Rating: 
Summary: Low-key but enjoyable.
Review: A lovely little movie, with fine performances, a real feel-good indie movie. Catherine Keener (so vastly different in "Being John Malkovich"!) is wonderful, playing the insecurities of her character to great effect (the scene where she stalks the video store clerk is fabulous, as is her reluctance to put her cat down). Anne Heche is - as always - on great form; and Liev S is very good too. A lovely little movie, often a little too low-key for its own good. It never demands too much from the viewer and as a result reaps all the awards. Recommended viewing. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: A realistic look at women's friendship...
Review: As you may have watched in the recent "Lovely and Amazing" movie by the same director, she chooses to focus on the truth in relationships, instead of presenting what's fake and flowery. Amelia is best friends with Laura. They grew up together, lived together, and shared a cat together. Now, Laura is getting married to her live-in boyfriend, and Amelia takes it hard. She is trying to put a handle on this, and at the same time, be single in New York. It seems that she has no other friends really, except for Andrew, a recent Amelia stalker victim, who she once dated. In fact, everyone she dates, she ends up obsessing about for a little while.This movie is not too well known or accessible, but I have always liked it for the fact that Amelia, played by Catherine Keener, is so real, with her tangly brown hair, and hilarious facial expressions. Although I haven't really been a fan of Anne Heche, she nails the part. She is interesting to watch with her cynical personality, who can be kind of abrasive, though sometimes sweet. She is trying to accept getting married, and wondering whether she wants to be there. Walking and Talking is fun, depicting a couple at night, stating, "You want to play around?" then grabbing a Boggle game from under the bed. Liev Schreiber, who has boyish charm and a machine-gun laugh, plays Andrew. He has a need for "adult videos" and stimulating phone conversations with women, he hardly knows. In addition, Todd Field, before directing, "In the Bedroom," always has that sweet, calm demeanor. The characters are hard to forget. Although the story is very simple, it still holds true with healthy and dysfunctional relationships. Anyone who wants to understand women and how they deal with each other should watch it!
Rating: 
Summary: This movie grabs you instantly
Review: At once the viewer is treated to dialogue that is simultaneously real and touching. The characters emerge as likable people caught up in typical situations of love, alienation, and nostalgia. The movie explores the dynamic involved in life-long friendships, and invites one to ruminate on past and present relationships. I could not help but draw comparisons between the characters' strained, yet loving, relationship. This movie will speak to you.
Rating: 
Summary: Keener and Corrigan Make It Click
Review: How new relationships and the inevitable changes that occur with the passing of years affects two lifelong friends is considered in "Walking and Talking," directed by Nicole Holofcener. Amelia (Catherine Keener), has achieved a track record of disastrous relationships with the men in her life, and currently she is unattached and in therapy. Laura (Anne Heche), on the other hand, is about to become a practicing therapist, but more importantly, she has a successful, long standing relationship with Frank (Todd Field), a jewelry designer who has just, in fact, asked her to marry him. Laura is concerned about how Amelia will react to their engagement, especially in light of the fact that the only guy who seems to be interested in her is Bill (Kevin Corrigan), a video store clerk who Amelia simply refers to as "The ugly video store guy." Confusing matters somewhat, as well, is the friendship Amelia insists on maintaining with Andrew (Liev Schreiber), an ex-boyfriend with whom she had an obsessive relationship. And so it is that Amelia and Laura find themselves at a crossroads; regarding not only the direction of their individual lives, but the future of their relationship with one another. Working from her own screenplay, Holofcener shows some insight into human nature and the course one's life is often compelled to take. It's a fairly perceptive examination of emotional vulnerability, as expressed through the character of Amelia, as well as of the strength of resolution we find in Laura. It's a thoughtful presentation, focused through the interrelationship of the two women and the three men in their lives, which develops a profile that pretty much covers the entire emotional spectrum. And Holofcener does it realistically and effectively, avoiding stereotypes while making her characters believable, if not necessarily sympathetic. Keener is the most engaging of the bunch, affecting a naturalness while painting a vivid portrait of an emotionally challenged, somewhat confused and directionless young woman perpetually mired in an emotional wasteland; all of which Keener conveys extremely well. And Heche does an excellent job with her portrayal of Laura, who is somewhat self-absorbed, and who has obviously developed on an emotional level quite different from Amelia. She comes across as rather cold at times, which keeps her at arm's length from the audience, but it allows the viewer to make an even stronger connection with Amelia, whose situation is one with which many will be able to identify. Field makes a good impression here, making Frank more than the typical male caricature to which a part like this often succumbs, and Schreiber gives a good performance as well, as something of the masculine counterpart of Amelia, though a bit more on track with his life. Kevin Corrigan makes Bill the one with whom you can most readily empathize, however, as he captures the emotional complexities of his character with an extremely subtle, understated performance. And it's through Bill that we gain valuable insight into the true nature of the other characters. It's a supporting, but pivotal role, sensitively and effectively rendered by Corrigan, who is a terrific character actor, and a definite asset to this particular film. The supporting cast includes Randall Batinkoff (Peter), Joseph Siravo (Amelia's therapist) and Vinny Pastore (Laura's Devil-Seeing Patient). It covers rather familiar territory, but Holofcener does it quite well, and makes "Walking and Talking" an entertaining, if only moderately involving film. She has a nice touch, and though it may not be anything ground breaking, with the presence of Keener and Corrigan, especially, it certainly makes this endeavor worth a look.
