Rating: 
Summary: Just Misses the Mark
Review: "Moonlight Mile" has many terrific elements, which makes it so frustrating that it isn't better. First, the cast (Susan Sarandon, Jake Gyllenhall, & Dustin Hoffman) is truly first-rate. Individually, these actors do some very good work in this movie; however, their styles/characters never click. Hoffman plays distraught; Sarandon plays emotionally aloof and sarcastic (much like her character in "Igby Goes Down"); Gyllenhall plays earnest (much like his character in "The Good Girl"). Second, the movie has some genuine texture. It's set in some older neighborhoods of Glouster (MA), so it feels less generic than most dramas. It reminded me a bit of movies based on books by Michael Chabon or Richard Russo (e.g., Nobody's Fool, The Wonder Boys). Plus, much of the dialogue and characters are quirky. However, the quirkiness never really pays off and sometimes distracts from the drama.Srandon and Hoffman play a couple whose daughter is tragically killed soon before her planned wedding to Gyllenhall. The couple deal with her death in a number of ways, and Gyllenhall moves in and becomes part of the family. Unfortunately, that's pretty much all you know about these people. Their grief and emotions are not given any context. The tone of the entire movie is also inconsistent. At times, the characters come across as aloof and cynical, and then they rather unexpectedly have an emotional epiphany and catharsis. Again, given all the positive elements of the movie, the lack of cohesion is disappointing. Overall, this movie provides some moments of clarity about the process of grief. However, "Moonlight Mile" never truly comes together to form a cohesive whole, resulting in some maudlin moments.
Rating: 
Summary: Not an easy film to make.....
Review: "Moonlight Mile" is a bummer. The death of a child, just as they've entered the adult world, is a sensitive and difficult topic to break through on the screen. That it was just done, and done beautifully, with "In the Bedroom" (a film that many thought dragged....) made the making of "Moonlight Mile" so much more difficult.
In Mile, daughter Diana Floss has been an innocent victim, killed in a domestic dispute between two other people, in the small town in which she was raised. Her death occurs just prior to what was to have been her wedding to Joe (Jake Gyllenhaal); and Joe and Diana's parents, Ben and JoJo (Dustin Hoffman and Susan Sarandon) play through all of the emotions that surround such a family tragedy. They are alternately perfunctory and sarcastic, needy and emotional, stricken and determined to downplay the loss they feel.
Joe is lying about his intentions; he and Diana had broken up, but Ben is so determined to keep him a part of the family, and JoJo can play him off so well against the well-meaning Ben, that he feels compelled to stay, and continue to act out the American Tragedy, even going through the motions of going into business with Ben.
I give the film 4 stars because Brad Silberling, the director, is so dead on in terms of the artificiality of the mourning process, the manner in which we subject the family of someone taken from us to meaningless expressions of grief and concern, and the building of a mutual bond of sacrifice and strength that grows between the remaining family members. Silberling makes only two mistakes with his film:first, he fails to anchor the timing (the early 70's) in the minds of the viewer. It's difficult to understand the simplistic way in which things occur until you realize, halfway through, that this film happened 30 years ago. Second, he does not allow the viewer to know Diana. There are some visual sequences and some focus on photos that make the attempt, but too little of what she was gets through to the viewers, and, without more, we cannot sense the depth of loss the family feels.
The second compelling reason for a high rating is the performance of Susan Sarandon. Hoffman and young Gyllenhaal are both excellent in their roles, although Gyllenhaal never, not once, shows us the spark that would have attracted Diana, just the quiet, undemonstrative side of his character. Here, I think Silberling played too much into the type of person he is (he went through a similar tragedy with his fiancée), instead of what Joe could have been.
