Highly Overrated But Still Good

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

There are a number of credibility defying moments in this film, but as you watch, you begin to see them as real, or at least wish they were real. A lot of the spark and magic in the story is provided by real life sisters, Sarah and Emma Bolger, portraying the young daughters of Johnny (Paddy Considine) and Sarah (Samantha Morton) Sullivan, newly arrived immigrants from Ireland via Canada. Though it's a modern day story, the picture's cinematography evokes a somewhat earlier era, perhaps a time when New York City might have been a tad safer and more welcoming, even though you might not get that perspective from the run down apartment building the Sullivans are forced to call home. There's a plaintive quality to the life of the Sullivan Family, as they live in the shadow of a young son's death at the age of two, both parents blaming themselves and each other for what was an unfortunate accident, and even more dismally, the specter of a brain tumor that would have taken it's eventual toll. The presence of their screaming-man neighbor Mateo (Djimon Hounsou) turns out to be a blessing in disguise, as the evolving friendship between him and the Sullivans, particularly the girls, reveals a humanity in people that often remains unseen until we take the trouble to get to know them. The story is loosely built around the idea of Christy's (Sarah Bolger) three wishes granted by her deceased brother Frankie. There's only one moment when I thought the script writers took things a little too far, and that was when Christy stated to her dad that she had been carrying the weight of the family around ever since Frankie died. She may have thought so in the deep recesses of her mind, and maybe even felt that way, but no child of her age would have been capable of expressing such a sentiment in words the way she did. But for me, that's a minor nit-pick, as the over all story is one of quiet reflection and inspiration, and not without an occasional tear to share with the Sullivan family.

1. When searching for a comparison to make with the experience of watching this film, the only one that seems appropriate is Rocky. This is a deeply personal story for the author of the screenplay, and as such the emotions are more informed by experience than writing. 2. Those emotions are incredibly carried by the actors. You need only look into Paddy Considine's eyes and see his shame at not providing for his family. Samantha Morton's crazed post-birth breakdown is stunningly authentic. 3. I fell in love with the little girls played by Sarah and Emma Bolger. Their sweet Irish accents and adorable faces aside, the two of them are among the best child performances I've ever seen. Whether it is Ariel's sweet sense of wonder or Christy's balance of the mature and the innocent, the two of them are a wonder to behold. Watching Christy sing is almost heartbreaking in its purity.4. Jim Sheridan knows exactly what to do with the film's most pivotal scenes, particularly the "game of luck" at the show ground. Lesser filmmakers (like the directors of Focus) have stuffed the landing on scenes like this, but Sheridan knows exactly how to get the most emotion out of the scene.5. Djimon Hounsou gives the best performance I've ever seen from him. He's introduced as a screaming nutcase who we are to be afraid of, and his brutish appearance does a lot to back that up. But after only one meeting we are able to see who he really is and Mateo's frailty and grief and loneliness pour out.6. I wish we'd seen more of him, however. That and Johnny's struggles with God and his family are among the more undercooked themes. One or two more scenes would have made the film's payoffs a little bit better.7. We see most of the film through Christy's eyes, with this theme of "three wishes". The opening narration with the abstract colours and lullaby music conveys superb innocence, and with supreme subtlety we shift. Her closing monologue is one of supreme awareness and maturity and we realise how much she's had to deal with throughout the film. 8. At times it is heartbreaking and at others it will make you smile. In America is a beautiful film that should skyrocket up your watch list.9. I've got two slots left so I'll just say I love Sarah Bolger.10. Still got one point. I love Emma Bolger.

This movie is about many things. The main plot line is family pain and struggle.What makes this movie great though is its portrayal of mental health and its "solutions". One is just reaching out to a hermit. The beauty and power of children to accomplish this.The power of that message is in this song. Sarah Bolger has an absolutely incredibly fantastic and beautiful singing voice, and the song's punchline is "let somebody love you before its too late"That message applies to her character's parents, and the more obviously sad character in the film.

In America stars Samantha Morton and Paddy Considine as two young Irish parents who have lost their only son. Trying to run away from their grief, they move to a junkie-infested apartment building in New York City with their two daughters, Christy and Ariel. Though they struggle with meager jobs and suffocatingly hot weather, a friendship with an artist in an apartment below them becomes a catalyst that allows them to rebuild their family. The semi-autobiographical screenplay by director Jim Sheridan and his daughters Naomi and Kirsten as they focus on an immigrant Irish family's efforts to survive in New York City, as seen through the eyes of the elder daughter.Sarah Bolger,Emma Bolger and Djimon Hounsou co-star to play key supporting roles.The film is splendidly acted throughout.It's Morton who anchors the movie. Her every emotion seems to glow from her skin. The commitment of the actors keeps the movie compelling.This immigration drama is simple and modest to a fault but it's sporadically touching and easily the most emotionally satisfying.