Review of Martian Child (2007) by Cee B — 13 Jan 2009

The best thing that happened for this movie was having the talented Cussack siblings on it, without whom this would be filed in the archives of "generic family dramas". This from the direction of Menno Meyjes, whose resume shines with his work as the (adapted) screenplay writer of movies such as The Color Purple. Maybe he should have written this himself? considering this is also adapted from a novel.

It is an interesting twist though, to fall in love with a child who thinks and behaves like he's from Mars. There are amusing scenes, thanks to the clever manipulation of John Cussack. But he can't save the film entirely with his acting prowess. Nor can his ever supportive sister Joan who delivers a spot-on performance. The script itself is strewn with overt sentimentality. The Martian child himself, despite being cute and geeky enough, can't keep up with the demands of the role. You realize he isn't Justin Henry in Kramer vs Kramer or Haley Joel Osment in The Sixth Sense. But maybe kismet in the land of child actors only happens once in a decade. And so we focus on what this film has to offer and teach, which is redemptive love. Here.

Experienced by the adult and not just by the child.