Sarandon is, in a word, superb. Blithe, brittle, outspoken and vibrant, she's a writer and a life force to be reckoned with. The scene in which she explains the relationship survival (between her and the completely opposite Ben)is a revelation. It's her hints and sidebars that make us realize truly, how little communication Ben and Diana had shared. She takes Joe to task when she realizes he has a new love (Ellen Pompeo: bewitching as Bertie), and, as much as she needs him, she conveys with her whole being how much she knows he has to leave. The conflict between Ben and JoJo is tragic in terms of how they feel about the murder trial for Diana's killer - in this, you know why JoJo feels as she does, although you can never really understand the way that Ben reacts. Lastly, she might have one of the best satirical lines ever on film when she acknowledges Joe's testimony as a "truth enema for all of us"...not too many actresses could carry that off! Sarandon, praised in many of my former reviews, is simply the best actress in America today.
I believe that most viewers will be bored by Moonlight Mile, but if you approach it for what it is, you'll find it a fine film that moves a little too slowly, and a hint of what is to come from Silberling.
Rating: 
Summary: The forgetten movie of 2002
Review: "Moonlight mile" is kind of an autobiographical movie by director Brad Silbering, who had previously directed "City of angesl" and tv series "Felicity" and "NYPD blue". So, he knows what to do to transport real emotions into the screen. When his fiancé is accidentaly shot and murdered a few days before their marriage, Joe's (Jake Gyllenhaal) life seems at a loose end: he's not sure he wants to live with her parents (Dustyn Hoffman and Susan Sarandon), and he won't be able to leave them. He decides to stick for a while to see what's going to happen next, and even with a huge guilt feeling, he's able to discover new things in town. "Moonlight mile" is a movie about how to overcome a terrible loss. It's about people helping each other in any way they can, even if they're doing everythng wrong, but they're doing it because they love each other. And, what's most incredible, this movie, unlike "In the bedroom" (another terrific movie), which is about the same subject, has a positive and forward view of the matter. Silbering was able to give his characters (he's also the writer of the script) the three-dimension they needed to make a movie like this work. Excellent performances by Hoffman and Sarandon unfortunately didn't get the attention they deserved. A good surprise (at least for me) were the two younger actors, Gyllehaal and Ellen Pompeo. This difficult movie seemed a walk in the park for them. "Moonlight mile" is touching and interesting, and, at least concerning the characters' reactions, motives and feelings, one of the best movies I've seen recently, even if there are some obvious scenes and sub-plots in the film. Grade 9.1/10
Rating:
Summary: Great acting dominates quirky tale of grief
Review: "Moonlight Mile" is quirky, semi-autobiographical movie about how some people deal with grief. It is somewhat different from most other movies on this topic because it doesn't dwell only on the seriousness of the situation. It also sees the humor. The script is a bit underdeveloped and leaves us less attached to the characters than we would like to be. What truly makes the movie worth watching is the cast. It's a treat to watch Jake Gyllenhaal, one of the best actors of today's generation, playing opposite Dustin Hoffman and Susan Sarandon, two of the greatest actors of an older generation. [Holly Hunter is also present, but her supporting role doesn't require much of her formidable talent.] The movie opens in a small New England town as Joe [Gyllenhaal] is preparing to attend his fiancée's funeral. She was killed in a local restaurant by a crazed gunman. JoJo and Ben [Sarandon and Hoffman] are the girl's parents, and Joe is staying in their home. The couple has virtually adopted Joe, who still intends to go into business with Ben, a commercial real estate developer. It's obvious that Ben doesn't really know JoJo and Ben very well. His decision to remain with them is motivated primarily by guilt. As the movie progresses, we come to know the reasons for that guilt. When he becomes attracted to a local girl [Pompeo], his bond with JoJo and Ben starts to unravel. The story takes place in the 1970s. The set design and art direction are reasonably faithful to the period. Of the performances, Gyllenhaal and Sarandon's are the strongest. Gyllenhaal's character is quite memorable. Sarandon is superb as the liberal atheist Jojo, who finds out that even a lack of faith is severely tested in times of emotional crisis.
