All About Us (2007)

Sadly Over-hyped

Fantastic!

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

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

The ending of the film states that "All About YOU" is the one that sold millions of DVDs. Notice that the title of the actual movie we, the audience, views is called "All About US." The film is in no way being dishonest to its viewers. It is the usual fictional ending that answers the question, "what happened to them?" Albeit in a somewhat cheesy way.It strikes me (as a novice critic) that this movie is based on, in some part, the actual writer and producer of the movies with a few departures, of course. But it is not meant to be taken as a literal re-presentation of Michael and Stacey Swansons' lives.Anyone choosing to rent this movie should know that it is a low budget film and that the movement and feel of it is precisely that. At the same time, the story line has a particular truth to it that most black audiences can relate to. It's about a young black couple striving to keep all of their dreams in alignment (for family, for success, for self). In the process of chasing after the golden nugget which happens to be Morgan Freeman, they discover something much more important about themselves.

I must say I was not expecting to like this movie but I did. My husband buys low budget films all the time and I don't like them. I was busy on my pc and halfway through the movie became drawn into it. The end was the best, it actually struck a cord with me. No other film has spoken to me in this way. It has helped me to feel comfortable in my space of being an educated-accomplished-determined at-home-mom. My biggest critique is that the film does seem incredibly slow at moments, and some of the actors were not good. Boris was great of course! Overall its soo worth sitting through for all you educated broke entrepreneur spirit filled moms out there waiting for your big break and not existing fully in the moment. Good soundtrack. Yellow Teeth. People with an older baby that can't change a diaper. Close shots. Great story. Real people. Excellent message.

Dreadful score, the direction is very amateurish, and the acting is well below average. Cheaply done and it looks it. The story isn't even that interesting. I can't see why they bothered to make it. What really irks me is how the totally obscure director (Christine Swanson) is listed as an award winning director. She won one award - Short Film Award at, get this, The Acapulco Black Film Festival!!!! Now there is a major achievement! Was she employee of the month at Wal-Mart too? Better yet, before the credits, it says that All About Us became a best selling DVD. It isn't even out yet on DVD, (Today's date 06/22/08, street date for the movie 07/01/08) so how can it be a best seller already!!! And it is very likely it won't sell at all. Misleading lies. What a turn off.

I just saw a screening of this movie and I thought it was really good. The story is of a struggling film producer and his writer/director wife. It is a well written story, and having met the director/writer, is semi-autobiographical, which I found amazing. I went into seeing this movie without any real idea of what to expect and was pleasantly surprised. It had the right amount of humor and reality without getting to cheesy. And Morgan Freeman really does make an appearance in this film! The film contains a lot of close up shots on the characters, but it works; it's a different style than I was used to. Although slow in some parts, overall the characters they meet and the plot really kept me interested in the film. It made me want to go out an rent the first movie, All About You.