To Write Love on Her Arms

Produced in 2012, this film has traveled the film festival circuit for far too long without having a proper mainstream release.

The story's arc is revealed to us through the mind of the main character through an imaginative use of animated visuals. The audience is allowed to travel in and out of the mind of the main character's coping mechanisms through a very clever and effective assortment of visual and musical story devices. When these mechanisms begin to fail, these conventions carry through in an appropriately dynamic fashion.

Rupert Friend delivers a stunning performance in his supporting role, and this film will be a pleasant surprise to those who know this actor from the 'Homeland' series.

The film has some roughness around the edges, and at times feels like a very expensive (and slightly didactic) after-school special. But those moments are fleeting, and are contrasted with some very harsh visuals and story progression that are anything but didactic.

We're presented with a brutally honest story that is at times both beautiful and horrifying in its presentation of characters that come full circle in the end.

"To Write Love on Her Arms" is the real heartbreaking story of substance abuse of Renee Yohe. After a horrible experience on a Halloween party in high school, Renee starts spiraling out of control in the following years with all 8ind of drugs & alcohol, until her best friends and some new friends help her detox. She feels better & gets clean and then her friend Jamie writes a story on MySpace about her life.

This is a true story and this is what makes it even more real and strong. The plot is well constructed and the actors do great, especially Kat Dennings. She's the best choice for the role, with her mixing of easy-going irony and deeper portrayal of pain and deeper emotions: one of her best roles 'til then.

It's a strong movie and its lacking of too much anticipatable happy ending makes it even more close to everyday life. However, it's not too heavy to watch, it has a hopeful message all things considered: you can overcome everything if you want it and if the right people show off helping you at the right moment.

I still don't understand why 3 years had to pass before being released, it's madness! It's success is all deserved.

9 out of 10, what am I, crazy? Hear me out.

For one thing, the story alone is about someone going through a difficult time in their life that is able to overcome one of the hardest obstacles that most people cannot even imagine. This person, with there friends whom abandoned them originally, is able to recover from a difficult scenario.

Now for the rating. Often times you find directors often cutting the film so often its like staring into a strobe light on full blast. This film is not afraid to do long cuts and as a result draws you into the film as if you are experiencing it yourself.

Kat Dennings plays an amazing performance that has you feeling as if you are apart of everything and going through the same experiences as she is.

The visual effects in this movie are also note-worthy. It brings you back to your childhood where every static thing becomes a reality- moving, breathing, a life-hood of its own.

If you have never watched this movie, owe it to yourself and give it a go. Ignore the haters, watch it with an open mind, and you will find something about yourself in this film.

This film tells the story of a young woman who has mood and addiction problems. She is helped by friends to stay clean, and subsequently they founded an organisation to help other young people.

"To Write Love on Her Arms" is not an easy film to watch or comment on, because it is a person's intensely personal journey. However, viewing it as a film, I found the plot rather difficult to understand. I don't understand why Renee is depressed and is on drugs to start with, leaving me confused for the rest of the film. Renee does not seem to have the big heart described in the plot summary immediately after her discharge from the detox centre. It was someone else who founded the charity organisation, and Renee is not even ready to deal with her own problems - let alone other people's problems. So I was left feeling muddled and cheated throughout the film.

Of course I have to say that it is great that Renee her friends are still running the charity organisation to help others, which shows that they are altruistic and compassionate. I just wish there is more of that portrayed in the film.

I'll be honest that I don't know what it's like to be addicted to drugs or alcohol, and can't speak to the accuracy of the film in that regard. So I am reviewing the story on things such as artistic feel, acting, plot progression, etc. I did really enjoy this movie, which is surprising considering its content. The characters and their struggles felt real, and the movie had enough balance in the drama to not drag you down too low.

I felt that the artistic elements were beautiful and made sense to the plot. The characters seemed reasonably well acted. I admit I may be biased though as a "Two Broke Girls" fan. I actually thought a lot of the supporting cast were really good too though, and weirdly the person driving the rickshaw seems like their character's story should have been in there a bit more, as it was hinted how important they were to Renee's character, but not as well covered. I did think the person who's place she stayed at seemed a bit more shallow than their character should have been, and am uncertain if that was writing or acting.

Some people have considered this as an anti drug propaganda film, and maybe it is, I can't say. It's based on a true story, and as all films based on true stories we will never have the whole story, not just because the 2 hour time limit, but because there will always be more to the story to the people who actually lived it.