Review of Men, Women & Children (2014) by Johnny T — 25 Dec 2014

Jason Reitman's new film skillfully navigates through the personal melodramas of many characters with a nice sense of balance and a sharp appreciation of generational differences. Reitman's directorial flare thankfully stops the film from tipping over into an illustrated lecture on the dangers of the internet. Some viewers may find the film bitty or uneven, but Reitman brings it together with aplomb. All the performances are excellent with special mention to Ansel Elgort and Adam Sandler, who manages to rise above the screen persona we have grown to know so well. Adam Sandler is better in dramas than the phoned-in version of himself we often see in his comedies. Reitman is such a skillful filmmaker that he doesn't just score didactic points. He's made the first movie to capture the tone, the rhythm, the flavour of our experience as it comes filtered through technology. A terrifying look at the digital world in which we exist - within the realm of internet, social media, texting and sexting - this is a film everyone should see... It's fascinating, voyeuristic, alarming and - worst of all - it's true!

VERDICT: "High-Quality Stuff" - [Positive Reaction] This is a rating to a movie I view as very entertaining and well made, and definitely worth paying the full price at a theatre to see or own on DVD. It is not perfect, but it is definitely excellent... (Films that are rated 3.5 or 4 stars).