Review of Off the Map (2003) by Ryan D — 13 Aug 2005
[font=Comic Sans MS]"Off the Map" (2003) August 14th Review (Minor Spoilers)[/font].
[font=Comic Sans MS]This movie is simply wonderful, and a joy to experience. From the beginning, you feel this is like no movie you've ever seen, no matter whether you like or dislike it, that much is certainly true. Its about an eleven-year-old girl named Bo played by the enchanting Valentina de Angelis. She and her parents played by Joan Allen and Sam Elliott live off the land and without jobs in a rustic home in New Mexico. The family is well fed though, thanks in part to Bo, who writes letters regularly to food companies saying she's found parts of rodents or insect larvae in their products. Joan Allen's Arlene is a free-spirited, tree-hugging, hippie, carpe diem kind of person who participates in such strange practices as tending to and standing in her garden nude and raiding the local dump regularly. All of this is part of the strange and well-established life style of the family, but their lives have been put under strain because Bo's father Charley is going through a difficult bout with depression, that it seems he has all but lost. The family's good friend George (J.K. Simmons) attempts to obtain anti-depressant drugs for Charley, but instead gets side-tracked, falling in love with a Mexican woman. However, when an IRS worker named William (Jim True-Frost) appears at the house, everything changes. This beautiful examination of human sorrow, joy, exploration, inspiration and love is a film to be remmbered. The writing is reminiscent of a Barbara Kingsolver novel, weaving seamlessly through the romanticized version of Bo's experiences. It is truly a wonder to behold. The artful cinematography is something special, and so is the movie in general. It is one of the most profoundly human films I have ever had the joy to experience, and should be held up as an example of the beauty and diversity of film. [/font].
[font=Comic Sans MS]Rating: * * * [size=1]1/2[/size] (Hot)[/font].
This review of Off the Map (2003) was written by Ryan D on 13 Aug 2005.
Off the Map has generally received positive reviews.
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