Crappy film

Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

Some women are born to be mothers. Other women really do not get it right, so they s-mother! Which is the subject of this lame comedy recently shown on a cable network. We thought it might have been the case of a film so bad, that it was sent directly to the land of the DVD!Actually, not having a clue as to what "Smother" was about, but thinking, how bad can a film be with Diane Keaton and Liv Tyler in its cast, we decided to take a chance. Well, this movie was the perfect example of good intentions going stray. The problem is a screenplay that does not hold any surprises. As written by Tim Rasmussen and directed by Vince DiMeglio, the movie does not go anywhere. Part of the problem might be Diane Keaton's character. She is the mother from hell; she is irritating and completely out of control. Ms. Keaton is a good actress, but this movie will not add to her CV. Liv Tyler is totally wasted. The only one that is saved from this disaster is Ken Howard, who is seen as the father. The other question in our mind was: what was the purpose of casting Mike White at all?

Diane Keaton is going through a really rough couple of years. Lets check her last few movies:Because I Said So-Shocking film and didn't go so well at the box office, Mama's Boy- Shocking film, horrific at the box office and Mad Money-A good movie in my book, but a poor box office return.So where does that leave Smother? Here we have a mother who moves in with her son causing chaos in her son's life. Its a fun comedy, but with nothing new or exciting that we haven't seen before. Dax Shepherd steers the ship, and is actually not to bad as the lead who's life just keeps getting harder and harder. As for Keaton, well she is a lot of fun as the annoying mother who doesn't want to move out of her son's house. She plays it rather well and her character is actually quite likable. She has great chemistry with Dax and together they make a great team.So what flaws this movie if not Keaton, who has been out of form for so long? Its Liv Tyler, her performance is so fake and forced that you find yourself cringing at each word that comes out of her mouth. She is not believable at all and in a scene of her being angry she is practically laugh worthy! Its good to see Keaton slowly getting back into form after her shocking last couple of movies, Mad Money not included. But Liv Tyler needs to try harder and she is the real problem with this film. But other than that, Smother is a not bad comedy for a lazy afternoon.

I didn't expect too much from this one, although I'm hugest Diane's fan, but I thought it sort of "Mama's boy". It was a very pleasant surprise, that it was really NICE movie!! It's a shame, that it hadn't wide release!!!!! First of all, Diane's playing my own mother first part of the movie, and I laughed hysterically!! Marylinn is eccentric and crazy, but it's not Diane Keaton's own craziness and eccentricity. She invented some really hilarious behavioral mannerisms, so it really makes you laugh hard. Second part of movie Diane's playing me 30 years later from now, and that's why I cried... It was my own speech on Helen Cooper funeral: "I spend all my life, trying to please anybody and be whomever they expect me to be, but just not REAL ME. And for what? I prefer to stay alone now, than be surrounded by the strangers, who pretend to be my family" (not exact quotation, but it just exactly ABOUT MY OWN LIFE, people... It makes me think seriously, do I want to find myself in the same miserable condition at 60,like Marylinn Cooper?.. Liv Tyler is a sweetheart and Dax Shepard is REALLY GOOD too. My husband laughed at the scene, where manager in carpet-store teaches Noah how to sell carpets behind the old lady. And also, I'm sorry, but the moment of Helen Cooper death is Hilarious!!!! So, the movie is really worth watching! I truly loved it! Thank you, creators!

Whatever happened to Keaton is what I want to know.Actually I don't, I crawled away, heaving, thinking she must owe half the bookies in Vegas, or maybe not, maybe she was just brainwashed, blackmailed and bored to death. Rich enough to adopt a third-world country, she somehow had to star in yet another cookie-cut, cliché-ridden drool'athon, based on the same character-franchise she's been rehashing since 'Father of the Bride'('91). You'd think she's going head to head with Mr.Bean.(Spoilers) So hubby (Dax) get's fired by obnoxious son of boss, his mom (Keaton)leaves his dad after classic row, and crashes over with her own dog-show in tow, oh those little rascals. Hubby's got cold-feet for diaper-duty, wifey's clock a-ticking and hey, let's toss in a space-cadet as second house-guest for good measure, all in one day because that's so funny and original. Wife gets fed up and walks away, mom leaves dad for space-cadet and the couple makes up in time for closing credits, 86 very long minutes later.Now if you have to have a space-cadet, he can't be devious as well, he can't scheme some excuse for his stayover, and if mom leaves dad, she can't hop into a cab dressed as a pumpkin just because some scriptwriter agonized over how to cheer thing up. Plus that gag whereby they invite her in only to then discover she's got her canine entourage in the cab has got to be outlawed by now. And you only get one obnoxious 2-dimensional boss to denigrate. Another movie-killer would be the movie-script the space cadet is toiling away at, supposedly more lame than the actual one, again, dejas-ad-nausea.Liv Tyler doesn't seem happy here, her voice was weird at times, it had me wondering if they later had her redub some of it, and she's a smart one, she's handled great roles and we'll forgive her for Jersey Girl, it was disaster-prone, could happen to anyone. Dax Shepard was watchable and that's being generous considering the material.Personally, it's the director, the screenwriters and especially the producers that I would love to see tar'n'feathered before shipped to Guantanamo as playthings for the prisoners, and that's me keeping this 'lite'.