Chick 1 says:

Will Smith in a drama; I’m there.  Will Smith in pretty much anything; I’m there.  The man has earned my trust.  He can act.  He’s charming.  And he can make the most mundane line funny.

What I Liked: Shocker.  I liked Will Smith.  I cared about his character, Ben Thomas, and wanted to know what the heck was going on with him.  And, being Will Smith, even when he was a jerk (which he was quite frequently) I felt there was a good reason that I would find out eventually (which I did).  Most of the cast was fine as well.  Following the vagueness of the trailers, the director takes his time telling us exactly what has happened to Ben & what his current plan is but you do get enough to get the big picture.  And no, I”m not gonna tell you.  This is a movie that seeks out the good in people in the midst of pain & I’m always for that.

What I Didn’t Like: OK, it was a little slow in places but I was so engrossed in Ben’s pain & need for redemption that I didn’t care.  The story did take its time getting there & that was a bit tedious.  The camera work was the increasingly popular handheld and very close up.  A little claustrophobic at times and at least once I thought, “Hold the camera still so I can look at her!”  Finally there’s the ending.  No, I won’t give it away but, honestly, I’m not sure what I thought of it.  It was a bit melodramatic but it did leave me pondering, which I guess is the point.

Bottom Line: Thought provoking drama about life, loss, kindness, & redemption.  Made me cry more than once and think but still felt a little overwrought.