Nate & Margaret (2012)

You won't be disappointed!

Best movie ever!

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

While not a comedy, this movie is a prime example of a relationship in which neither person is doing the other a favour. That is, I expected a movie where a cute guy is nice to an old lady and is an obvious tear jerker. In reality, I got a movie which was expressive, fulfilling, and not at all expected. I didn't feel sorry for either character. I empathized, and boy did it hurt. It was a tear jerker, but in it's genuineness. Honestly one of the best films I've seen in quite some time.I strongly recommend watching this film, but prepare yourself. Or rather, leave your preconceived notions at the door. Don't expect a witty comedy. Don't expect a chick flick. This film is raw, fresh and smart, but definitely not a blockbuster. And I wouldn't want it to be.

Sweet, good hearted little indie about the unlikely close friendship between at 19 year old gay wanna-be film-maker and his neighbor, a 52 year old wanna be stand up comedian. While there are rough spots – the low budget shows through, not all the acting is everything it might be, some plot twists are either obvious or a bit of a stretch – this film deserves lots of credit for dealing with something as delicate and complex as friendship. There are obvious parallels to the great "Harold and Maude" (especially when a folky singer who sounds a bit like Cat Stevens starts singing under the opening scene), but really the two films are very different. "Harold and Maude" was both far more farcical and more tragic, and dealt with romance. This film is quieter and smaller, dealing with the subtle humor and sadness of day to day life. A simple, lovely effort.

Nate & Margaret is that rare combination of writing with intelligence, acting with depth, and direction with a storyteller's sensibility.In these days of billion dollar blockbusters with interchangeable 'big name' stars, story lines driven by special effects, and direction as excessive as the decibel level of the soundtrack, it is refreshing to find a 'little' film that has chosen the path less traveled.Veteran actress Natalie West gives us a quirky, cranky and ultimately irresistible Margaret, an eccentric 52 year old pursuing her dream of becoming a stand up comic. Tyler Ross plays Margaret's unlikely best friend, Nate, a 19 year old film student. Ross' performance bubbling with boyish charm and enthusiasm provides the perfect counterbalance to West's world weary curmudgeon. The supporting cast of characters are all well drawn and completely relatable. We know these people; we love these people; we are these people.Nathan Adloff handles his big screen directorial debut (he also wrote and produced the film) with a combination of wit and tenderness that elevates what could have been a cute coming of age story to really fine filmmaking that makes me anxious to see what he has up his sleeve for his sophomore outing.No, Nate & Margaret won't send you into sensory overload, but it will steal your heart.

I enjoyed this little film more than most everything else I have seen this year. The direction, camera work, casting, writing are all well done. The chemistry between the actors is evocative. The story, as one reviewer said, could use another 20 minutes filling out the female lead's actions. But, at the same time, one of the great qualities of this film is the actor's ability to inform us through their presentation of characters. So many films and TV series depend on long laborious telling of a character's backstory to let us know who they are. With this film's level of writing and the actor's ability to present their characters, they fill in much of that for you without it needing to be spelled out for you.What I liked most, was just watching a story that was interesting, touching and well presented, avoiding the two dimensional predictability of so much of what is being churned out of a production line industry.