All I Want

Rating:
Summary: "All I Want" is all you need
Review: "All I Want" is not so much a quest for cool as it is a quest for identity. As a teen romance, the film flops. As an intriguing independent coming-of-age story, it soars.
The film opens with wretched cliches: freshman-baiting bullies, a blond sexpot (Debbie Harry), and Oedipal red neck intimidators. But just as the despair-factor begins to take hold, Jones Dillon (Elijah Wood) pays a visit to his neighborhood convenience store. He picks up a case of beer, a pack of cigarettes, and attempts a pickup of his unknowing new neighbor, Jane (Franka Potente).
Happy-puppy Jones follows street-smart Jane to the apartment building they both share. Disaster unfolds. Jane maces Jones as he approaches her in the front hall. A helpful neighbor (Andrew Jackson) appears with a six-shooter and an attitude. The scene leaves you wincing and laughing. Action and interest perk up from that moment on.
This is a subtle, quirky film. Off beat humor and tender scenes are enhanced by a good alternative music soundtrack. Wood has fine moments as his character learns to furnish an apartment, open a bottle of wine, and, eventually, to relinquish long held fantasies.
But the whole cast creates an ensemble of believable and empathetic characters, from Potente's edgy photographer to Mandy Moore's self-absorbed wannabe actress. Elizabeth Perkins, playing Jones' Holly-Go-Lightly mother, is a heartbreaker. But it's all held together by Wood's engaging Jones.
When "All I Want" finally takes aim, it hits the target.

Rating:
Summary: Franka Potente Rocked This Film!
Review: All I have to say is that Franka Potente carried this film. She became her character so well that Elijah didn't even have to try. She is, as always, a dominant character, and it works out very well. The film is well-made, the story is good, the characters are quirky and awesome, and if nothing else, Franka Potente's acting made this film so fantastic! I gaurentee that you will be so overcome by Franka's character, and how real she makes her, that you will want to watch this movie again and again, just so you can again witness the perfect complexity that Franka is able to pull through her character. For Franka Potente, watch this movie.

Rating:
Summary: Don't waste your time...
Review: All I Want looked like a promising movie with fresh bright actors, but instead was a "Teen" plot with the same mindless drivel as many other teen movies. The seventeen year old Jones is a similar character to Igby in the movie Igby Goes Down, the only difference being Jones stays a virgin. Don't waste your time or your money on All I Want.

Rating:
Summary: Comfortable But Unoriginal Teen Movie (Though Frodo Was 21)
Review: Also known as inexplicable 'Try Seventten,' 'All I Want' stars Elijah Wood, Franka Potente ('Run Lola Run'), Mandy Moore ('Walk to Remember'), and Elizabeth Perkins. The film, as you know, seems to have been directly sent to video, in spite of the presence of Frodo, and if you see the film, you soon realize there are good reasons behind that.

The story is just a standard one, about a seventeen-year-old boy Jones (Wood), coming from Texas (where he lived with his mom always drinking), and without reasons he drops out from the college on the first day. Jones instead takes up a room, where he meets unique characters, photographer Franka Potente, and actress-wannabe Mandy Moore.

Romance ensues, but not in the way we expect. Actually, Ms. Moore's role is not as big as you suppose, and (as you see for yourself in the opening 30 minutes) it's Ms. Potente that steals the heart of Jones, and the film itself. But how could an immature 17-year-old boy with a bad habit of daydreaming be the love of this elder, tough, and independent woman with a fragile heart?

The story itself is promising, and the film is not totally bad, like 'Gigli' or something. 'All I Want' is (at least) trying to be a comfortable romance with love story, and possibly healthy amount of humor. Endure the awfully slow and contrived opening 30 minutes, and you will pretty enjoy yourself.

But the film is flawed at many points. First of all, Elijah Wood (b. 1981) never looks seventeen, even with his wide eyes. To make matters worse, his acting here is too bland. Incredible as it sounds, but I couldn't tell whether it's Wood's character or Wood himself that looks very boring on the screen.

The poor direction doesn't help, either. The boy's frequent 'fantasy' is strictly amateur hour, each shot annoyingly lacking the quality of real fantasy. His family history back in Texas sorrounding Elizabeth Perkins's character is nothing original, let alone amusing or touching.

Perhaps 'All I Want' can be best enjoyed as love story of Franka Potente, who alone can brings life to this oft-told story that looks assembled from better movies about teens and teenage angst, like John Hughes back in the 80s. Watch her, or old Hughes for that matter.

Rating:
Summary: Cute and sweet...
Review: As a big Elijah Wood fan, this was a must-see, and one is not usually disappointed by his work. This was no exception. The film had its low points (Debi Harry) but mostly high ones ("I think you dropped this."), and the cast was fine-tuned. I never thought I'd like a movie with Mandy Moore in it, much less Mandy Moore herself, but she's all right--she plays a bad actress very well.
My favorite part (yes, I am this shallow sometimes) is when Elijah is on the motorcycle and it stalls, and he stops and takes off his helmet and rumples his hair. The whole movie is worth it just for that one scene. (Plus, when was the last time YOU saw him shirtless?)

