Purely Joyful Movie!

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

I had not heard of this film but picked it up on rental because Australian films are generally well-done; and the title suggested something similar to (the American film) What Dreams May Come. I was not familiar either with the poem from which the title is taken. So. I saw this movie as a "working out" of the guilt Sam felt at the death of Silvi. Helena Bonham Carter is perfectly cast as the imaginary Silvi who helps Sam understand and erase his guilt, which is hinted at in the first scene in the classroom when he asks his students about why people forget: the second answer is "repression" of painful memories. If you take note of that, then the other hints throughout the film are glaringly obvious, and lead to the final release. Overall, I think this film is full of forgiveness and liberation.

The beautiful Helena Bonham Carter as usual played her part to perfection.When I was young a girlfriend of mine drowned while we were swimming, so in a remote way I can relate to this movie.I of course never met the ghost of the girl that drowned, but I can relate to the feelings of the boy. This movie was rather a fantasy, and I was very impressed with Miss Carters performance. DR Franks seemed to have difficulty in believing she was who she was, So he hypnotized her to find out for sure, and he convinced himself I believe to an extent. The ending was a little disappointing, but it would have been hard to come up with another one I guess, so we'll have to be satisfied with this one. I watched the movie because Helena Bonham Carter was in it. You can watch it because it was a beautiful watchable movie.

As one who would like to make films some day, this film blew my mind as an example of superb cinematography and lighting, as well as balanced and subtle acting. Guy Pearce was a little rigid, but i haven't seen him in anything else, so that may have been an affectation of the morose and sombre character he was playing. Bonham Carter would be a dream to work with. She's a master of the art and has a sly dark, sexuality that i can't resist. I haven't yet, but i'll be searching out the cinematography and lighting credits and looking for more of the work of those fine technicians. Good work on a difficult and slow paced psychological drama.

This film reminds me of a period in the Sixties when many "avant garde" films were produced that required that the viewer expend some effort of thought, while bringing a background of knowledge to bear, perhaps discussing afterward with friends,to explore a film which tries to expand your experience without limiting the ways it could be appreciated. I prefer this kind of film precisely because it does not hand me its interpretation in a neat little package, but invites me to discover it. Perhaps, after a hard day in the cubicle, a facile, louder adventure may be more entertaining. But when you have rested, go back and watch this film again! You may just be surprised.