Rating: 
Summary: Yikes...now THAT's a Tragedy.
Review: A disappointment to say the least. I can see the goal here - create a film about people with little-to-no emotion dealing with a very emotional issue. However, since the main characters don't seem to care too much that their daughter has been murdered a WHOLE three days ago, the general suspense that her fiance's "secret" might carry doesnt really matter much. As that "fiance Joe", Jake Gyllenhaul (so good in "Lovely and Amazing" & "the Good Girl") is simply too light an actor for such a meaty role. The movie needed at least one character with a genuine sense of grief to balance the Stronger-than-the-average-bear types played with a tad too much gusto by Sarandon and Hoffman. Watching the deleted scenes (with comentary) it is clear the writer/director wanted to make a cold unsimpathetic film about life and loss...and he did. Holly Hunter and Dabney Coleman(!) are surprisingly effective in small roles, as is the soundtrack. Instead, grab the beautiful film "Waking the Dead" for a truer, better example of love and loss in a cynical world.
Rating:
Summary: Dustin Earns an Oscar
Review: A story about a couple whose daughter is murdered and the relationship that developes with their daughter's fiance'. This was a great movie for Dustin Hoffman and Susan Sarandon. And Ellen Pompeo was a wonderful new face I can't wait to see more of. But I just couldn't connect with Jake Gyllenhaal. He did a fantastic acting job in the Good Girl. But here, I just couldn't take him seriously as a Fiance. Maybe I'have him typecast as too young, after just seeing him in Good Girl. Even with that liability, this is a super movie. Dustin Hoffman takes a very average guy (think Willie Loman) kind of role and makes a masterpiece of it. Susan Sarandon is .... just about perfect as a grieving, hip acerbic writer mother. The romance development is very nicely done and .. damn, why can't we get movies this good allyear round?
Rating:
Summary: Interesting and Good Story about Family Loss and Lies
Review: After Brad Silberling had finished making City of Angels with Nicholas Cage, his fiancé was murdered by a maniac for no reason. Silberling ended up bonding with her parents and it is this experience that has brought to the screen for Moonlight Drive. The story is exceptionally well done. The dialogue is sublime. The acting is on top form with all involved. It does have its faults but when all is said and done this is actually a very enjoyable little drama. The situation is simple. Jake Gyllenhaal, playing Joe Nast, is staying at the home of his dead fiancé's parents - Dustin Hoffman, playing Ben Floss, a real estate businessman, and Susan Sarandon, playing Jojo Floss, Ben's wife and a novelist with writer's block who are trying hard to come to terms with their child's murder and a looming trial that is about to cause them a great deal of stress, as their lawyer - Holly Hunter, playing Mona Camp, constantly informs them. Joe is given errands to run for Ben in the small local town and soon befriends a girl who works in the post office and who has a strange background. Joe has a dark secret that he is afraid to tell the Floss's. Ben thinks he may have been somehow responsible for his child's death. He is trying to start a business with Joe in town to try and deal with his grief but a broken window nearly drives him around the bend. JoJo suspects that there is something wrong with Joe but does not know what. JoJo is torn between these worlds and does not know what to do. The trial date looms as the family try to hold themselves together. The drama is really in the deep conversations and funny moments that the film brings, however it does drift into sentimentality too often and certainly the love subplot needs a little polishing and some loose ends are never really fixed. For all intensive purposes though if you like to watch good drama with an interesting premise, some great dialogue and some really interesting acting then Moonlight Mile certainly delivers. If you pick this one up from the shelf you are certainly not going wrong. Beware though, like City of Angels, the pace may seem a little slow for some.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting and Good Story about Family Loss and Lies
