Morgan Freeman and So It Begins Again
The about unlikeliest of romances.
"The Magic of Belle Isle" is a fleck predictable...but I can take that. This is because the story was so wonderfully well made...with great, easygoing interim and an incredible musical score.
The story begins with Monte (Morgan Freeman) moving to a country retreat for the summer. He'south an alcoholic and misanthrope....and although a famous writer, he hasn't written anything in years. In other words, he's a mess. However, when he'south befriended past a neighboring family unit, Monte slowly comes out of his trounce and finds some things to care about instead of just feeling distressing for himself.
Morgan Freeman simply is terrific and I think the director and author did a lot of smart things hither past allowing Freeman just to act....slowly and meticulously. He's similar a workshop on how to make acting look natural and existent. He's also ably assisted by a great cast and I really enjoyed the film....and I think its electric current score of 7 is a bit depression.
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Great Leads just Awfully Light-headed and Soapy Story
The Magic of Belle Isle (2012)
** (out of four)
Rob Reiner's latest film thankfully has a couple swell performances or else we'd be looking at 1 of the worst movies of the twelvemonth. Morgan Freeman plays Monte Wildhorn, a writer who has lost pretty much all of his touch, desire to live and has become a cranky alcoholic. He'due south sent to a summer home to try and come up up with some fresh ideas but he just keeps going deeper into the bottle until he meets his divorced neighbor (Virginia Madsen) and her iii daughters. THE MAGIC OF BELLE Isle is one of the nearly sentimental movies e'er made only it's so poorly directed, edited and written that you can't help but roll your optics at how stupid it really is. I don't mind movies trying to brand y'all cry or feel warm just this thing here goes so far overboard that it really did seem like an viii-year-one-time daughter wrote it. The dialogue is beyond bad and for the life of me I couldn't figure out what the movie was trying to do. This is the blazon of motion-picture show that is so lazily written that you tin't help merely want to throw your easily up and just give upward on the entire affair. Everything in this movie just happens for no credible reason. Normally you'd have some sort of character development with a hateful drunkard turning into a nice angel simply that doesn't happen here. Instead of giving u.s. situations that we can believe in, the film simply has stuff happen just so the movie can move along. Mommy having trouble with the oldest girl? The problem is hands solved in the thing of seconds. Every "issue" is so easily handled that you can't assist but feel the lazy writing is letting everyone down. What keeps the picture show going are the performances of Freeman and Madsen. Both of them deliver stiff performances, although I must say that neither has too much to work with. I wishes that the screenplay had been a fiddling more demanding so that the two really could have had more than fireworks together. Thankfully both of them are great plenty because otherwise we'd be left with a real mess of a movie.
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sadly predictable
Monty Wildhorn (Morgan Freeman) is an alcoholic wheelchair bound Western author who has stopped writing. His nephew Henry (Kenan Thompson) gets him a identify to stay in Belle Isle for the summertime. The place is next door to recently divorced Charlotte O'Neil (Virginia Madsen) and his three girls Finnegan (Emma Fuhrmann), Willow (Madeline Carroll) and Flora (Nicolette Pierini). Finnegan loves to tell stories.
I hoped that Rob Reiner retains an ounce of originality but feared that this would be sadly uninspired. This ends with too much of my fears coming truthful. These are great actors doing their all-time. The story has its share of eccentric characters. I really like Freeman with Fuhrmann. This could be a sugariness kids motion-picture show peculiarly if it full-bodied on the girl instead. It's depressingly anticipated to take the May to Dec romance. With such great actors, this has the opportunity to exist good but the material doesn't accept much meat on the bones.
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Rob Reiner and Morgan Freeman team up for a 'feel practiced' movie.
Warning: Spoilers
When you lot look at his entire resume' every bit a director, yous see that Rob Reiner has come a long way since playing the 'meathead' on 'All In The Family', and as a managing director has given us many memorable movies. He has done information technology over again here, and while this one will not likely rise to the peak of his listing of accomplishments, information technology is a very nice 1 with a proficient story.
