Rating: 
Summary: One of the best movies I've ever seen
Review: "The Book of Stars" is a work of art. Director Michael Miner creates beauty and magic within the medium of a big city's mean streets, and out of the lives and spirits of a few of the real and vulnerable people who populate them: a disillusioned poet, a grievously ill teenager, a recovering freedom fighter, an idealistic old professor, a sensitive convict, and even an anonymous lost astronaut. Dope is involved, and prostitution, and death, and heart, and need, and hope, and love - and a fantastic scrapbook kept by a saint. The directing is tight. The visuals are stunning. The music haunts. And the outstanding performances by Jena Malone and Mary Stuart Masterson and the supporting cast of Karl Geary, Delroy Lindo, and D.B. Sweeney are deeply affecting.I highly recommend "The Book of Stars" - one of the best movies I've ever seen.
Rating: 
Summary: A total waste!
Review: "The Book of Stars" is a work of art. Director Michael Miner creates beauty and magic within the medium of a big city's mean streets, and out of the lives and spirits of a few of the real and vulnerable people who populate them: a disillusioned poet, a grievously ill teenager, a recovering freedom fighter, an idealistic old professor, a sensitive convict, and even an anonymous lost astronaut. Dope is involved, and prostitution, and death, and heart, and need, and hope, and love - and a fantastic scrapbook kept by a saint. The directing is tight. The visuals are stunning. The music haunts. And the outstanding performances by Jena Malone and Mary Stuart Masterson and the supporting cast of Karl Geary, Delroy Lindo, and D.B. Sweeney are deeply affecting. I highly recommend "The Book of Stars" - one of the best movies I've ever seen.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best movies I've ever seen
Review: "The Book of Stars" is a work of art. Director Michael Miner creates beauty and magic within the medium of a big city's mean streets, and out of the lives and spirits of a few of the real and vulnerable people who populate them: a disillusioned poet, a grievously ill teenager, a recovering freedom fighter, an idealistic old professor, a sensitive convict, and even an anonymous lost astronaut. Dope is involved, and prostitution, and death, and heart, and need, and hope, and love - and a fantastic scrapbook kept by a saint. The directing is tight. The visuals are stunning. The music haunts. And the outstanding performances by Jena Malone and Mary Stuart Masterson and the supporting cast of Karl Geary, Delroy Lindo, and D.B. Sweeney are deeply affecting. I highly recommend "The Book of Stars" - one of the best movies I've ever seen.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful, mystical, sad, haunting, ultimately uplifting
Review: A true hidden treasure. Should have been an arthouse hit. Gorgeous cinematography, lyrical story, haunting music, a true work of art. Why aren't more movies made with this much attention to both art and craft?
Rating:
Summary: The Book of Stars
Review: Accidentally I watched this movie on Cinemax, so I didn't start from the beginning. But I was attracted to it. The movie, or film, was fascinating. I like watching stars, and Jena Malone gave me a whole new vision.
Rating:
Summary: Another pearl worth searching for...
Review: Bumped into this one at the library. Wow! The blockbusters and spectacles are fine, but it's little gems like this one that outdoes them all. Jena Malone shines (no big surprise), Mary Stuart Masterson does a fine job. They are well-supported by Delroy Lindo, Karl Geary and D.B. Sweeney. The music is haunting - wish a soundtrack was available. The art in Mary's (Jena Malone) book is a good match for the music and the free-verse poetry of Penny (Mary Stuart Masterson) and Mary. In fact, this movie has inspired me to start writing poetry. I enjoy action/adventure movies, dramas, and comedies, but movies like "The Book of Stars" linger on while the others fade. Well worth at least one viewing (I lost count how many times I've watched it!)
Rating:
Summary: Another pearl worth searching for...
Review: Bumped into this one at the library. Wow! The blockbusters and spectacles are fine, but it's little gems like this one that outdoes them all. Jena Malone shines (no big surprise), Mary Stuart Masterson does a fine job. They are well-supported by Delroy Lindo, Karl Geary and D.B. Sweeney. The music is haunting - wish a soundtrack was available. The art in Mary's (Jena Malone) book is a good match for the music and the free-verse poetry of Penny (Mary Stuart Masterson) and Mary. In fact, this movie has inspired me to start writing poetry. I enjoy action/adventure movies, dramas, and comedies, but movies like "The Book of Stars" linger on while the others fade. Well worth at least one viewing (I lost count how many times I've watched it!)
Rating:
Summary: my humble opinion
Review: Fascinating movie that I happened to see on IFC or Cinemax. And this coming from a guy who thinks every movie doesn't have enough babes or guns. Anyway, I was transfixed by the complicated relationships between these characters. Everyone had some type of pain in their lives and needed someone else to heal them or give them hope - Mary needed her sister to take care of her and Kristjan as the only one to see her as more than a child, the professor needed the sisters to rescue as a respite from his lonely existance, the convict needed Penny's book of poetry and Mary's kind letters as a way to survive the harsh life of prison, and Kristjan needed to learn how to care again after the war in his home country. And Penny, reluctant Penny, hides from reality and dulls her sense of her responsibility and unfortunate circumstances. She of all requires the most help - the tragic character who is rescued by her sister Mary. Mary is the focal point for the convict, Kristjan, and the professor and she inadvertently magnifies all their hopes and kindness to Penny. That's what I assumed the sun symbolized, Mary shining her indomitable spirit onto Penny, the peripheral characters were the stars. I'm probably reading too much into the symbolism. Excellent performances by all, very moving picture, quiet, imaginative and most of all hopeful... Another movie similar in its quest of surviving the inevitable is Sweet Jane, a gritty drama about an addict adopted by a terminally ill child and how they help each other with life and death.
Rating:
Summary: my humble opinion
Review: Fascinating movie that I happened to see on IFC or Cinemax. And this coming from a guy who thinks every movie doesn't have enough babes or guns. Anyway, I was transfixed by the complicated relationships between these characters. Everyone had some type of pain in their lives and needed someone else to heal them or give them hope - Mary needed her sister to take care of her and Kristjan as the only one to see her as more than a child, the professor needed the sisters to rescue as a respite from his lonely existance, the convict needed Penny's book of poetry and Mary's kind letters as a way to survive the harsh life of prison, and Kristjan needed to learn how to care again after the war in his home country. And Penny, reluctant Penny, hides from reality and dulls her sense of her responsibility and unfortunate circumstances. She of all requires the most help - the tragic character who is rescued by her sister Mary. Mary is the focal point for the convict, Kristjan, and the professor and she inadvertently magnifies all their hopes and kindness to Penny. That's what I assumed the sun symbolized, Mary shining her indomitable spirit onto Penny, the peripheral characters were the stars. I'm probably reading too much into the symbolism. Excellent performances by all, very moving picture, quiet, imaginative and most of all hopeful... Another movie similar in its quest of surviving the inevitable is Sweet Jane, a gritty drama about an addict adopted by a terminally ill child and how they help each other with life and death.
Rating:
Summary: The best movie I have ever seen
Review: I have never, ever seen a mvie like this. I had already planned to see this movie 4 days ahead, but still I missed the first 25 minutes. However, I am now searching where I can buy this movie in my country, The Netherlands. About the movie itself: very good, great actig performances by all actresses/actors. After seeing this movie, I decided to look around on the internet some to find some more information about this terrible, horrible disease, CF. I have already found lots of information, and since I was already thinking about medicine, this may just be the disease I want to eliminate from the world. Now, I think this will be my primary mission in life. YOU JUST HAVE TO SEE THIS MOVIE.
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