Sadly Over-hyped

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

In Britain during the Recession that affected so much of the world late in the first decade of the 21st century, Zooey and her husband Alec want to have a child, but they can't. They might just have to consider adoption. Zooey runs a children's bookstore with her mother Diane, and Alec runs the toy company his late father founded 50 years earlier.Eli is a 7-year-old boy who lives at Mrs. Lange's children's home. But he is more intelligent than most adults and quite mature, and he dresses like a successful businessman, though he does enjoy toys and other kid stuff. No one else appears to be able to see or hear him as he starts taking to the audience. Though Zooey and Alec are able to see him as they visit Mrs. Lange trying to become foster parents one of the children.While they are told the application will take a while to process, Eli shows up at the couple's door with paperwork filled out and signed by Mrs. Lange. Zooey and Alec go back to Mrs. Lange to make sure everything is okay, and Mrs. Lange is being taken away unconscious in an ambulance. The one employee of the home who can help them doesn't really know about the process but looks at the paperwork and sees nothing wrong.So Eli begins his life with Zooey and Alec. Among his many talents: he can cook.Eli is too smart for school, so he refuses to go after the first day, but he can help Alec at his job.The toy company is in trouble. Tom is very loyal, and he has been there 45 years. But the other workers are worried about being paid. Alec can't get a new loan and the house is already mortgaged, something he didn't tell Zooey about.While in the park, Eli and Zooey meet a mystery man named Mr. Potts who knows what happened in 2007 (there is a room in their house Zooey refuses to let anyone into). Mr. Potts needs money and appreciates Zooey's help. Later, Alec is at the cemetery and Mr. Potts is there too, making sure the gravestones look good.So will there be a Christmas miracle?I should mention that even though the movie had a title related to Christmas when I saw it, it's not really about Christmas. The holiday does come near the end, though. And Zooey and Alec learn a lot from Eli.Maurice Cole is outstanding. There is no way he is seven years old. He comes across as a short adult and shows a lot of intelligence and appeal.Toni Collette is quite appealing, and when she does smile, it's a very nice smile. But she doesn't smile a lot. The other lead actors do quite well also. In fact, everyone does. Even the employee at Legoland Amusement Park who is only there for the paycheck and cares nothing about his job.It's a very worthwhile effort.

One of the best movies I have ever watched. Very touching story of a family trying to cope with the unfathomable sorrow from the loss of a child. Only to be made worse by not being able to conceive another child. Incredible performance from the boy "Eli" (Maurice Cole). Also heartfelt performances from Toni Collette and Ioan Gruffodd. Cannot believe the sad, cynical people who reviewed this movie negatively using terms like "creepy" and "spooky". Really!? Too bad they all got bogged down in the trivial details of accents and technical issues while missing the whole story being told before them. That unconditional love shown to people will overcome and heal even the deepest hurt and devastation. A lesson that Christ taught us that I fear is lost on the negative reviewers of this movie who could not see past the casting and unimportant details. A tremendous opportunity lost for theses folks. I vote for more movies like this vs. most of the trash that is turned out.

I tend not to watch films like this one, but I watched this movie with my two little daughters on Sky this weekend, and it was a good experience.My two little girls did not stop talking the next day about the little boy who showed up out of the blue in their foster parents doors steps with no notice.We did enjoy the way that the movie was written and how the characters interacted with this little boy, Eli, was nicely done.We did notice how Eli's foster mom and dad dealt with each event Eli was bringing to their lives.I am not so sure if I understood some of the negative comments from other reviewers about the film, but being able to watch PG and G rated movies with one's kids, should be a pleasant experience.

What a beautiful film! I've just seen it on youtube, it was uploaded yesterday, apparently I've been the second person to stay until the sixth and last part. I hope it stays there for a long time so people can find it and enjoy it as much as I did! Toni Collette and Ioan Gruffudd make an adorable couple, and although both the boy and the surroundings are just almost too quaint to be true (houses, streets, the home, the factory, the shop), the film never feels too unrealistic. Well, there are places like this in Britain and thankfully so. I loved the acting, especially of little Eli played by Maurice Cole, but also of aforementioned grown-ups and Richard E Grant, who I hadn't seen in years. Still as good as he always was. As it was mentioned before by someone, yes, two or three lines in the film were a tiny bit odd, but looking at the whole film they really don't matter.As a viewer you feel how much everybody enjoyed making this film and I certainly enjoyed watching it. I hope it soon will come out on DVD in Europe as well (not only in Australia!) so that more people can see it. Everybody involved in this film: Well done!