Manny & Lo

How 2 youngsters dealt with a traumatic situation, alone, 'till they thought it was beyond their control. To resort to kidnapping! (Kidnapee or kidnapper ?)I identify with Manny because she thinks for herself with subtle conclusions, knowing what's right disspite. I identify with Elaine because when I grew up I ended up alone. And Lo 'is' my brother (For how he took care of me at that age) I've been a movie buff for 29 years (since I was 10), and "Manny & Lo" is on the top of my list!!!!! Thank you Scarlett, Aleksa, & Marry Kay....Thank you.

This is the sweetest film. It's definitely a 'chick thing' with Manny and Lo and Elaine bonding around an infant to be (Lo's). No men are allowed in this paradise. One appears and he gets bopped over the head, gagged and hog-tied. This is a fem-family made on the run. Lo (Aleska Palladino) in her high teens runs away from a foster home with her younger sister, Manny (Scarlett Johansson). It's a Thelma and Louise crime spree made as a movie for children. Well, not quite. Turns out Lo's pregnant. She has been hiding this from 11-year-old Manny, who has the eye of Sherlock Holmes and is the brains of this team. They find a rather nice, used only during the ski season cabin in the woods and hole up to await the stork. They spot Elaine (Mary Kay Place), a lonely spinster working in a baby clothes shop and kidnap her to help deliver the baby. Everybody, despite gruff exteriors, has a heart of gold, and togetherness and loving concern prevail.

And what's wrong with that?

Nothing really. But I was thinking: this is the obverse of male war movies where none or few women appear, men doing their manly thing killing one another, women irrelevant. I think that's the key word here for director Lisa Kruege: in the reproductive game that is war by other means, men are irrelevant. Or almost so. In war it doesn't matter how many men are killed. As long as there are some left the population will quickly spring back. Kill the women, though, and you have a serious population problem. Manny and Lo and Elaine prove that you really don't need the male: his sperm will do, and that way you don't have to put up with his loutish behavior.

I think I got this right. Anyway, it's a cute movie.

(Note: Over 500 of my movie reviews are now available in my book "Cut to the Chaise Lounge or I Can't Believe I Swallowed the Remote!" Get it at Amazon!)

This movie was wonderful. The characters were developed so well I felt as if I knew them. Mary Kay Place was in top form. This movie was unpredictable yet allowed you to come up with your own view as to the future of the characters in the end. This is one of those movies that are a diamond in the rough; a movie that once given a chance, and viewed will be watched by many because of word of mouth. I loved this movie!

I thought Manny and Lo was an enjoyable and fun movie. It quite had profanity in some scenes. So it is not a great recommendation for children. Probably, it could be for 14 and up. It is not surprising to see that movie draw some criticism from some men about not many male characters in this movie. Well... obviously, some movies are made for female audience while men have plenty million movies that are made for male audience. So it would be nice to see more predominately female movies. At least this movie was not man-bashing. It was all about two homeless sisters who were on a journey and seek a loving home or place to settle for the baby. Despite their wrongdoings or flaws, I still loved the special relationship between two sisters. They truly cared and protect each other. They willing to die for each other.

I never thought I genuinely enjoyed Scarlett johansson's 11 year old witty and clever character. Never knew she did do fantastic job as a child. I grew up watching her acting performance as a teenager and adult. I still love her acting especially in Marvel movies. Not just the storyline, I believe Manny or the sisters' bond was a main reason I kept watching the entire movie. It was interesting to see how they slowly built trust and relationship with Elaine throughout the movie. So I thought it was a superb movie.

To be frank, it is not fair for some predominately female movies to be dragged down for not having a lot of male actors but predominately male movies still hold high despite no or a few female characters. It appalled me when Sean Connery and his old Jame Bond movies displayed some misogyny and other male movies sexually objectified women receive high ratings while female movies usually address some taboo topics or have fun/silly storylines or create female superheroes that save the entire world without male bashings or unnecessary nudes have low ratings which it should be high rating anyway. But again, this is still a patriarchal world where some men only like some movies if it shows nude and submission of women in the movies while men stay "superior" or "dominant". Sad...

One of Scarlett Johansson's early roles was this indie about a pair of orphaned sisters. Lisa Krueger's "Manny & Lo" is simultaneously intense, funny, disturbing and all-around enjoyable. Johansson and co-stars Aleksa Palladino (who more recently appeared in "The Irishman") and Mary Kay Place make it work every step of the way. Definitely check it out.