Rating:
Summary: Keener and Corrigan Make It Click
Review: How new relationships and the inevitable changes that occur with the passing of years affects two lifelong friends is considered in "Walking and Talking," directed by Nicole Holofcener. Amelia (Catherine Keener), has achieved a track record of disastrous relationships with the men in her life, and currently she is unattached and in therapy. Laura (Anne Heche), on the other hand, is about to become a practicing therapist, but more importantly, she has a successful, long standing relationship with Frank (Todd Field), a jewelry designer who has just, in fact, asked her to marry him. Laura is concerned about how Amelia will react to their engagement, especially in light of the fact that the only guy who seems to be interested in her is Bill (Kevin Corrigan), a video store clerk who Amelia simply refers to as "The ugly video store guy." Confusing matters somewhat, as well, is the friendship Amelia insists on maintaining with Andrew (Liev Schreiber), an ex-boyfriend with whom she had an obsessive relationship. And so it is that Amelia and Laura find themselves at a crossroads; regarding not only the direction of their individual lives, but the future of their relationship with one another. Working from her own screenplay, Holofcener shows some insight into human nature and the course one's life is often compelled to take. It's a fairly perceptive examination of emotional vulnerability, as expressed through the character of Amelia, as well as of the strength of resolution we find in Laura. It's a thoughtful presentation, focused through the interrelationship of the two women and the three men in their lives, which develops a profile that pretty much covers the entire emotional spectrum. And Holofcener does it realistically and effectively, avoiding stereotypes while making her characters believable, if not necessarily sympathetic. Keener is the most engaging of the bunch, affecting a naturalness while painting a vivid portrait of an emotionally challenged, somewhat confused and directionless young woman perpetually mired in an emotional wasteland; all of which Keener conveys extremely well. And Heche does an excellent job with her portrayal of Laura, who is somewhat self-absorbed, and who has obviously developed on an emotional level quite different from Amelia. She comes across as rather cold at times, which keeps her at arm's length from the audience, but it allows the viewer to make an even stronger connection with Amelia, whose situation is one with which many will be able to identify. Field makes a good impression here, making Frank more than the typical male caricature to which a part like this often succumbs, and Schreiber gives a good performance as well, as something of the masculine counterpart of Amelia, though a bit more on track with his life. Kevin Corrigan makes Bill the one with whom you can most readily empathize, however, as he captures the emotional complexities of his character with an extremely subtle, understated performance. And it's through Bill that we gain valuable insight into the true nature of the other characters. It's a supporting, but pivotal role, sensitively and effectively rendered by Corrigan, who is a terrific character actor, and a definite asset to this particular film. The supporting cast includes Randall Batinkoff (Peter), Joseph Siravo (Amelia's therapist) and Vinny Pastore (Laura's Devil-Seeing Patient). It covers rather familiar territory, but Holofcener does it quite well, and makes "Walking and Talking" an entertaining, if only moderately involving film. She has a nice touch, and though it may not be anything ground breaking, with the presence of Keener and Corrigan, especially, it certainly makes this endeavor worth a look.
Rating:
Summary: Workmanlike but has charm
Review: Humans grow up (or are supposed to) in two stages. One is when you first encounter the world and your view is forever changed, that's adolescence; the other is when you are out in the world and honing your coping skills on real life experiences. This film is about that second stage and how a long-time friendship rides out some of the lessons learned. While it doesn't break new territory in its genre, it is carefully made. Catherine Keener and Anne Heche are naturals who keep it floating. I found it genial, but I'm female and past stage two.
Rating:
Summary: I love this movie, but...
Review: I can't stand Anne Heche. I know this is an earlier film, but that woman irritates me in every single film she is in. I would give this movie 5 stars if she were not it. So, let me talk about the ones who made the movie great Catherine Keener and Liev Schreiber. Their timing together is wonderful and I was far more interested in their relationship than the one Anne Heche was in. Well, I thought Anne's fiance was very nice and well played, but she was in them and, well you get the drift. This movie is funny and very moving. I liked it a lot.
Rating:
Summary: I love this movie, but...
Review: I can't stand Anne Heche. I know this is an earlier film, but that woman irritates me in every single film she is in. I would give this movie 5 stars if she were not it. So, let me talk about the ones who made the movie great Catherine Keener and Liev Schreiber. Their timing together is wonderful and I was far more interested in their relationship than the one Anne Heche was in. Well, I thought Anne's fiance was very nice and well played, but she was in them and, well you get the drift. This movie is funny and very moving. I liked it a lot.
Rating:
Summary: Captures a time and place in our lives
Review: I don't know of any other film that successfully captures that moment in life between the 'dating' mode and the 'I'm a grown-up now and getting married' mode as well as this film. As one friend moves toward marriage, her friend played by Catherine Keener has to adjust to feeling left out but also facing the fact that when your best friend gets married, you both leave a kind of gap in the other person's life. It's not saying that the unmarried friend's life is worse than the one getting married -- in fact, the one getting married might have a life of boredom ahead of her -- but it's about that bittersweet spell in the air when a female/female friendship goes out of its intense mode into one in which the men upon whom women focus their lives inevitably bring about a distance and change in female friendship. Rented apartments, borrowed clothes, not making much money -- that time in one's life that dissolves once the grown-up changes come along is perfectly shown here.
Rating:
Summary: Captures a time and place in our lives
Review: I don't know of any other film that successfully captures that moment in life between the 'dating' mode and the 'I'm a grown-up now and getting married' mode as well as this film. As one friend moves toward marriage, her friend played by Catherine Keener has to adjust to feeling left out but also facing the fact that when your best friend gets married, you both leave a kind of gap in the other person's life. It's not saying that the unmarried friend's life is worse than the one getting married -- in fact, the one getting married might have a life of boredom ahead of her -- but it's about that bittersweet spell in the air when a female/female friendship goes out of its intense mode into one in which the men upon whom women focus their lives inevitably bring about a distance and change in female friendship. Rented apartments, borrowed clothes, not making much money -- that time in one's life that dissolves once the grown-up changes come along is perfectly shown here.
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