Morgan Freeman is Monte Wildhorn , somewhat formerly famous writer who has quit writing, and has become a curmudgeon of sorts. He is in a wheel chair, we don't find out why until much later in the pic, but he is going to spend the summer in this New York State 'Belle Isle' community, in a pocket-size run-down house. Next door are a unmarried mom and her 3 daughters.
The mom is Virginia Madsen as Charlotte O'Neil . Her middle daughter is 11-ish Emma Fuhrmann as Finnegan O'Neil , the nigh interesting and precocious of the daughters. She becomes friends of sort with Monte pretty apace, and plays a role in getting him interested once again in writing. And he helps her learn how to employ her imagination better. Monte and Charlotte also seem to be developing a bond, in spite of their large age difference. And of course his existence confined to a cycle chair.
Very nice, rather quiet movie.
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Doesn't quite work out the way it wants to.
This is obviously not really existence a movie with a real indicate to it only it instead rather wants to be feel-practiced movie. It however for most office fails equally such considering of its lacking story, that is defective any good emotions and handles its characters poorly.
The characters actually dislocated me. First of all, it was a strange matter that at the beginning of this flick the Morgan Freeman character was supposed to come up across as a grumpy old man, old Clint Eastwood character-mode, then to speak but at the same time he as well came across equally an humorous and soft guy. It didn't quite resonated with each other and was somewhat disruptive to watch. It was as if the picture-makers themselves didn't really knew what to do with the character or were likewise afraid the viewers would distance themselves from the character and this movie if its primary character was being purely a grumpy old man, in the first part of information technology.
But also the dynamics between all of the different characters doesn't quite work out well or disarming enough. Why oh why did they had to plow this into a dearest-story as well? It isn't being a disarming affair anyway that a single mother would fall for a cripple 70-something year old guy and it doesn't exactly gets made believable in this movie either. I would had well-nigh definitely preferred it if the movie focused on the friendship between the man and the family instead. The movie was perfectly expert and sugariness when it did just that and naught more than just that.
The movie also virtually definitely has some pointless characters in it. What was the signal of having Fred Willard in this? And why did there needed to exist a mentally challenged character as well, that behaves like an absolute moron, instead of a mentally challenged person. I detest it when a movie does that. It's and so offensive! Non just to mentally challenged persons but too the audience in full general. Mayhap they though they would go some cheap laughs and drama out of it but I accept some news for them; it simply doesn't work out very well.
Besides, the Morgan Freeman character was supposed to be a mentor to one of the young girls and I thought at i bespeak that the picture would entirely become only about that. However, by the end of the movie information technology doesn't at all feels like he finished instruction the girl everything she needed and wanted to know virtually writing. The movie definitely feels incomplete when information technology comes down to some of its story lines. Who knows, maybe an additional 15 or twenty minutes could had improved this movie significantly.
Information technology'southward ever a dangerous matter to have young kids playing a pregnant role in a film like this. The danger is that these movies tend to go overly sentimental and sappy and it's besides risky since children often aren't existence the best at acting. But I have to say, as far every bit all these things for this movie are concerned, it isn't existence anything too bad. The kid actors were good, though the writing for them was still definitely lacking.
Information technology'due south difficult to care virtually annihilation that happens in this motion picture, since the characters just aren't beingness handled adept and interesting plenty and they aren't going through some interesting enough developments and transitions. In that regard this pic truly fails and falls completely flat equally a genre moving picture, though it's not a motion-picture show that I hated watching, so I'grand nonetheless beingness somewhat mild with my rating for it.
Perhaps it was also cheers to the fine actors that appear in this movie. It's never a penalization to lookout Morgan Freeman acting in a film, even when the movie and his character aren't being all that not bad or interesting.Virginia Madsen too did a bang-up task, equally did all of kid actors, similar I mentioned earlier on already.
Just not the best of most constructive genre movie out there. Try again Mr. Reiner!
five/10
http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/
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Simply similar bad magic, this May-December romance is ridiculously contrived
Monte Wildhorn (Morgan Freeman) is a wheelchair bound geriatric man in the twilight of his years who chooses to become away for city life in hopes that it'll cure his writers' block. While there he meets much younger divorcée, Charlotte (Virginia Madsen) who along with her iii daughters, warms his jaded, bitter centre.
