Esperando por Siempre

"Waiting for Forever" held it's World Premiere at the Santa Barbara International film festival in February and since then it as been at a host of festivals. I just attended a premiere screening at the Gen Art Film Festival on Thursday April 8, 2010 in New York City. In the audience sat the director James Keach, writer Steve Adams and several actors and actresses from the film including Rachel Bilson, Tom Sturridge, and Blythe Danner. Below is what I thought of the film and how it ranked compared to films similar to its own genre.

The basic premise of "Waiting for Forever" is about a guy named Will (Tom Sturridge) who has been in love with his best friend Emma (Rachel Bilson) ever since they were little. This is his story about confronting the woman he loves and what it took for him to finally do that. Why he has fallen head over heels for this woman is discussed in the film, as well as the battle of how hard it is sometimes to be honest with the people you love. A somewhat touching yet average film ensues...

Reading the premise above you're probably thinking to yourself, I have seen this film a million times before so why in gods name should I devote 2 hours of my life to this film? I wish I could honestly tell you a good reason because just as it attempts to be different, its dull storyline tends to get in its way. The reason why Will loves Emma is definitely interesting and unique, however, the rest of the film is not. The movie comes off as your typical friend loves friend storyline. The film even tries to throw in sub relationship story lines such as the parents relationship played by the talented Blythe Danner and Richard Jenkins but that subplot just bored me. The storyline doesn't really cash in on how unique the film could be but instead takes the easy way out and therefore just leaves you saying been there, done that.

Tom Sturridge puts on his best "Benny & Joon" impression and does it well. He is probably the most likable character in the film. Sadly about half way through the film his character seems to stop growing so even Will becomes dull but he definitely did a good job with the material he had to work with. Rachel Bilson, who is definitely a good looking woman, does alright here. I hate to say it but I just don't think she has real star power, at least not yet. She does a good enough job for Emma at least for a film of this caliber. Richard Jenkins and Blythe Danner are OK but since they are more established actors both of them have done better films in the past. Like I said they do OK here. As I said even the acting was average.

In conclusion there isn't really much to say about this film...it's your typical love story with a little bit of an interesting story mixed in. The story wears off quickly as the viewer is hoping to see something more out of the ordinary but just gets what would be expected from a film like this. This movie isn't worth a trip to the multiplex, probably not even worth a DVD rental to be fair. I would say this is one of those films that you catch on cable one day and just don't expect much from it and you should be OK.

MovieManMenzel's final rating for "Waiting for Forever" is an 5 out of 10.

It is very unfortunate to know that this movie is hated by critics. I have been living in India and I know what kind of a movie should be called a bad movie. I never heard much about the movie because there is no promotion of this movie what so ever in my part of the world....But it surely came to me as a surprise.

Both the actors worked pretty well. Tom Sturridge has a potential to be a very good actor. He played his role very well and his expressions were outstanding. There was no point in the movie where i could find his skills go blunt.

Rachel Bilson--We always knew a bit of her after she appeared in How I met your Mother for a couple of episodes and she seemed pretty and cute. She carried her pretty smile and nice acting in this movie too. At some places, her acting suffered but I won't blame her for that as her co-actor was wonderful. She played her part brilliantly and 95 minutes passed away.

The only reason I didn't give a 10 to this movie is that it didn't show too much of the couple. They had their share of scenes separately but they should have been together in more scenes as their chemistry was blossoming.

On and all...its a 9/10 for sure and it is a mice cute love story with meaningful dialogues.

"Waiting for Forever" is actually a good movie, just don't expect it to be yet another teenage romantic love comedy movie, because it is far from it.

This movie is quite deep on an emotional level, and the movie really works out so well because of the talent of Tom Sturridge (playing Will Donner). This is actually high-class drama.

I found "Waiting for Forever" to be rather surprising, because it appeals to your more humanly nature and your sense of hope. The story reaches in and touches your heart. If not the story of Will, then the story of Emma's parents. But of course, there are many aspects to this movie aside from Will's obsession with Emma. There is also the childhood trauma, the strained brother relationship, not fitting into the world, and so forth. And all these small plots work well and come together for a greater end result.

The cast in "Waiting for Forever" was quite nice. There is no doubt that the entire movie is riding on the shoulders of Tom Sturridge. He does an amazing job in portraying Will. His acting is emotional and sweeps you up for a ride. This guy has a bright future in movies, in my opinion. Richard Jenkins made a nice appearance as Emma's father, Richard Twist, who is bedridden and ill. Rachel Bilson also did a good job with the role of Emma Twist.

All in all, then "Waiting for Forever" is a fantastic movie that is full of emotion, rich in love and a movie that will stick with you for a long, long time. I was pleasantly surprised by the movie, and if you haven't seen this movie yet, get yourself in gear and watch it. You owe it to yourself, because this drama is fantastic.

Now let me start off by saying that I am not into romantic movies whatsoever. They are always the same clichéd sappy crap with an overly dramatic lead that becomes more annoying than anything by the end of them. THIS WAS NOT THE CASE WITH "WAITING FOR FOREVER"

I was lucky enough to attend Gen Art film festival this year in New York and was able to see this movie. I honestly had no idea what I was getting into or what it was about and it really surprised me! I honestly can say that at no point in the movie was I ever bored; from the get going of the flashback train sequences until the ending scenes I was enthralled with the movie. I was right there with Will and his struggles to show his enduring love to Emma.

The acting was fresh and superb. Tom Sturridge had so much on screen charisma and a believable carefree attitude that I found myself rooting for him the entire time. It is nice when you ACTUALLY like to watch the protagonist of a film! He is surrounded by an incredible supporting cast where I really think that Blythe Danner gives the performance of a lifetime (I smell Oscar nod). The always lovable Richard Jenkins has the best moments in the movie and a surprisingly strong performance by Scott Mechlowicz. At first glance I was like "why is the kid from EuroTrip in this" and after the movie I felt like a putz for ever thinking that statement. He is the voice of everyone in the audience in the movie.

This is also a movie that doesn't have cheap entertainment of constant swearing, blood and guts, gratuitous nudity, etc. It solely focuses on telling the story and making us like the characters for themselves. I think that is a rare statement made by films today and this one should be applauded for it.

This quirky and original story features a brilliantly talented multi-generational cast including Tom Sturridge, Rachel Bilson, Blythe Danner, Richard Jenkins, Scott Mechlowicz, Nikki Blonsky, Jaime King, and Matthew Davis. Known primarily for his exhaustive acting credits, director/producer James Keach steps behind the lens in this stunning tour-de-force.

Will Donner and Emma Twist are neighbors and best friends. Separated at the age of 10, Emma (Rachel Bilson) grows into a beautiful, bright young woman while Will (Tom Sturridge) never quite advances emotionally. Now a young adult, he remains a sweet, innocent boy trapped in a man's body. Will needs to reconnect with Emma and continue the "relationship" that was never allowed to bloom into their teenage years. She increasingly becomes the object of his desire as he matures. Stuck in childhood, Will is determined to track her down and profess the love that he's held inside for so many years.

"Waiting for Forever" is a true work of cinematic art, a rarity even in the creative world of independent film.