The greatest movie ever made..!

It is a performances centric movie

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

When you live in a suburb of London, in the mid 1970s, your best friend is whomever lives nearby. Such is the case of Holly (Michelle Williams), a bookish and sweetly obedient girl and Marina (Anna Friel), a wild child of an equally wild mom (Trudie Styler), who helps mold and shape the thinking of her more reserved neighbor. Add in Holly's crush on Marina's brother (Oliver Millburn), toss in some drugs, cigarettes, and a college professor (Kyle MacLachlan) when they go off to University and you have a brilliant character study, set against the New Wave 80s, and into the 90s.Holly must deal with control issues from all around her: first her stodgy parents, then dodgy Marina, who has her own agenda, even as she is trying to sabotage Holly's.It's a taut, real story, with authentic performances straight through. The questions it raises about what friends do for and to each other are explored, and the dynamic of who "runs" a relationship is a key element to the tale, just as much as the fantastic soundtrack of 1980s Punk and Brit Rock music.

"Me Without You" is one of those films that's difficult to watch not because it's a terrible movie, but because it has the potential for greatness in its content and ideas but the execution is mediocre. Reading the plot description, I was hoping for the film to dive deep into the chaos that can be female friendships, but instead, I found a film too caught up in romantic subplots to really achieve this goal that it clearly aspires to.The film concerns Marina and Holly, two girls who grow up as neighbors and best friends. The film's episodic structure is separated into five different periods of the women's lives: childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, adult independence, and finally, motherhood. In the early periods, the two girls are inextricably bound, but their relationship suffers as a result of the insecurities of both characters leading to a power struggle between the friends.Marina, the more outspoken and wild of the two, makes a strong first impression, but soon, it becomes clear that her dramatic exterior masks a weak identity. In contrast, Holly is the more subtle and passive friend, but at her core, she is principled, passionate and ambitious in a way that Marina obviously admires but cannot replicate (though she certainly tries).These personality conflicts play out mostly through their relationships with men: Marina, for example, works to keep Holly from pursuing a relationship with her brother Nat, whom Holly has long adored. Also given much screen time is the sexual relationship that both girls simultaneously pursue with one of their professors. The triangulation causes drama with the ladies, further reinforcing their differences.My favorite thing about the film is that it chooses to explore these complex issues. So few Hollywood films really delve deeply into complex, female relationships. This film examines the problematic tension between the friends, rather than sugarcoating their bond like the typical chick-flick.What I disliked about the film was the execution and resolution. Rather than really focusing on the girls, their relationships with men are brought to the forefront. I would have liked to have seen other manifestations of these issues, rather than making men the catalysts for all the trouble. Furthermore, the resolution of the film is a bit weak. The women sever their ties, but little is told of how their break affects them. A whole movie could be written about the fallout of the break, and yet, the filmmakers leave it almost entirely up to the imagination.Thanks to great performances, good subject-matter, and interesting cinematography, the film isn't a complete wash. I'd recommend it to any woman (which mean practically every woman) who has suffered the heart-ache of a dysfunctional friendship.

I caught this on the movie channel last week and thought it would be a nice change. Although the music brought some nostalgic moments for me, especially the opening "Snowy White Horses", I found the story rather depressing. A lot was predictable and the destructive nature of Marina and the nasty way she thwarted Holly's potential relationship with Nat was hardly the actions of a best friend. THe acting was competent, but the story was substandard. WHile I understand the contrast drawn between the two families, I fail to understand why Holly's mother had to be portrayed as so pathetic - either she was a strong Jewish woman with no need to pander to modernity (her clothing was dreadful)and who valued ability over looks, or she was just inanely jealous of her more sparkling (but very nouveau riche) neighbours. Those houses were definitely 'des-res' in any decade. 5/10

I've always been a huge fan of British films and 'Me Without You' certainly didn't let me down. It doesn't only show vividly the agonies and struggles of growing up from a girl to a woman, it also presents the joys in a way that all can identify with. I believe most can empathize with Marina, when she tore up the letter Nat wrote to Holly, or when she tries her very best just so that she can have Holly all to herself. Friel forces us to come face to face with the Marina in ourselves. Williams deserves more credit for her stunning performance in the film. Undoubtedly, her quiet and reserved way of playing Holly has found itself into the hearts of many, especially with her desperate yearning for Nat.To term this epic a 'chick flick' is certainly doing it and its actors great injustice. I walked away after watching it for the third time saying, 'God, I love this movie.' Kudos to the writer and director!