The fact that this movie is well-acted doesn't really make upward for the fact that the two leads have fiddling to no chemical science with each other which given what the film is about is pretty counterproductive to its intent. As such this turns into less of a 'feel skilful' moving picture with romantic leanings and more of a 'experience perplexed' one. Also the obstacles the two demand to overcome (for in that location ever has to be obstacles in these kind of films) seemed to be solved manner to easily.
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soup for soul
a wise story about life. realistic, moralistic, romantic, overnice, seductive. in same time. Morgan Freeman is himself, giving to his role entire back up of emotions, gloomy sides, humor and fragility. and Virginia Madesen is best choice to create inspired residue. a film about reality equally seed of life , discoveries and lesson, sweetness and gentle, warm and touching. a film like many others simply non common. considering it is not but sit-in of splendid acting but, in same measure out, a soup for soul with many ingredients , necessary in crisis menses but, in fact, speech almost small things - bones/seeds of happiness. a beautiful film. and a seductive story. a island. for each searcher.
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Lovely, melodramatic, too sweet for its ain proficient
Warning: Spoilers
Rob Reiner has certainly slipped a little from Hollywood greatness. If anything proves that its the onslaught of negative feedback from this picture show. Its obvious that our cynical society hates anything that tries to be sweetness and nothing else. Its true that being just sweet and prissy doesn't usually entertain very well only thank you to a lead star who tin can do very piddling incorrect, and a beautiful well written elementary script I found information technology very entertaining and simply overnice. No it won't blow anyone abroad, and it certainly won't take any awards dwelling but why can't something simply BE NICE! I volition be the first one to express joy at May-December romance movies especially ones that choose to ignore the fact that the leading man is downright old and his love interest could exist his granddaughter. Even so, the film actually handles this potential romance very well. Not once is there anything physical between them, or whatever blatant romance, its simply an unspoken attraction and not physical but rather something deep and meaningful. I left with the impression that their romance would never flower but rather exist left this unspoken deep connection. People are right...it is syrupy sweet, information technology is unproblematic and unassuming, it is fifty-fifty a little anticipated and stereotypical merely information technology is still a squeamish movie to sit back and simply relish.
At that place is very few people on the planet that would argue the intense talent and charisma of Morgan Freeman. He'south a legend, a true Hollywood star, and well-nigh people could watch him exercise anything and he does just virtually everything. He probably instantly turns this 6 out of ten flick into an viii just by being there. He'due south grouchy and grieving and having trouble getting a grip on his life. He's just so lovable and y'all merely want to hang out with this man the whole time. Virginia Madsen is not 1 of my favourite actresses just she does a slap-up job in this flick as a struggling unmarried mother wanting to connect with her children and protect them from their absentee father. Madsen and Freeman are terrific together and despite what reviews say I remember they're romance (washed very subtly) was lovely. Every bit many reviews have also said the 3 daughters are first-class and actually bring life and chemical science to the film. They are the magic of Belle Isles. Emma Fuhrmann, Madeline Carroll and Nicolette Pierini are but and then good together and so good with Freeman easily making it believable that they could pause through his grief and win him over. I recollect Emma Fuhrmann gives a terrific stand out performance amidst the iii girls although they are all great. Ash Christian gives a decent and moving performance as the lovable disillusioned Carl Loop.
Maybe the only problem with the film is that it tries to cram too much into the story and considering of that some of the more than important details don't get enough time spent on them. Rob Reiner has been accused lately of non showing some of the force he showed in his younger days but he's e'er excelled at melodramatic romance films. If y'all can just go into this without having unrealistic expectations...its not an Academy Award motion picture...and merely be entertained and enjoy the characters and it really is a good solid motion picture. 8/ten
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A nifty family moving picture about finding yourself again. Great interim and fantabulous message. I recommend this. I say A.
