Just so...so bad

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

The story centers around Jude (Asa Butterfield) a teen boy growing up in Lintonburg, Vermont. He hangs out with his best friend Teddy (Avan Jogia) who is also adopted. His dad Les (Ethan Hawke) is with a different family in NYC. In an odd plot point Eliza (Hailee Steinfeld) stops in Vermont, meets the guys and this suddenly becomes a pregnant teen film (not funny like Juno) with an absentee father and a bunch of people, all well meaning, pulling in different directions.This is an indy style film with the pseudo-deep soundtrack with beginning and ending platitudes. "Life is like a river and we are all minnows..." The time frame in the 1980s and uses the Tompkins Square Park Riots in New York's East Village as a background.Guide: F-bomb. No sex or nudity.

It's 1980 Vermont. Les (Ethan Hawke) is brutally honest in telling his son Jude that he's adopted. Years later, Jude Keffy-Horn (Asa Butterfield) is an emo teenager living with his adopted mother Harriet (Julianne Nicholson) and his sister. His best friend Teddy (Avan Jogia) is desperate to move to NYC and contact his older half-brother Johnny (Emile Hirsch) living there. Les' girlfriend Diane (Emily Mortimer) has a daughter named Eliza (Hailee Steinfeld). It's a dysfunctional alternative family drama and the grimy East Village gets gentrified.It's often jarring when a lead character dies early on. It's also a little convoluted that Les and Johnny happens to live in the same area. The story would be a lot easier if the three kids go to NYC to find Johnny. Instead, the plot takes strange turns into a weird love triangle. The actors are superb but I'm not sure what to think of their characters. They make me want to stay with them... up to a point. I love these actors so much but the story doesn't live up to them.

Review: I'm in two minds about this movie, because it starts off well and the witty script was quite intriguing but once the pregnancy element came into play, it just became a right mess. The acting was great from the whole cast, especially Ethan Hawke (Les), who plays the teenagers father and Emile Hirsch (Johnny) who is a homeless punk but they all seem to wonder through life with any structure or morals. I didn't know who was adopted or not after a while and the whole "selling of babies" subject was a bit weird. You can't really tell that it's an 80's backdrop because there isn't any relevant scenes to that period. Also Eliza (Hailee Seinfeld), seemed to be getting off with everyone, so it wasn't surprising when she became pregnant. The main character, Jude (Asa Butterfeld) was stuck in the middle of all of the drama, suffering with severe father and son issues which started when he was a child. So basically it's a coming of age movie about teenagers growing up without any guidance from there parents, which is quite messy at times but still worth a watch. Watchable!Round-Up: This movie was directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, who have brought you Girl Most Likely, which I didn't really enjoy, the Extra Man, the Nanny Diaries and American Splendor with Paul Giamatti. This is definitely one of those movies which would have been much better if it was made simpler. It just seemed like the directors were introducing too many elements at once, without finishing the one that they had just introduced. With so many movies about teenagers growing up in America nowadays, like Boyhood, which also starred Ethan Hawke, this is not one of the best in that genre but I have seen worse.I recommend this movie to people who are into their drama/music/comedies starring Ethan Hawke, Julianne Nicholson, Hailee Steinfeld, Nadia Alexander, Emily Mortimer, Emile Hirsch, Asa Butterfield and Avan Jogia. 4/10

"Ten Thousand Saints" is a drama movie which takes place in 1980's and shows a boy who is living with his mother in Vermont and moves to New York City to live with his father. When he arrives in New York everything change for him but also for his father. Something new starts for both of them since they did not have the opportunity to know each other better before.I liked this movie because of the plot which I found interesting due to some twists. I also liked the combination of drama with music influence. I believe that the interpretation of Ethan Hawke who played as the father of the boy has to be mentioned because it was very good. In addition to this Asa Butterfield made a very good interpretation too. Also the title of this movie is very good because it makes you think a lot of different things about the movie but everything change when you watch it.Finally I have to say that "Ten Thousand Saints" is a nice movie to watch and shows plenty of interesting things not only about the relationships between people but also about music and the gentrification that exploded back then.