Leave

I think some people have been put off by narrow expectations.. Which I can understand and sympathise with to some extent. The beginning certainly gave the impression of something sinister afoot, and the mystery became alluring as the movie went on. But there is a point where he mentions something significant just after the half way mark, and it became clear to me that this was about something entirely different than what I was expecting.

Thankfully, for me at least, that didn't kill my interest. But it did lose momentum thereafter, and became more predictable. I would say that this is a commendable approach to a difficult subject. But there are better movies out there that deliver a similar treatment. If this was the first movie I had seen on the subject, I would definitely be giving it a higher mark.

With a 5.1 I was not expecting too much. You imagine how shocked I was to see I movie I would give a nine rating. The more I thought about it the more I realized it was the dark nature of the subject matter. Many people don't like movies about real life, choosing escape instead. Or they prefer an assault on the senses. I know my wife would hate the movie, but then she watches "dance moms". No it doesn't have a lot of action or thrills but it caught me totally off guard and left me with some dark thoughts. I won't even begin to describe the movie. I couldn't without giving it away. You know what kind of person you are, and don't pay any attention to the rating number. I think it's a gem.

This film reached into my soul, shook it around, squeezed the breath out of it then left it stunned and soothed at the same time. I'll give no spoilers or even a synopsis, I recommend you watch it with as little expectation as possible (as I did). I just watched it and had to write my first review because of it, I couldn't even turn off the credits and now I'm staring at a blank screen with a feeling in my heart I've rarely experienced. Fantastic job to all involved .

Henry Harper (Rick Gomez) is a successful novelist who has it all. But after surviving a recent trauma he finds himself haunted by a dream that terrifies him. Convinced that the only way to understand what the dream means is to write his way through it, Henry decides to go to a remote second home to begin work on his next novel, a thriller.

I feel like this film has a lot of potential but never really took off. My interest was not held for much of the (short) duration and that is no compliment. The diner scene is tense and well-acted by everyone, and the "big reveal" there plays out nicely.

I would have to see this film again to really give it a fair shake, but I have to say that is not a venture I am looking forward to taking any time soon.

Although those who strongly prefer solid action-driven drama will probably not like LEAVE, it is a quiet and subtle little film that unpretentiously raises questions about our notions of life, death, and reality. It's both well-acted and well-filmed, albeit draggy in places. I found myself repeatedly asking, "Huh? Where is all this supposed to be going?" Exercising a little patience, however, I found it all tied together, made sense, and "delivered" in the end.

Since mood and atmosphere are so important in a film of this type, I can see why some people belittle it for being touchy-feely. Nevertheless, LEAVE has a very strong (if not somewhat uneventful) storyline and is head and shoulders above the solipsistic fluff that we are often subjected to these days.