Das Versprechen

This movie is stunning with a lovely lilting pace, beautiful photography and a cast of actors young and old to be proud of. I would never have guessed this is a low budget film. It is superbly done.

This is a simplistic review as it reflects a simplistic but touching story.

I grew up in the NRV. Giles county was just over Cloyd's Mountain. The plot of the film is spotty in places, slow to develop and lacks real continuity, with fits and starts. The cinematography does well to catch the nuances of the Valley though there are some hiccups.

Ellen Burstyn, Mackenzie Foy, Alano Miller all do extremely well in their respective roles. Josh Lucas as a compassionate attorney and Ned Bellamy as the primary antagonist contribute well to the stories inside the story.

The last few scenes are rushed and somewhat trite, but I recommend 'Wish You Well' as an escape to another place, another time that seem more relevant than ever.

Pop some corn, find a comfortable place and enjoy the scenery, the slow pace and throw in some Dots to complete this 101 minutes of a rather good movie.

Saw this film at the Richmond International Film Festival and was blown away. Made on a small budget, you wouldn't know it from the finished product. Great performances from Ellen Burstyn and Josh Luckas I was expecting but the children in the story, Mackenzie Foy and JP Vandeloo surprised me with wonderful performances as well. Terrific story of a family thrown together after tragedy and their struggles to overcome rural hardships in the 1940's by David Baldacci who I believe wrote the screenplay as well? Great family film, no reason to worry about young children watching it. Shot entirely amongst the beautiful scenery of southwest Virginia. Hope it sees wide distribution so my niece and nephew can see it in theaters.

Heartwarming story of love, loss and greed and how it affects people across generations.

Some viewers will find this a bit slow for them, but if you perceivere you will love it.

I don't think I have ever seen an Ellen Burstyn performance that I did not like and MacKenzie Foy was just excellent in her role. In fact both children were rather well played by MacKenzie Foy and JP Vanderloo.

If you are not into historical stories or aren't fond of feel good movies, give this a miss, you probably won't like it either. This is no lovey dovey romance, but it is a really good movie that can be watched by most, although not necessarily appreciated by all.

Overall I really liked it and recommend it to anyone who wants to feel good about the world for a moment.

6/10