"It don't happen often merely sometimes we do bring out the all-time in each other." Afterward the death of his wife famous author Monte Wildhorn (Freeman) stops writing and takes up drinking. He moves into a lake firm to escape everyone and relax. After coming together his neighbor Charlotte O'Neil (Madsen) and her daughters he begins to modify the way he feels near life. One of the biggest problems I take with movies is that about seventy% of them are so anticipated that after 10 minutes you know how it will end. Sometimes that affects how good a picture show is and sometimes it doesn't matter. This movie is the subsequently. Later on 15 minutes I could have written the catastrophe myself and it would have been identical to the mode this one ended. All that said this is a swell film all the same and Morgan Freeman is virtually the but actor who tin can have a very ornery character and make you lot like him even at his worst. In that location are not many non-cartoon movies that are bully for the whole family unit to watch. This is i of them. Rated PG but this is nonetheless something that yous can put in with your kids and not have to worry virtually what they are seeing. This is a perfect example of how first-class a film can be simply by using the best actors you can find and having a great idea. No special furnishings or nudity or swearing. What a foreign idea. Overall, a superb family film that I highly recommend. I give it an A.
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Freeman prevents it from being run of the mill
Warning: Spoilers
What is it near Morgan Freeman? Why practise we relish his on screen appearances and so much. He's a very skilful actor. Truthful. Just our affection for him seems to get beyond that.
This is a well-meaning motion picture, but I couldn't help simply recall that maybe Rob Reiner is slipping a fleck. The full general plot is fine, but I idea the performances from the iii kids -- while crucial -- seemed a bit disingenuous. Lots of potential, but I idea that Reiner should have seen that something in their acting was just a little off.
Morgan Freeman makes this film. All the others that we see are in the periphery, fifty-fifty though some of their roles are essential. Freeman is the anchor.
I'thousand non a particular fan of Virginia Madsen, but she does her job here, and as the pic progressed she grew on me...somewhat. Emma Fuhrmann -- the centre-aged daughter -- is a promising young extra, although hither she sometimes had very adultish expressions on her confront that simply seemed a bit out of place.
This movie doesn't exactly set the world on fire. Sometimes I always felt it was only plodding along. Simply overall I enjoyed it...but it's non loftier up on my list. A good, modest motion picture.
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A sweet drama! five/10
Review: How tin can anyone say annihilation bad about a centre warming movie with Morgan Freeman playing the lead? I saw this movie some time agone on Heaven so I knew what to expect. Although I knew the whole storyline, I however found information technology quite entertaining I enjoyed watching the softer side to Morgan Freeman, fifty-fifty though he is playing a miserable git. All of the actors put in believable performances, and the storyline is well put together by the director. It'due south expert that people are still making movies that rely on a bang-up storyline and a good cast. Enjoyable!
Round-Up: This film definitely deserved a bigger gross. Morgan Freeman played his part extremely well and it really does testify that he is in a league of his own. No 1 tin play roles like these, every bit well every bit Morgan, which is why people always take him on the superlative of there list when information technology comes to movies in this category. Anyhow, it's not the blazon of flick that will blow you away or watch time and time once more, but if your in the right mood, you can't assistance but feel touched by this touching drama.
Budget: N/A Worldwide Gross: $102,000 (Terrible)
I recommend this motion picture to people who are into there witty dramas nigh a grumpy former homo condign friends with a fatherless family. five/10
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Pure Golden
Wheelchair leap curmudgeon and heavy drinker Monte Wildhorn (Morgan Freeman), a writer of western stories house-sits for a friend in Belle Isle and softens considerably when he befriends single mother Charlotte O'Neil (Virginia Madsen) and her three children.
I don't call back liking a flick as much as this one since THE ASTRONAUT FARMER. The cast were perfect. The dialogues were spot on and very entertaining. The banter between Monte and nine-year old Finnegan O'Neil (Emma Fuhrmann) was pure gold and proved to be the beginnings of Monte softening his outlook on life. I wished that banter never ended. Like I said Pure Gilt. Kudos to the writers.
