The Truth About Emanuel

Softness, quiescence, mellow and dull, this movie builds towards a breaking point.

Emanuel, a young woman whose mother died in child birth is still haunted by the absence. Longing, hurt inside, she forms a connection with a new next door neighbor named Linda (played by Jessica Biel).

Can't spoil the movie, but Linda and Emanuel are connected by loss.

We need one another, we love one another and sometimes, the bereavement even if we never got to truly know that lost one, is so strong it breaks our hearts, minds, souls, and future. We find ourselves surrounded by water, drowning and watching our love fall deeper and get carried away by the current.

I enjoyed this movie.

Kaya Scodelario carried the movie and Jessica Biel delivered in a believable way.

Written and Directed by Francesca Gregorini, I didn't have any complaints with the script and felt there was a great pace and rhythm to the movie, supported nicely with music.

An annoying 17 year old girl, whose mother died giving birth to her, comes across her new neighbour, a 31 year old stunning brunette who has a young baby, and who appears to be without a husband, boyfriend or any man in her life.

The young girl develops an obsession for her hot neighbour. BUT IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK.

It should be that. Lesbian lust, but it isn't.

Instead the girl stumbles across the neighbour's secret which she feels she must stop others knowing about.

A rather plodding drama that starts off well, then loses its way midway through. The ending could have been good, but instead we're treated to a rather unrealistic finale.

Only 5/10 from me.

Where does this movie head at? I think this question wasn't important, as the motivation of the director must have been most important. The film does excel when it comes to technical skills and standards. The whole settings and the filming location were really a good choice, and the story itself could have been more than an overused vessel. But the movie lacks as soon as I think about the main actors. Both Jessica Biel and Kaya Scodelario (what a wonderful name) wouldn't match. Until the end I was waiting for some kind of a surprising effect. Though most actors in the supporting roles were quite convincing, the movie left me with the impression of a void, a huge yawning void. May because it was too late for watching 'The Truth About Emanuel', or the unfinished, rough performance of both main actress' led only to a shallow mood. The truth is, there have been many more movies succeeding in what the director intended with this work. However, if you like Kaya Scodelario eyes', or want to see Jessica Biel failing horribly, I would definitely recommend this movie. But don't expect to see a provocative nor sensitive film, it was more like grotesque.

Writer/Director Francesca Gregorini brings a unique and entertaining voice to her new film Emanuel and the Truth about Fishes. This is a darkly comic yet dramatic film about a young misfit girl who befriends her new next-door neighbor who is a single mother with a newborn.

This film is about, among other things, dealing with loss, motherhood and relationships with mothers. Not being able to be a mother but wanting to, not having a mother and wanting one. It may not sound exciting, or it may sound like a set-up for a romantic comedy of sorts, but this film has elements of horror, mystery, surrealism and gets quite intense at times. The film while it is dramatic and has many moments of the above is surprisingly comedic which helps balance the darker aspects of the film. Few films can pull off the level of comedy and heart- breaking reality that this film employs.

I knew fairly early on that I was going to like this film, the way it played perfectly with the audience's emotion and the striking production design. It is amazing how fresh and different this film feels, there is always an undercurrent that something is wrong which latches you to everything on screen.

I was emotionally invested in our main protagonist Emanuel (played by Kaya Scodelario) and in-turn with the single mother Linda (played by Jessica Biel). Between this and Wuthering Heights, I think Kaya Scodelario is an actress to keep an eye on. I've never been a Jessica Biel fan, until now, she is perfect in her role as 'the perfect mother'. The family dynamic too feels authentic with great supporting roles by Alfred Molina and Frances O'Conner.

The only thing that doesn't quite work in this film is the ending; it ends a bit abruptly and offers some emotional satisfaction but in terms of 'reality' feels like more should have happened to find a resolution for the characters. Maybe that's the point though, in difficult situations like these there is no neat bow to tie and make everyone feel perfect and the dissonance at the end is a manifestation of that. Other reactions may be more mixed but thematically and emotionally it was engaging and I appreciated it a great deal.

The lead actresses deserve 9/10. The story concept 8/10. The whole package 6/10. The symbiotic relationship between the lead characters is realistic and develops quickly. The story line is a bit contrived but does express the characters' deep sense of loss and interdependency. It is very unfortunate that some of that energy is lost during the final symbolic scenes. Instead of leaving a lasting impression, they fall a bit flat. Nevertheless, this film is worth watching for the acting alone. It was impressive that Kaya Scodelario developed such a realistic American accent for the role. It adds another dimension to her excellent acting ability and (like Jessica Biel) she has the natural and very good looks to go with it.