Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

This is a recommended-to-watch movie, However, there were few things missing in the story. I think the story was told too good to be true. I mean everybody seem to be happy and satisfied with what happened. No matter how Dian had been behaving irresponsible and careless towards her children, her spouses and her lover in different occasions, they all speak as if because of Dians circumstances it was all right. It appears to me that since she has died years ago, everybody is OK with the facts and nobody is complaining and doesn't remember any resentment or doesn't want to remember it. Sarah is not taking part in telling thestory. she doesn't contribute to movie like others. she questions and directs but doesn't narrate anything herself. doesn't speak about her feelings. her point of view. all I can guess, is that she liked her mum(or maybe the story itself) enough, to edit the movie in a way that depicts everything being wonderful.

Sarah Polly's intimate and unique documentary Stories We Tell was one of last year's biggest festival and critical hits in the doco field with her fresh approach to telling a story using 8mm film to recreate the past and talking heads to tell the present hitting a chord with audiences. As one of the most critically acclaimed movies of last year hype for the movie remains strong and in that respect Stories We Tell is an overrated movie.To get the most out of Stories one must be wholly invested in the concerns of Polly's family and the eventual revelations that come forth from her questioning and investigating of the past but if your investment is minimal as I found mine was any emotional impact the film clearly has for many is dulled and therefore the film as a whole nothing more than a slightly intriguing piece of life in all its glories and in all its hidden secrets. It must be said however that the films early stages are quite promising and downright riveting it's not until revelations are made clear that the film starts to struggle and you get the sense this is more a film for Polly herself than we the watchers.It's nice that Polly chooses to air some very personnel and deep seeded emotions in the way of this film but one question's if what is being found out is of much benefit for someone not in the Polly family. Great documentaries like Searching for Sugarman or Dear Zachary work on emotional levels because what is being discovered as the film and participants go on is relatable in more large scale and universal ways, Stories showpiece just does not have the power to affect like this. The film also has a waft of self-importance that allows proceedings to sadly go in circles and length wise drag out to near two hours which with this format gets old fast.Being critical as I have been, Stories is still a movie that will appeal to many a wide ranging audience and for people that may have been through similar family circumstances a tale that will really hit home. For the rest of us though Stories sadly is one of last year's more overrated documentaries and in a genre that is consistently producing the goods it will be quickly forgotten in the wave of other quality entries.3 storytellers out of 5 For more movie reviews and opinions check out -www.jordanandeddie.wordpress.com

This film is recommended.Michael and Diane were two very different people who fell in love. Both actors, Michael was quiet and introspective, a private person, while Diane was loud and out-going, always the life of the party.  They met, married, and raised a family. Their life story is on public display in Stories We Tell, a fascinating examination of family dynamics written and directed by their actress/director daughter, Sarah Polley. This investigative documentary uses the various viewpoints of family members and friends and their clouded memories of real events to create a cinematic tapestry of a dysfunctional family trying to come to terms with the actual truth of their family history. Through home movies that contrast the former images of the two lovers and candid interviews by their off-springs, Stories We Tell hones in on the life and death of their mother and the direct effect on all of its' family members. Diane's past transgressions and erratic decisions seemed to complicate everyone's life before and after her death, making many of the brothers and sisters question their own relationships with their parents. As with time, memory and reality blurs and the truth remains elusive. The past and present ultimately collide in this documentary of hidden affairs, divorce, and questionable paternity issues. As the filmmaker delves into her mother's mysterious past to find clear-cut answers, it takes a toll on each family member.Stories We Tell gets to be almost too personal in its message, relying on conjecture and here- say to form its narrative structure. The subject matter is always interesting but too limited in scope. On one hand, one almost feels voyeuristic in experiencing this film. Yet, the filmmaking is expertly assembled and must have been cathartic for some of the family and seen as an embarrassment by others. That said, Ms. Polley has made a well-crafted film with strong editing techniques, effectively blending the footage of the interviewees speaking movingly about the emotional damage cast upon them with the many happier family images that haunt their recollections. (Particularly ironic is the inclusion of a segment with Diane singing Ain't Misbehavin'.)  Stories We Tell tells its story very well. Whether you are interested in hearing it may be another story in itself. GRADE: BVisit my blog at: www.dearmoviegoer.comANY COMMENTS: Please contact me at: jadepietro@rcn.com

'STORIES WE TELL': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five)Actress and filmmaker Sarah Polley wrote and directed this documentary about a long kept family secret. She interviewed several family members and close friends and had her father Michael Polly narrate the movie (by reading from his memoir). Polley also recorded reenactments of significant events in her family's history, with a Super-8 camera, making the video appear like old home movies. She cast actors as key players in the scenes; like Rebecca Jenkins as her mother Dianne (who lost a battle to cancer when Sarah was just 11). The whole film revolves around her mother and a possible affair she had, which may have led to Sarah's conception. I found it to be well made and somewhat interesting but not overly involving or emotionally fascinating. The movie is presented sort of like a 'making of the documentary' film as much as an actual documentary. Polley records her father reading the narration and includes a lot of the commentary and dialogue they had between takes (often highlighting moments when she'd ask him to repeat a line). The interviews are shown with outtakes included as well and I at first didn't realize the Super-8 footage was fake but the film includes 'behind the scenes' video of that too. I think the methods Polley used (of presenting a story) are interesting and unique; they also definitely distinguish it (quite a bit) from similar documentaries.The movie got rave reviews and is actually one of the best rated films of the year (by critics). Despite this it failed to secure an Oscar nomination for 'Best Documentary'. I haven't seen most of the films nominated in that category (this year) but I don't think this is up to par with what I usually expect from a 'Best Documentary' film. It's filmed in an interesting way but it doesn't quite grab the viewer and impact them emotionally the way the filmmakers want it to (at least it didn't for me). Still it is a good documentary that's worth seeing though.Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAydMPYt0Hs