Well Deserved Praise

Disturbing yet enthralling

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

The movie is made so realistic it has a lot of that WoW feeling at the right moments and never tooo over the top. the suspense is done so well and the emotion is felt. Very well put together with the music and all.

Have you been wanting to watch a coming of age story featuring predominantly well-off Caucasian youth? Adults who don't appear to ever actually work? Endless shots of blissful Americana during the Golden Hour? Do you want to watch a painfully oblivious father whose worst challenge in life appears to be coercing his son into (inappropriately) acting as his best man? Then this is the movie for you!It also has a lot of really poor dubbing and audio cleanup work that's distracting. And I'm not really sure how the Asian kid is anything other than a racist portrayal.I'll take The Goonies and Harold and Kumar instead. They're better on the coming of age, road trip, and stereotype fronts.

Not gonna lie, I was expecting a very sleepy, weird and well, extremely boring film. Sure, birds are lovely, but it sounds very dull to watch an entire movie about it. The only reason i even watched it was because i saw Kodi Smit-McPhee in Romeo & Juliet and i thought he was the best part of that movie. So i thought i'd give this movie a try.If you don't like kind of slow movies, then i guess this might not be a movie for you. I was a bit scared when i saw how long it was, but the time actually flew by (no pun intended lol). It was entertaining and even quite funny sometimes. But most of all, i saw myself a lot in the lead character. I'm actually in a quite similar family situation right now. Lost a parent a few years ago (the same age as the character) and now i'm kind of trying to live with the fact that there's a new partner in the picture. I'm of legal age now so it's not like i have a new dad, but it's still a very strange thing to experience. If you have been/are in a similar situation, then i would totally recommend watching this movie. It made me feel less alone at least. If you haven't been in that situation or isn't interested in birds...then you might find it a bit dull. But i think you should give it a try cause it's a sweet film.

For me, it is rather hard to pass up a film which seemingly will have Ben Kingsley interact with young actors. Taking note of his role in Hugo and The Wackness, I have quite admired his eccentric characters who play a sort of mentor to some usually odd, and lost, young adults. This isn't to say though he is the only draw. Seeing Kodi Smitt-McPhee after his appearance in the Let The Right One In remake is also a bonus. Then of course you add Katie Chang from The Bling Ring, and you have something which looks quite good on paper. Question is though, does it deliver?Characters & StoryDavid (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is a 15/16 year old boy who would easily come off as one of the odd kids in school, but seems very sweet. He and his friends Timmy (Alex Wolff) & Peter (Michael Chen) are avid birth enthusiast. Timmy though is a misogynist little crapper who puts on airs and graces like he is something worth talking about, while Peter is a bit more quiet, reserved, though seemingly can be pushed toward being brave. Something which becomes a needed quality as David thinks he discovers this extinct duck of which they go to Lawrence Konrad (Ben Kingsley) to get advice on.Which is how the story begins. David's love for birds was a gift from his mother who passed due to an unmentioned diagnosis you can only assume was cancer. And with her passing, and his dad marrying her nurse, this has caused some friction in the family. But when one with nature, it allows him, David, to reconnect with his mom's spirit and it opens him up a bit. Though perhaps the only person he really conveys this to is Ellen (Katie Chang) who isn't part of the Bird Watchers at first, but after David steals a camera lens from her to get a good picture of this duck, she decides to come along. With her original objective to be a photography credit, but as the movie goes on she ends up forming quite a bond with the boys, though especially David.Thus giving us a film dealing with various adolescent problems without really overdramatizing anything, and just presenting things as they are: Difficult to work though, but somehow manageable.PraiseAs can be seen by looking through my archives, I have a love for films which focus on young adult issues. Especially when they seem to allow the actors to give authentic portrayals which seem like the writer/ director, and everyone involved, haven't lost that sense of being young. And while I do boast about Kingsley involvement, which is rather small in comparison to the two aforementioned films, I think his presence really does help for it leads to discovery. Smitt-McPhee's character is seemingly in a daze which he can only be brought out of when talking about birds. And between Kingsley and Chang's character, they seem like the main ones who really try to open him up and succeed. Not to say Wolf's character Timmy, David's best friend, isn't there for him, but you can see their bond is more so based in a mutual love of bird watching more than anything, even if David does tell Timmy stuff.And I must admit I like how odd and complicated all the characters relationships are with each other, even their relationships not on screen. David's relationship with his dad is complicated for he worries his dad cheated on his mom when she was sick, Timmy's relationship with everyone is a bit complicated for not only is he a little pip-squeak, but also because he seemingly is desperate for an attractive girl to validate him, even if it means him being used. Then when you add Ellen to the mix, as well as Konrad, we are allowed to see most of the characters as either flawed, or just trying to navigate through life without ending up shipwrecked.CriticismThe sad thing is though, I feel Peter is not really allowed to develop much. Yes, Timmy coerces him, perhaps to impress Ellen, to be brave, but while we learn about David's troubles, Ellen's family issues/ background, and even see Timmy as a slightly complex character, I would argue that Peter is almost a token minority. I mean, while Peter does seem to grow by showing flashes of courage, and even getting a girl at the end of the movie, I just feel you don't get to connect with him like the others. Thus leading to the token minority comment.Overall: Worth SeeingIn all honesty, I am very much unable to fully decide whether to list this as TV Viewing or Worth Seeing, and I only say this because I strangely don't feel any regret for missing this when it came out during the Tribeca Film Festival. For, as noted, this is a good movie and hits a lot of points which makes it highly admirable, but I guess because it seems more like what a film is supposed to be, in general, and does not excel and stand out, that is what leads me to feel that maybe it is perhaps something which should be labeled TV Viewing. However, even with performances which may not make you cry and all that, it is hard to dismiss the value of the film just because it doesn't seem to be aiming for awards. For, to me, this is definitely something which is worth noting on the young actors' filmographies, which is why its final label is worth seeing. For while it won't be the best film for any involved, it does show their potential for future projects.

Real, honest, and full of life. A journey taken by these 3 young Birder's brings clarity, and strength to David at just the right time. Idols, and icons are doing battle in his mind, and his ideals are tested when he confronts the flaws in all people not just his Father. David's loss is his own until he understands that he actually can share it and ease some of the burden. A very Enjoyable family friendly movie with a good message, and an easy landing. There is a very well told story that only lacks in any real edge, but with enough solid characters that you will feel fulfilled. If you are looking for a movie for the whole gang that will neither offend, or damage anyone, then let the Birder's guide you.