Fantastic!

An absolute waste of money

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Korean screenwriter, film editor, producer and director So Yong Kim's third feature film which she wrote and co-produced, premiered in the U.S. Dramatic section at the 28th Sundance Film Festival in 2012, was screened in the Forum section at the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival in 2012, was shot on location in USA and Canada and is a USA production which was produced by producers Jen Gatien and Bradley Rust Gray. It tells the story about a man named Joby Taylor who is a musician in a band called Snake Trouble and who after having travelled around for some time stops at a place where his attorney named Fred Butler is awaiting him and his wife named Claire lives. Claire has filed for divorce and is asking Joby to sign the divorce papers so that they won't have to take the case to court, but when Joby meets her again and realizes that his signature will grant her legal custody of their daughter named Ellen he begins thinking about his child which he doesn't know at all.Subtly and acutely directed by Asian filmmaker So Yong Kim, this quietly paced fictional tale which is narrated mostly from the main character's point of view, draws a gently moving portrayal of a father who has been running away from his responsibilities as a parent and who slowly though perhaps too late acknowledges what his way of life has done to him. While notable for its naturalistic milieu depictions, fine cinematography by American cinematographer Reed Morano Walker and production design by production designer Ryan Smith, this character-driven story about a daughter's meeting with her biological father depicts a reflective study of character and contains a great score by Icelandic composer and producer Jóhann Jóhannsson.This heartfelt, authentic and conversational indie which is set somewhere in America during a winter and where a man whom is about to make a crucial decision regarding his own life which will also affect the lives of others is struck down to earth by a person who alters his life forever, is impelled and reinforced by its cogent narrative structure, subtle character development and continuity, pivotal instrumental tones, humane aura and the genuinely good acting performances by American actors Paul Dano, Jon Heder and child actress Shaylene Lynn Madigo in her debut feature film role. A silent, minimalistic and incisive cinematic letter from a filmmaker who through an efficiently understated style of filmmaking reaches the essence of her characters.

I think the acting for Dano was very spot on but unfortunately it just developed his character and did not advance any storyline very well. The spoiler is that the ending was just a cop-out with the lead character leaving his car, guitar and other belongings to run away. I guess that was supposed to be symbolic of his life in general. I also will almost agree with the other reviewer who said it should have been two short films. I think one really good short film could have been edited from this one film. The fact that reviews need to be ten lines is a foolish rule that needs to be protested and spotlighted for the inane babble that it will foster in that people will write a lot of crap so that they can have their ten lines whereas I think I expressed my sentiments and thoughtful comments succinctly and concisely with just the first five lines of this review and thus I had to write this five line single sentence so that my first five lines might be read and appreciated and that this very long sentence will be admired for the lack of brevity it represents. I think that is ten now. Peace BWadd

For Ellen feels like the combination of two short films, both roughly thirty minutes in length, that were each injected with fifteen minutes of filler. The first short film (or act), running more-or-less forty-five minutes long, tells the story of Joby Taylor (Paul Dano), the lead singer of a second-rate rock band, battling for a divorce suit with his wife out of court. This leads to multiple mental breakdowns of Joby, many lawyer meetings discussing settlements and entitlements, and long shots focusing on Joby's often sulky, bitter face in close-up. It's long and tedious. The second short film is predominately centered on Joby and his six-year-old daughter Ellen (Shaylena Mandigo), who he learns he'll lose entire custody of if he signs the current settlement at hand. He takes her out for a few hours, awkwardly asking her about her likes and dislikes, and simply trying to get to know her personally, before he potentially cuts off any and all communication with her. It's sensitive, extremely well-done material.Paul Dano is a serious and convincing screen presence, considering his age and how actors usually mature with time. Dano hit the ground running with his first major performance as Dwayne in Little Miss Sunshine, a teenager who decided to take a vow of silence until becoming a pilot and then discovered devastating news. His roles have treaded the line of bravery, assuming the role of either a conflicted rocker, a trouble but optimistic teen, and even the bold voice of reason. His Joby here is, in his own way, an anti-hero; we're not very fond of him because of his "deadbeat dad" status, yet we can see his act of reconnecting with his child as an audacious and daring one. Since he is one of the only characters we meet and focus on during the film, a lion's weight of its quality rests on his shoulders. His performance is often a roller-coaster of emotions for the viewer, however, what somewhat waters its quality is the writing, which is ponderous, vague, and largely forced impressionism.For Ellen falls into the category of an indie film that is smart for not trying to do too much, yet kind of dumb for not doing enough. It plays everything too safe. The long close-ups of Dano, many of them unsteady, wobbly, and victim to a shaky camera, try to provide us with sentimentality and intimacy during traditional scenes which a film like this doesn't really need then. The scenes with Joby and Ellen are much more structured and stable, in terms of camera angles, yet if there's any time they should be unsteady and rather imperfect, it should be then; not at the beginning of the film, when the story is brewing and characters are being born.The father-daughter dialog between our title character and her father is simply remarkable. So remarkable I wish I could seriously recommend watching the film from the forty-five minute mark till the end. If there's one film that at least gets props for doing one thing completely right and beautifully poetic, it's the naturalistic dialog between Joby and Ellen. It's all about the incoherency and the small details during these sequences. Take note of how many times Joby says "um," or "like," or stutters when asking her a simple question. He doesn't know what to say and what not say. Would you? Could you have a solid conversation with your six-year-old daughter when you never see her and barely know anything about her beyond her fast name? It'd be horrifying and depressing for the both of you. Writer/director So Yong Kim realizes this and completely amplifies what could've been a contrived, tiresome addition to an already plot less film.Now if only this one small detail or something like it could make the first act work as powerfully well as the second one, we'd have a stronger, more complete picture on our hands. If there's one other thing that bothers me about For Ellen, though, it's the "make it up" ending it attaches on there as a means to informally end the film with the idea of you, the viewer, can decide how the story of the characters will continue after these checkered events.It's a pity I can't, technically, recommend the entire film. Say this was actually two short films combined into one. The first one would get two stars for being overlong, dry, and rather aimless. The second one would get three and a half stars for being naturalistic, believable, and entirely realistic. By combining them you get two and a half stars. That's about right in my book.Starring: Paul Dano, Jon Heder, and Shaylena Mandigo. Directed by: So Yong Kim.

I can see that some people don't like the movie. It is really slow paced and the main actor seems more passive than anything. But it's only the surface that looks that "boring". I think the main actor (I've seen him before in a few other features) is doing a pretty good job. And he has to, because he carries the movie on his shoulders. His drive has to be convincing (even though it's not that apparent as I said before) for the viewer.Heder has a small role, but the character he portrays could easily be a Napoleon Dynamite offspring. Still he does have a few laughs to offer (laughs that might not sit well with some people I guess). I really like the idea and the execution, but try it, before you buy it