This is indeed a experience good picture show with a depression key pacing and you never wanted it to cease.
For starters we encounter curmudgeon Monte exist bam-boozled into reading an obituary for someone he "didn't know;" getting a side-kick in Carl (Ash Christian) a somewhat special needs person; giving aspirin to Ringo, the dog (that he renames Spot) with potent hind quarters; and helping Finnegan larn to write stories. All this sets the stage for everything that follows. And, everything that follows shows growth of all characters.
Sometimes like a big juicy cheeseburger y'all only "gotta have" you lot as well "gotta see" a pure gold flick like this. (x/10)
FYI: Virginia Madsen was also in the Astronaut Farmer.
Violence: No. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Language: No.
Rating: A
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Misfired experience-good picture
OJT 28 December 2013
I savor most kind of movies if they're well made. And director Rob Reiner has done a few I liked quite a bit. it's been some years since his heydays ("The saucepan list" in 2005, "A few good men" in 1995, "Misery" in 1990, "When Harry met Sally" in 1989). But I wonder if this is a sign that he'due south getting too quondam.
This story should have all ingredients to brand a neat feel expert movie, and starts off OK, but I'm agape to say that the praises it gets hither in other reviews are quite far off. This is simply similar a mediocre TV-flick, and though information technology'due south well played past nearly actors, information technology's tediously boring, tiresome and misses the mark that a feel good film should have.
Morgan Freeman is expert as always, and Virginia Madsen is practiced, but hither they had almost goose egg to piece of work on. The script is very sparse, and a motion picture like this should push the nerves similar f.e. "Driving Miss Daisy", "Pay information technology forward" or "Skilful Will Hunting" if they are to deserve a rating on most seven here on IMDb.
I can come across Rob Reiner probably didn't take the best writing material to work with hither, and I wish him luck with "And so it goes" which are due adjacent year. He'south got a great cast there, and the writer Mark Andrus succeeded with "Life equally a house". Adept luck, mister Reiner!
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Unmagicked.
Warning: Spoilers
I wanted to like this just I almost choked on the clichés and plot holes and to top it all off the catastrophe straight out of Hollywoodland Central.
Actually good cast, apart from some stilted children (look maw, I'm acting schoolhouse), plot holes to drive a tank through and an odd grapheme with a mental disability used equally a butt for jokes. Offensive.
75 twelvemonth sometime human being in a wheelchair with unusable left arm (except at the terminate when everyone forgets and he hugs a child)falls in love with a 50 yr old woman who reciprocates.
She plays pianoforte at a classical level, has no visible means of financial support, he's a jaded alcoholic western novel writer who speaks classical English all the fourth dimension.
Plothole # 8: He takes a gun to a children' altogether party and threatens a clown with information technology, a clown who makes his living off renting a accident-up castle that one of the children punctures. I'd be ane aroused clown losing my income like this merely no, he skulks off leaving everything backside.
The grounds of this flick is littered with such contrivances.
It would have been somewhat redeemed with a improve ending. Only no, I guess the preview audience wanted that old Harlequin thing...shame.
four out of ten.
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Can't trust the critics on this one; the movie touched me
Alert: Spoilers
Tin can't trust the critics on this ane; consulting my usual sources, I found unexpectedly depression ratings. How could this exist, I asked myself. Well, I found this, Morgan Freeman in a motion-picture show directed and co-written by Rob Reiner, was suspiciously slanted. Perhaps the story was grossly uninteresting or unappealing. I wondered; I certainly didn't remember so when I read the storyline. Later viewing the movie, I can assure that'due south not the case. It's a beautiful story, thanks to inspired writing, great dialogue and impeccable delivery by talented performers and non in the least past first-class directing.
I'll grant 1 factor to critics, for their reason to underrate it; the catastrophe is predictable. So what! Your favorite songs and books are some things you tin can heed to and read again, even if you know the outcome; that does not brand it less good. If you want something unpredictable, scout 'The Pare I alive In'. I was very surprised by that picture show (one I liked for that reason), simply I liked 'We Bought A Zoo' merely as much, however for the contrary reason; it is predictable, but the journey is the pleasure the movies provide the viewers, subsequently all.