Rating:
Summary: Worth Watching
Review: At times reminiscent of both "The Graduate" and "Tea and Sympathy," "All I Want" is an entertaining coming-of-age story. Profound plot line it may not have, but its winning cast more than makes up for that. Elijah Wood, who still has the tender expressive face and captivating eyes of his childhood, simply mesmerizes every moment that he is on screen. Franka Potente gives a believable, natural performance and has a palpable chemistry with Wood. Elizabeth Perkins does a terrific job with her relatively small supporting role, and Mandy Moore was surprisingly good. All in all, I found it to be an enjoyable film and one I'd see again -- which says something. One more plus: A fantastic soundtrack!

Rating:
Summary: Worth Watching
Review: At times reminiscent of both "The Graduate" and "Tea and Sympathy," "All I Want" is an entertaining coming-of-age story. Profound plot line it may not have, but its winning cast more than makes up for that. Elijah Wood, who still has the tender expressive face and captivating eyes of his childhood, simply mesmerizes every moment that he is on screen. Franka Potente gives a believable, natural performance and has a palpable chemistry with Wood. Elizabeth Perkins does a terrific job with her relatively small supporting role, and Mandy Moore was surprisingly good. All in all, I found it to be an enjoyable film and one I'd see again -- which says something. One more plus: A fantastic soundtrack!

Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly Good
Review: Being an Elijah fan I wanted to rent the movie, and I did. I thought it would be the worst thing I had seen him in. So I had low expectations for being an Elijah fan. But it was surprisingly funny at times, as well as times making you want to cry. I would defentally recoment this for Elijah fans and non Elijah fans alike!

Rating:
Summary: All I Want...is a little more
Review: Darn it, but I wanted this to have a better ending than it did! "All I Want" (Try 17) starts out wonderful. Elijah fans will love the way this film starts: lots of fun, lots of sexual tension, the Thurber-like fantasy his character slips into as a way to treat the jerks he encounters (hey, we all could use a bazooka now and then ^_~), it's all quite fun and quite funny. The film has an R rating for the language and sexual situations (though you don't actually see anything!). Elijah plays this gawky teen (who seems to have come into just enough inheritance to let him live comfortably and not have to work) who drops out of college on the first day. There's just enough slapstick to keep you wanting to see if he indeed can carry a comedy, and a physical one at that. He finds am apartment in a boarding house that has several quirky residents, all with their own little stories. When he is about to be deflowered by the used furniture store lady (Debbie Harry is a hoot!) you keep expecting Samwise Gamgee to come running in and rescuing him. But now that you've totally gotten "Frodo" out of your mind (and you will after Elijah comes to from this particular fantasy), you can sit back and watch Elijah's character lust between his two lovely neighbors in the boarding house.

Elijah's character narrates now and then as he types his feelings and fantasies down on paper (some of these fantasies are very funny), using his dad's typewriter (was he going to become a writer, then? there's a hint of that)in letters that he saves, because he doesn't know where to send them; mom won't tell him. Very touching actually, clinging to a past life he wants to hang onto, but one that his mom has not interest in. I would have liked a bit more of the back story about his wayward parents (or lack of dad and why he calls his mom by her first name) but that didn't distract me too much as you will get more details, of course, towards the end of the story.

The downstairs cowboy neighbor is refreshing and unfortunately fades out of the film. Miss Mandy and Miss Franka are excellent in their respective roles of ditzy blonde actress and deep brunette photographyer (yay for deep brunettes!!). You will be surprized at the ending (just who will our adorable old blue eyed hero end up with, if anyone?), or maybe not, but also perhaps a bit disappointed. I felt there could have been more, not so much as to suddenly make this light fluffy comedy take a right angle into drama, but just have a bit more substance at the end. I wanted to get the feel for where these characters are now headed, and while the ending is neat and tidy, it's all of a sudden 'the end'.

Worth buying/renting for most of it, and it's so fun to see Elijah playing a little tonsil hockey (well, maybe ~more~ than a little). And it's great to see him growing up and maturing into an excellent actor who can play comedy and drama as an adult, act as well as react in his scenes. If you're making your Elijah library, this one makes a fun addition, while you dream up your own alternate endings in your own fantasy world.

Rating:
Summary: All That You Want and Funny
Review: Elijah Wood fans will like this movie. His performance was great. It's alittle confusing if you don't pay attention (fantasy or dream sequences). It is a sweet and funny coming of age movie. All the actors gave good performances. It is a bit of chick flick but not just for teens, as I am definately not a teen.

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