Review: After Brad Silberling had finished making City of Angels with Nicholas Cage, his fiancé was murdered by a maniac for no reason. Silberling ended up bonding with her parents and it is this experience that has brought to the screen for Moonlight Drive. The story is exceptionally well done. The dialogue is sublime. The acting is on top form with all involved. It does have its faults but when all is said and done this is actually a very enjoyable little drama. The situation is simple. Jake Gyllenhaal, playing Joe Nast, is staying at the home of his dead fiancé's parents - Dustin Hoffman, playing Ben Floss, a real estate businessman, and Susan Sarandon, playing Jojo Floss, Ben's wife and a novelist with writer's block who are trying hard to come to terms with their child's murder and a looming trial that is about to cause them a great deal of stress, as their lawyer - Holly Hunter, playing Mona Camp, constantly informs them. Joe is given errands to run for Ben in the small local town and soon befriends a girl who works in the post office and who has a strange background. Joe has a dark secret that he is afraid to tell the Floss's. Ben thinks he may have been somehow responsible for his child's death. He is trying to start a business with Joe in town to try and deal with his grief but a broken window nearly drives him around the bend. JoJo suspects that there is something wrong with Joe but does not know what. JoJo is torn between these worlds and does not know what to do. The trial date looms as the family try to hold themselves together. The drama is really in the deep conversations and funny moments that the film brings, however it does drift into sentimentality too often and certainly the love subplot needs a little polishing and some loose ends are never really fixed. For all intensive purposes though if you like to watch good drama with an interesting premise, some great dialogue and some really interesting acting then Moonlight Mile certainly delivers. If you pick this one up from the shelf you are certainly not going wrong. Beware though, like City of Angels, the pace may seem a little slow for some.
Rating:
Summary: Miles Above A Typical Melodrama
Review: Director Brad Silberling brings a refreshing look at the drama of losing someone you care about, offering a deep, intense, moving and credible movie.
Jake Gyllenhaal (in another winning performance after "Donnie Darko")plays Joe, a young adult whose fiancé was recently murdered and he now deals with his recovering process and the future choices that will guide his life. Dustin Hoffman and Susan Sarandon play Joe`s fiancé parents who deal in different ways with their daughter`s death.
The story is an emotional, realistic drama that, even though it`s a bit sentimentalized at parts, never gets into heavy melodramatic, overly patchy areas. There`s even some sarcasm and bitter dialogue in a couple of moments, however it doesn`t become a dark comedy either. The plot, at first, seems like one of an average tv-movie-of-the-week, but its execution is very well done and effective. The directing and photography are are impressing and the soundtrack wisely translates the 70`s period where the story is setted.
"Moonlight Mile" is a poignant movie about loss, family, grief, choices and the process of growing up. Easily one of the best, and unfairly underrated, pictures of 2003.
Rating:
Summary: Not a conventional film about death
Review: Dustin Hoffman and Susan Sarandon are the chief reasons to see this film, especially Sarandon, who gives substance to a rile that is lite in essence. Hoffman is very good, but not as convincing all the way through. Holly Hunter commands greeat attention and gets so little time on screen one wonders why she took the role, what with an academy award in her pocket. But she is first rate in any film. The younger cast has Jake Gyllenhaal and Ellen Pompeo to work out an alternative scenario to that of Hoffman and Sarandon's, who believe that Jake is their lost son-in-law and therefore a surrogate son after the death of their daughter. There are other fish to fry and Ellen Pompeo is the main dish for Jake..her perfomance is so good it merits comparison with Sarandon's or Hoffman's; she is not beautiful, but cute and pouty, but also very expert on screen, not a TV actress at all. Jake Gyllenhaal is all TV postures and smiles; he smiles so much that one wonders if the film might be satirical, and Hoffman's and Sarnadon's daughter might just turn up on Larry King Live. He acts and acts and acts..no truth to it at all. In any case, see it for the reast of the cast and the emotions and thoughts they bring to this otherwise very familiar middle class story. Brad Silberling directed and wrote it, and he shows skill, but never let Jake Gyllenhaal carry a picture in any capacity ever again!
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