Morgan Freeman is equally expert as he was in his Oscar wining performance. It takes talent to brand yous believe a character who is a Beethoven loving cowboy writer drunk, one who speaks like the all-time novelists of any flow. Guys… you may want to write some lines his character delivers to Virginia Madsen's character Charlotte; they are the kind to woo any woman with a pulse. Two of Charlotte's girls are ambrosial, much similar Maggie Elizabeth Jones was in 'Nosotros Bought a Zoo'; she was so adept, it takes those 2 girls of Charlotte to give you that same charmed feeling, simply yous volition feel it. Madsen was the perfect fit for the office of Charlotte; she tin can nonetheless apply her eyes like a magnet to steel, and that's a adept thing. I recommend the picture show without hesitation and screw the critics.
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A simple, heartfelt picture show
Perfect to unwind with and back-trail my cup of tea on a stormy Friday night.
Morgan Freeman was at his best in this and held the film firmly on his two shoulders throughout. His graphic symbol arc was a joy to watch and non short on laughs either.
While many may find it overly sentimental, I enjoyed it for what it was. Information technology was sweetness. It was easygoing and it unfolded at a steady place. The world could do with more films like this these days.
It was somewhat predictable, and about too slow in parts, but information technology made upwardly for that with its big center. The chemistry between Freeman and Virginia Madsen made me smile, as did Freeman's interactions with her daughters.
A prissy trivial film in a beautiful setting that doesn't require a whole lot of brainpower to enjoy.
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Practiced but could accept been a lot more than
A wonderful story that could have been a lot more. with a fantastic Morgan Freeman, success is almost on your side. The motion-picture show is silent, just sometimes it tells something also cheesy. Not that that would be bad, just the movie seems a flake indecisive: sometimes serious, sometimes funny, sometimes very emotional. Maybe that too makes simple entertainment for a nice evening with the family :) It definitely kept me very entertained.
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Sacharrine
Warning: Spoilers
This movie became and then predictable. The script is lame and the interim stilted. If it weren't for Morgan Freeman's delivery and acting skills this would have sunk way down to the bottom. Perchance his interaction with the girl (Emma Fuhrmann) is the but worthwhile chip of acting – and fifty-fifty then. It struck me that this was a picture for 10 year olds. Really not a whole lot going on with the aforementioned old clichés – crotchety drunken writer becomes rehabilitated with the daughters of beautiful, enticing divorcée next door – and he befriends a dog. The conflicts – such every bit they are (betwixt mother and daughters) – are totally uninspired. It's a pic you lot can walk abroad from to nibble at irish potato fries or dessert and come dorsum to without missing a beat. I was expecting meliorate considering the IMDb rating.
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10
i stumbled upon this film quite by run a risk. Did not know anything nearly information technology and it blew me away! Actually one of the most cute films I have seen lately... or at all.
Maybe I loved it that much because I am a writer myself then I could chronicle to many things concerning inspiration - lack of it...
The message of the pic is really great and powerful. I must confess that I could not finish crying for almost xx minutes or then ... I don't recall I have cried watching a movie that much from ... Bridges of the Medison Canton?!
Really would recommend it to anybody, particularly those poetic souls. 10 from me!
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A Writer Regains the Will to Alive
Warning: Spoilers
Rob Reiner'due south "The Magic of Belle Isle" tells the story of a man who regains the will to alive after entering the lives of a single mom and her 3 daughters. This is the kind of motion-picture show that divides audiences into two bones categories: Those that like sentimental dramas, and those that don't. I'one thousand sure my opening description lonely is enough for you to decide which category you lot fall into. For my money, the film is simple, well-intentioned, and skillful-hearted – flawed, all the same protected and ultimately redeemed by its conventionalities in second chances. Given the hardships of reality, the last thing we demand is a picture that reminds us of them. What we really need is a movie that gives usa reason to hope for something meliorate. Yous may recollect I'm naïve, although I prefer to recollect of myself every bit open to possibilities.
