Book of Love

This movie was okay. The story line is just very far fetched. Basically, the movie is about a possibly newly married couple (this part is vague they keep referencing their Cambodian honeymoon)who befriend a teenage boy who lives in a dysfunctional home. Passions ensue between the young man and the wife and the story goes from there. Anyway, Frances O' Conner playing a 27, or excuse me just turned 28 year old is laughable. She is so clearly in her mid to late thirties. The characters lack any depth and you don't feel sorry for them or connect with them at any level. There is really no chemistry between any of the characters. Although Simon Baker is gorgeous to watch. If there are slim pick-ins' at the movie store you might want to pick up this flick.

i really enjoyed the Book of Love, it was filled with emotion and the directing was wonderful. i saw it at Sundance and felt the acting included some of the best performances that i saw there. Simon Baker's performance was outstanding and definitely deserves recognition. the movie was also humorous and the music was amazing!! Clem Snide adds a great touch to the soundtrack and the placement of the songs in the movie really highlight key moments. I also thought the Book of Love was much more impressive and compelling than the similarly themed movie, The Door in the Floor. the ending was a realistic and thought provoking choice that did justice to the intelligence of the rest of the movie. i definitely recommend this movie!

romance, betrayal, history, choices. not remarkable and not so bad. only a common story with few fake moments but with a decent and almost moralistic end. the subject is not new and acting is not always convincing. the script - like a script who desires tell a story without great problems. short - about love and relationship. about dreams and the real life purpose. not boring. but old as idea. only good thing for me - references to Cambodgia. far to be nice. a film who can remains, as few drops in memory only for the cinnamon taste of last scenes. is it enough ? I do not know. but it is a nice opportunity to remember the past/the culture of a magnificent Asian country civilization

A young married couple befriends a lonely teenage boy in an ice cream shop. As the friendship blossoms, romantic feelings develop between the wife and the boy. It's a provocative story with contemporary relevance. Withy a backdrop of New Age philosophy "Book Of Love" explores the impact of this unsettling romance on the three individuals.

The acting of the three leads is fine. But the screenplay is thin. Even with a runtime of just 83 minutes, there's just not that much substance. Director Alan Brown tries to draw a parallel between the wife's mistakes in judgment and the mistakes of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, a parallel that seems contrived at best. Further, the wife's involvement with the boy lacks a motivational basis, given her current marriage. And her behavior seems way too casual to be credible.

Nominated for an award at the Sundance Film Festival, "Book Of Love" at least tries to do something daring. It is low-key, and not at all exploitative. The background music is interesting. And, as a low budget film, the production values are credible. On the other hand, the script probably does not have enough conflict or plot complication to engage most viewers. The story seems too direct and too linear to be compelling.

I saw this at a Slamdance Best Of screening in the East Village. I go to all their films there. This was an intelligent, quiet film with really great acting from all three leads. I liked it at first because it didn't try to push any messages or morals on me. Then I started to think about it afterward, and as time went by, it impressed me more and more. It seems to be about a lot of important things. It made me question how people behave and how I judge people. I hate to use the word 'haunting,' it sounds like a cliché, but the film did end up haunting me. I went out and rented other films with these actors (see Francis O'Conor in Mansfield Park!), and also found one by the director, a short called O Beautiful, which is also very good and (here I go again) 'haunting.' So, see if you have a chance.