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"Margaret's Museum" tells of a young Nova Scotia woman who's bound by her family ties to a coal mining town where frequent accidents in the "pit" take their toll on the mine workers and their families. Not just another coal mining flick, "MM" focuses with musings, humor, and poignant moments on Margaret, who's nose is always running, and her assorted quirky family and friends. An engrossing, somewhat compelling, and almost charming little film, "MM" should appeal to those with a taste for slice-of-life flicks involving eccentric folk.

Few films capture the strange and elusive energy of maritime Canada, and those that try are often so inept as to do it no justice. The style of speech and emotional resonance of these characters carries through in a way that cannot be pretended at or treated like some amusing passing interest. "New Waterford Girl" got it right. So does this film. It takes a strong, central female performance to tie this story together, and it gets that in Helena Bonham Carter. She is luminous in her look and speech, a kind of animal type of push for freedom. Kate Nelligan is fully convincing as her mother, a believable reflection of who she might become.

The general look and feel of "Margaret's Museum" is a curious thing. The style of director Mort Ransen and cinematographer Vic Sarin is very straightforward. The images are driven by content solely, by composition. Every visual aspect is informed by straight realism. It's not the sort of film that makes you say "What a beautiful shot," but instead "What a beautiful person/place/thing." You see past the camera, more to what is there in front of you, in front of the characters.

The ending (which proves the reason behind the film's title) is a bug surprise. Every single day, ordinary people do strange and unexpected things, but it is rare to find a script that takes a real, human character and gives her one such bizarre action to commit. But "Margaret's Museum" is a fascinating, unexpected film. It takes a well-used dramatic arc and directs it toward uncommon places. It captures the spirit and feel of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Something I've known quite well, and could always feel more. See this.

Margaret's Museum is a powerful movie which takes place in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia. It is a movie made from a short story written by Sheldon Currie.

Helena Bonham Carter and Kate Nelligan are sheer excellence in every which way. Also, Clive Russell, and all the other actors are brilliant and their roles are believable, and sometimes shocking. I forgot while watching this movie that it indeed is a movie .. it seem so very real.

The beginning of the movie will grab your attention completely; the middle explains almost everything; and the ending will shock you. Completely.

It was about time I finally watched a movie I had no idea in my wildest imagination what the ending would be like.

I love this movie and will watch it many, many times. I also think the photography, the music scores (Rankin Family), etc., are also excellent.

Do I rate this movie a 10? You bet!

I'm not sure anything new can be done with this type of story, but this movie doesn't really try. Director/co-writer Mort Ransen does try to make it somewhat fresh, I guess, by centering the story about a woman, and Helena Bonham Carter, as usual, is quite good in this role. I also liked Clive Russell, the humor he brought to the movie, and the chemistry he had with Carter. But as Carter's mother, Kate Nelligan (who I like) runs the gamut of expressions from A to B, and it just becomes too predictable.

A wonderful story about relationship and family, Margaret's Museum is a moving story that has more to do than love. The setting of Nova Scotia makes the theme of the film more gritty than if it took place in a more modern atmosphere. Starting their family and their marriage from scratch, the building of their home and their careers are shown as the "young" couple try hard to do things right. Helena Bonham Carter is the star of the film as she portrays Margaret. Throughout the film we see her transition as a woman and a wife. Many actors are known for their physical qualities as oppose to their acting talents. Some actors have very little if not zero acting talent, but are very beautiful and are willing to showcase their assets. Helena Bonham Carter has shown much of herself on the big screen throughout the years. Still, along with her physical beauty, Carter has become an amazing actress. Even though there are moments in this film where she showcases her body for the delight of the audience, she remains a strong actress overall with her true talent of being a great actress.