The man at the middle of the story is Monte Wildhorn (Morgan Freeman). Equally a fellow, his athletic prospects were shattered when an accident robbed him of his ability to walk. He would go on to make a name for himself as a author of western fiction, simply to surrender on it post-obit the death of his love wife. Wheelchair bound, in his aureate years, and having lost everything including his faith, he now spends his days downing bottles of alcohol and making acerbic remarks. An easy target is his nephew, Henry (Kenan Thompson), who fabricated arrangements for Monte to housesit a small house during the summer in a quiet upstate New York lakeside town. Function of this involves taking care of an old dog, whose refusal to fetch a ball volition exist a running gag throughout the entire film.
In due time, Monte meets his next-door neighbor, the soon-to-be-divorced Charlotte O'Neil (Virginia Madsen), and her iii daughters. There's the rebellious teenager, Willow (Madeline Carroll), who really but wants to spend time with her unseen father. There's the piffling one, Flora (Nicolette Pierini), whose main purpose is to look adorable. Finally, there's the centre child, Finnegan, a.k.a. Finn (Emma Fuhrmann), a tomboy who has a flair for making up outlandish stories and testing them on Flora. Despite her obvious gift, she's under the impression that she doesn't know how to be a author, so she appeals to Monte to be her mentor. Monte, of course, will initially come off equally cantankerous before taking a liking to Finn, admiring her curiosity and conclusion.
Several things come of this initial run across. Firstly, Monte and Charlotte take the first steps towards falling in honey. Secondly, he'southward invited to nourish a memorial service for a man he never met and is asked by the town mayor (Fred Willard) to evangelize an already-written eulogy. This could, peradventure, be a lighthearted jab at Freeman'due south secondary career every bit a voice-over artist, but never mind. Thirdly, Finn will venture to Belle Isle, a tiny island in the heart of the lake, and retrieve a lunchbox full of her mother'due south school-age love messages. Monte will as well befriend, as only he tin can, a mentally challenged man named Carl (Ash Christian), who hops rather than walks from one bespeak to another. Finally, he will be inspired to start writing once again; although his new stories are structurally and grammatically appropriate for Flora, it's obvious that the subtexts are aimed squarely at Charlotte.
Some time is reserved for a subplot involving Monte'southward agent, the delightfully named Joe Viola (Kevin Pollack), who'south eager to get his client back in the game. More than specifically, he wants Monte to sell the rights to one of his books to Hollywood. Repeated phone calls get unreturned for obvious reasons, and so Viola is forced to drib by unannounced. I tin't assist just wonder how necessary this attribute of the story was, given the fact that the existent focus is the relationship Monte shares with Charlotte and Finn. However, I practise recollect it would accept worked had it been separated from "The Magic of Belle Island" and expanded into its own characteristic-length film, one a little less emotional and family unit- friendly.
I grant you lot that the story is contrived and that specific characters, most notably Carl, are included primarily every bit foils for Monte as he undergoes emotional rehabilitation. What saves information technology, by my standards, was the fact that there was obviously no malicious intent on the part of Reiner or Guy Thomas, the screenwriter. The only questionable aspect of "The Magic of Belle Isle" is Monte educating Finn on how to be a writer. It'southward clear right from the start that she already knows what she's doing; to accept her approach him and ask for guidance was forced and implausible. Apart from that, the film is no more or less that what it is, namely a harmless, feel-expert story. While it may not win a spot on the shelf next to Reiner'due south more substantial films, it at to the lowest degree won't be mentioned in the aforementioned sentence with the year's worst films.
