests considerably in the hands of the capable actors—-Susan Sarandon, Max von Sydow, Chistopher Plummer and Gabriel Bryne—-all who have a maturity to carry off their parts in the film with grace. Ms Sarandon has matured into a formidable actress in recent films and this one showcases her talent.Screened at the 12th International Film Festival of Kerala, India, the film forced this viewer to compare the contents of "Emotional Arithmetic" with those of a Swiss documentary "A Song for Argyris" also shown at the festival. Both films underlined the difficulties in forgetting tragic events in our lives and moving on. Both films indirectly discuss the bonding of survivors of tragic events. As I watched the film I could not help but note the growing interest filmmakers in family bonds—in "Emotional Arithmetic" it is merely a subplot balancing a "virtual" family that suffered during the Nazi rule with that of a real family comprising three generations living in idyllic conditions in Canada.This film would offer considerable material to reflect on for the viewer, beyond the actual events shown on the screen.

About memories. As sap of life. As axis of rules. As gun in a huge war for who is not end.A winter leaf. Not more that. An very old poem about meetings and words and flakes of past and strange ladders. A movie about Shoah, but, more that. Definition of cages of time and the languages of interior clocks. A good film but the final taste is so profound than the film is a form of "memento mori", picture of reality or a sea of silence in an autumn morning.A great casting is answer for all. But it is not an answer but a beginning. For the touches and words, for the force of a woman who must protect the shadows of every past, every present, for the science of Max von Sydow to makes bricks in Bergman style in every interpretation, for the art of Susan Sarandon. Astory. About the existences as icebergs.

With the all of the big names in this film I was expecting a real experience. I could not have been more wrong. I wanted to take the DVD out after 10 minutes but my 18 year old son said we should give it a chance. We watched through to the end because none of us could summon enough energy to stand up and walk to the TV. Not only was the pace too slow for words but the acting (except for Max von Sydow) was excruciatingly bad. The flashbacks did not do enough to show the supposed life long ties between the characters. It was like watching six characters with no relationship to each other wandering around the set gnashing their teeth and wringing their hands. The symbolism was so in-your- face that it might as well have had flashing captions saying "pay attention to this-it is symbolic!" A most disappointing movie. At least the scenery was nice to watch.

I watched this film last night and its been with me on and off all day. First off, don't expect Entertainment in the purest form of the word here, this is a very adult, cerebral and slow-burning experience. Ultimately, its about pain and the memory of it and how that can affect life and relationships afterwards. To say the acting in this film is good is a serious under-statement, but Susan Sarandon is absolutely sublime, it honestly cant get much better than this.The relationship between her and Christopher Plummer is at best dubious, and when Gabriel Byrne is introduced, we are left guessing as to whats the story here.Through some very subtle changes of tone, as the story progresses, you do wonder if Von Sydow and Byrnes presence, are finally filling some need in Plummer, through jealousy or a sense of competition , which, it has to be said, he feels he's losing desperately.There's one scene in particular which shows just how sad memories can be when not shared with others and its only when it rains and the words are washed from the diary that you feel Sarandon has finally let go of the past as is symbolised by the rain making clean for the future.Von Sydow realises he's been at fault by making her suffer through remembrance and declares 'She should have lived'. Great writing, direction and SUPERB acting, all add up to a very worth-while and deeply poignant movie.