Review of Men, Women & Children (2014) by Ryan B — 24 Sep 2014

You can expect this movie to be heavily dramatic simply by watching the trailer. It touches upon modern day issues and and handles it's characters in a very realistic way. The performances are done very well and everyone brings a sense of vulnerability and reality to their respective role (some are executed more extreme like Jennifer Garner's character but still well acted). Some story lines were undoubtedly more intriguing than others but everyone delivered on their part.

The movie was shot almost more like a documentary, which brings up my only real issue with the film. It felt dull and long at times and it lacked any real flare to make it stand out (for one, i'm not a fan of documentaries usually). Sure, I cared about a lot of the characters and the scenarios (for the most part), but the pacing was dry and unenthusiastic. There were a few "comedic" moments but only a handful of them generated a small giggle from me.

The film definitely got it's message across and it was executed well by the talented actors (extra props to Jennifer Garner, Ansel Elgort, & Judy Greer). And for that, i'd say it did what it set out to do. It definitely wouldn't fall in the same category of film like Juno (which I loved), also done by the same director of this film.

The film simply didn't excite me. But if you enjoy watching a dry, dramatic, documentary-like movie with great acting but no real spark, then you'd probably enjoy this.

I'll give it 3 stars out of 5 because it's not a poorly made movie with a mediocre story & bad actors by any means. It had a good message and great characters. I'm glad I saw it, but it just wasn't my personal cup of tea.