Sleepwalking

If you peer honestly at this film, it depicts familial dysfunction, and the havoc it engenders in children; they are the innocent creatures that are damaged irrevocably. They say all you need is one person while you are raised who attunes to you lovingly and with empathy; thats all it takes. When you are abused at an early age, you will lack individuation and psychosocial integration. Perchance if you have children, whether you want to or not, you will pass this information on, that is stored in every cell of your body. Braking the generational abusive cycle requires more than knowledge it requires healing. Nick Stahl is a great actor, who gets better with age, using little to say so much. The child actor is decent too.

I watched this movie today and I must say that it was absolutely amazing. It is drama by genre but most of the time this kind of movies are much better than we thought. With four amazing main actors this movie couldn't fail although only two actors, AnnaSophia Robb and Nick Stahl are keeping this movie so good. After Tara's (Robb) mother Joleen (Charlize Theron) leave's her with her uncle James (Nick Stahl) their lives are start to fall down. James gets fired from his job and social service takes Tara to foster home. One day James comes to visit Tara and by her request they leave the city by car in unknown direction. On they trip they would get more closer, and some events will open their eyes from a long dream. Nick Stahl is great as James. His character's childhood was abuse by his father as his sister Joleen. Charlize Theron is solid, but real star of this movie is AnnaSophia Robb. She has only 14 years old and already playing complex roles like this one. She is going in the right way by now.

Sleepwalking is dealing with the trauma caused by bad parenting passed on from generation to generation and it does so in a very convincing and well crafted way. But be warned that some of the scenes are really hard to watch.

I thinks that actually everything in this movie works. It is a good script well directed. Charlize Theron is good, Hopper is outstanding. AnnaSophia Robb was 15 at the time and deservedly went on to do big things. But the true surprise is Nick Stahl. I have rarely seen him in anything and if I did he never caught my attention. Well he does here. His performance is so subtle. He is one of those actors who can show their emotion with just his eyes. He is outstanding in this movie. Go watch him and go watch this wonderful movie.

The pacing of this movie is a little slow. There were times when i almost gave up on it, and wanted to stop watching it, but didn't. I am glad i finished this movie because there is something so honest, and pure about the subject matter.

What's great about this movie is it's not flashy like people think movies need to be. It is not over the top, not glamorous. This movie is striped to the bare essence of what it takes to make a good film or better, great acting, and a genuine story line.

The movie has a slow start, but a rapid ending that leaves you wanting more. The characters are really well developed. I feel a close connection to all of them. I feel like they are real people, and that's unusual to feel when watching a movie.

It's a movie about choices, about how one moment can change your life. The decisions we make are not always right, most of them are made on impulse, but we still have to deal with the aftermath, and learn a lesson along the way.

My interpretation of "Sleepwalking" as extremely depressing may spring from the fact that I knew nothing about it when I started watching it. Charlize Theron plays down-and-out Jolene, who dumps her daughter Tara (AnnaSophia Robb) on her brother James (Nick Stahl) and disappears. James now has to reconsider how he has lived his whole life.

The wintry setting in this movie has the same effect as the setting in "Affliction": as bleak as can be...especially after what ends up happening after James and Tara go on the road. Definitely not a film that will leave you feeling good. Not to demean the movie at all; I do recommend it. You just have to understand that this is a VERY depressing one, exactly the sort of movie to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. I don't know whether or not you'll like it, but I still encourage you to at least check it out. Also starring Dennis Hopper, Woody Harrelson and Mathew St. Patrick (who played Keith on "Six Feet Under"). I assume that director William Maher is not the same as Bill Maher of "Real Time with Bill Maher".