-- Chris Pandolfi (www.atatheaternearyou.net)
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Rob Reiner'southward little piece of Magic
If this moving picture had been fabricated back in the 1930's it would probably exist remembered as a 'classic' today! Only with today cynical movie going public, it most probable sunk without trace at the box part? I came across it on DVD when I was looking upwardly films that Fred Willard had appeared in, having enjoyed him in 'Everybody Loves Raymond' and the short lived 'Dorsum To You' Telly series. Every bit it turns out Fred isn't in this all that much, just equally ever, he's quirky and good, however, the off beat casting of Morgan Freeman as a disillusioned writer of westerns who'southward taken to drink, and the gorgeous much under rated Virginia Madsen as his next door neighbour works a treat in this delightful, feel good fiddling movie! In fact everyone in it is perfect casting, and all evangelize the goods. No violence, no explosions, no foul language, no brats, no CGI, how refreshing, mind you, there is one gunshot, fired into the air! At present and again a little precious stone like this comes along just to remind us of meliorate cinematic days gone past, if you haven't got a big smile on your face, and a warm feeling in your heart at the finish of this motion picture, I'm afraid there's no promise for yous!
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Wonderful Film but caviat...
A lovely story with bully acting including that of 3 young girls. Morgan Freeman is a top notch role player but in this he spoils the show with three blasphemies, including one that he tried to make fun with to one of the girls. What a shame! Had to reduce the stars rating due to this.
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My Review
Warning: Spoilers
So sorry to encounter the decline of a good director. Rob Reiner in one case made good movies like 'Stand up By Me' and 'A Few Skillful Men', only now he churns out slop like this. Maybe the aforementioned principle that can be applied to a lot of musicians works for filmmakers likewise: as they become older, their output gets progressively worse and worse.
Morgan Freeman is wasted here equally a platitude-spouting author in a wheelchair, who's given upwards on his true love of writing and is happy to drink himself into oblivion. He goes on vacation next door to a female parent of three daughters, one of whom is a jaded teenager ever on her phone, some other is a dungarees-wearing tomboy who wants to be a author like him and the terminal is a 'cute' seven-year-erstwhile who seems to exist primarily to dish out precocious one-liners.
Quick! Gauge what happens next! Will the tomboy inquire for writing lessons from Freeman, and together they'll restore his religion in humanity, subsequently ending upwards in him quitting the booze and restarting his career as an author? Will the jaded teenager detect her mother'due south old journal where she finds how adventurous the old lady used to be, resulting in the teen throwing away her mobile to first a WHOLE NEW lease of life?
Is in that location a disabled young man somewhere in the mix, who'south blithe simplemindedness somehow makes him 'ameliorate' and then all the other characters combined because he tin 'capeesh' life more without worrying what other people call up of him? Does Freeman meet a domestic dog that he initialises despises only grows to love, the result of many scenes together equally he lectures the unresponsive pooch with goofy music in the background? Are in that location stars in the sky?
To put information technology bluntly: This movie was manipulative, bromidic, tedious, mawkish, predictable and fifty-fifty insulting in the way information technology reduced important issues and conflicts to the level of a sitcom.
Merely when I recollect of some of the other rubbish I've seen, I can't requite it as well bad a marking, every bit there's MUCH worse out there, believe me. Compared to some of Reiner'due south previous flicks though, this isn't and then much equally a comedown, equally a catastrophic leap off a cliff. What a shame. 4/x
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The magic is if yous can really picket the whole film
I cannot believe Virginia Madsen and Morgan Freeman agreed to exist associated with this motion-picture show. It is poorly written, poorly directed and with the exception of the ii actors mentioned in a higher place, poorly acted. Essentially it is four cliché stories that have been done before, meshed into one large, cheesy mess. In that location are some unbearable scenes that were obviously crafted past the writer who couldn't detect a transition between stories.
There is a character who is mentally challenged and the actor who played the function did such a poor job, I actually thought he was joking for a few minutes.
The story is then predictable, I could actually terminate much of the dialogue.
On the positive side, the cinematography is pretty skilful and the scenery is squeamish to look at.
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Evidently in a skillful way
An enjoyable family unit friendly flick that place in a remote, peaceful, natural setting. The story is quite basic, simply the characters are what make it worth watching. Even though the management the characters take is somewhat predictable, the story remains likeable. I like the fact that the movie doesn't try also hard and doesn't end upward being pretentious. Personally, I feel the isle theme wasn't explored plenty though. That premise seems to accept had more promise if only they went that road.
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Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1839654/reviews
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