No te preocupes, no irá lejos

From a technical viewpoint, very well executed - lighting and Cinematography were excellent. As for writing - every character in this is so well conveyed that the actors are able to do the story justice. Joaquin Phoenix did an excellent job as expected - both him and Jonah Hill really showed some emotional range in their roles. Rooney Mara's performance was great and her chemistry with Mr. Callahan was palpable; although not nearly as much so as Mr. Callahan's screen chemistry with Donny. Even the time Jack Black and Joaquin have on screen together is magical - and weirdly enough I don't think they could've cast anyone better for Jack Black's character.

The movie ended up being more of an exploration of 12 step program than I expected, but by the end it actually gave me deeper insight and understanding of those struggling with alcoholism who seek help. Knowing tons of people who've gone through the program (recurring ones and success stories) it's given me a slightly deeper appreciation for anyone's struggle/experience.

I'm not even sure what I liked about this film. I almost turned it off around the 30 minute-mark. But it somehow got under my skin. Combined with the powerful, convincing performances by all involved (in particular Joaquin Phoenix), I couldn't really look away.

It centers around John Callahan, a cartoonist (played by Phoenix) who is left wheelchair-bound following a drunk car accident. It follows his journey to sobriety through AA, and ultimate path to redemption, forgiveness and all the usual feel-good stuff. It has a heavy dose of depressive darkness thrown in too. Despite being oddly inspiring in nature, it doesn't follow the typical "inspirational true story" format and never feels contrived in its delivery.

There is a lot of dark humour and rare units among the characters here, which make it an entertaining ride. The structure of the film is absolutely all over the place though. It leaves the viewer feeling as in an alcoholic haze themselves, which is perhaps effective, if not frustrating and making for difficult viewing.

Jonah Hill and Joaquin Phoenix had great chemistry, and I really enjoyed any scene with Rooney Mara, which took on an almost angelic heavenly vibe. Jack Black was Jack Black. The "forgiveness" scenes were among the best and the AA meetings were also done effectively.

As someone approaching 10 years of sobriety myself, there was a lot to keep me engaged and many thought-provoking themes, lines and scenes. Recommend for those after something different or anyone after a true acting masterclass.

Like an AA meeting: disjointed, funny, moving, boring, inspiring and, ultimately, rewarding.

The actors are mesmerising. Joaquin Phoenix recovers nicely here from his misstep with Mary Magdalene but it's Jonah Hill as the sage gay sponsor who steals the film with a subtle portrayal imbued with nonchalant spirituality. Rock stars Kim Gordon (Sonic Youth) and Beth Ditto (Gossip) make appearances and Ditto turns in a solid gold performance that left me hoping she'll continue down the acting path.

Despite being overlong and bogged down with unnecessarily complicated timeline, the overall film moved me and made me glad I got past the clunky title and misleading rom-com poster.

I found it to be a strangely dark comedy. Or rather it was funny despite the subject manner.

So technically a true story about a man named John Callahan who was an alcoholic and became paralyzed in a car accident because of his addiction to the bottle, but ends up living his best life due to his involvement with alcoholics anonymous.

So maybe not so dark now that I think about it as the story was uplifting and inspiring.

Joaquin Phoenix was a pleasure to see on the screen. Very lively and believable as a man chasing some demons, but keeping his sense of humor and positive attitude.

And we needed that liveliness as some of the 12 steps in the movie were not that flush out as well as others.

Gus Van Sant's ability to do such a serious content and give it to us in a humorous way makes for an Impressive film.

The most impressive thing about this film is the acting, most notably Jonah Hill in a masterful supporting performance.