A Gem

Rating: 8/10 (1 August 2011)

I personally watched this film for the first time on a long-haul flight. I enjoyed it immensely and then began to wonder, had it simply been so good because I was so bored and miserable on my lonely nine hour flight, or had it really been the charming and quirky film I thought it was?
A month or so later, I bought the DVD for a few pounds and watched again. I was right, it was still as funny, heart-warming and strangely gripping as it had been on that flight. Ellen Page is superb. I had started out not liking in her in the main role, but within about 7 or 8 minutes she has you on board. The other actors are well, excellent, in a rather understated way, which does make you like them even more.
The film is simply a gentle, fun film that will win your heart. It doesn't feel overly clever, or complicated. It just tells a story. A good, old fashioned story. No special effects or political agenda.
The only slight complaint is the casting of Jennifer Garner. She was the wrong choice by a clear mile. She does her best, but she adds very little. Someone perhaps more flexible in their acting would have been better.