Row Your Boat

I am a big fan of Bon Jovi the group and of Jon's. This is the 4th of Jon Bon Jovi's movies that I have bought. I thoroughly enjoyed the others but this is really the first one that I stopped thinking of him as Jon and was rooting for "Jamey". From watching his first movies I can see an enormous growth in his acting ability. He was excellent as were the rest of the cast. Jamey was funny, sweet, considerate and loving. From the first of the movie Jamey is trying to go down the straight and narrow to get his life back on track after taking the fall for his brother. But the world and his brother seem in cahoots to bring him down. I will watch this many times as it was well worth the money!

You had to see the movie to have an opinion, right?

Don't you ever advise anyone not to see a movie, whatever movie it is, for how bad it is.

Movies are made to be seen by everybody, my friend. Worst than your comment is people who refuse to see movies based on others opinions. If you don't want to give money to see it in a theater, fine. And, god, it's an independent movie! As if movies without budget weren't discriminated enough in the cinema business, there are still people that come and say "Oh, I've seen it. S****, don't watch it! It's a friendly advise!" Hope you're not related to cinema in any way. If I judged every movie by the crew and their personal life's, wouldn't likely see most of Collin Farrel's starring ones!

The ones to thank you for that unfortunate comment are ignorants.

This film was a real find. A truly engaging story and characters you can care about make this a far more rewarding viewing experience than many higher profile, bigger budget films.

Set in New York and dealing with an ex-con's struggle to go straight, this is a sweet, intelligent and moving film. Its central motif is the tragedy of the predicament that Jamey Meadows finds himself in - thoughtful and compassionate, his attempts to re-build his life are pushed down at every stage by his circumstances. The issues of the poverty cycle and the corruption of the vulnerable by the very people who should be protecting them are handled with care and insight, but without the cloying sentimentality so common in modern American cinema. Superbly written, though sadly poorly edited, this is a beautiful look at the struggle between idealism and practicality in today's world. This may sound heavy, but the script is peppered with humor and delivered with a lightness of touch that renders this a thoroughly enjoyable movie.

The cast are commendable, both as individuals and as an ensemble, and the responsiveness of their performances in their interactions with each other lift this movie above the ordinary. Bai Ling's performance is a perfect balance of vulnerability and spiritedness, full of childlike innocence and wonder yet at the same time worn down by the seeming inevitability of life's disappointments. The biggest surprise however is Jon Bon Jovi as Jamey Meadows. Some of his other performances have been stilted and unresponsive, and even his well executed turn in The Leading Man falls short of being truly impressive due to his character's marked similarity to his own public face. In Row Your Boat, on the other hand, Jon Bon Jovi shines. A man of commanding presence and charm when fronting his rock band, Bon Jovi is utterly believable here as a slightly awkward down and out dominated by his older brother. His responsive and committed interactions with the other cast members are what set this performance apart from his others, and credit must be given to the director for drawing out such an impressive performance where other directors have failed.

In all, a gem of a movie which has sadly been overlooked. Its limited release is a real shame.

Row Your Boat is a drama but includes a lot of humour. Jon Bon Jovi proves yet again that he CAN act. This role was made for him and he is very relaxed playing Jamie Meadows. Jamie is an ex-con(serving time for a crime his brother committed)who upon release finds himself homeless. Promising himself to keep on the straight and narrow, he fights not only society but his brother. Meeting Spring Flower(Bai Ling) he has yet another reason to stay clean. In the end, it all depends on Jamie to do the right thing. Great film - don't miss it!

This movie is very good to watch especially for the whole family. I'm not sure why in my country this film was categorized as over 18 years old movie. I think the plot of this film is simple but the actor and actress was very good in action. Jon Bon Jovi was done so well and I surprised he doing very well because he actually is a singer. His 'brother' and Ling Bai also very good in action except less in conversation between Ling Bai and her family.