For Ellen

Some movies are for fun. Some movies are for adventure. Some movies are art and are actually a "film" For Ellen is art. Yes it is slow, yes it has few words and little action. This film is about emotions that do not need laughs and action to be nurtured. Dano is approaching Oscar level acting at a very young age. I can't wait to see his skills grow and deepen. This movie is sad because that is what the characters are feeling! It is powerful and emotional and really well made. I don't have much else to say except that a lot of movie goers expect to be surprised with original twist and plot turns, but are not impressed with deliberate quality. This film is deliberate and delivers quality.

I can see that some people don't like the movie. It is really slow paced and the main actor seems more passive than anything. But it's only the surface that looks that "boring". I think the main actor (I've seen him before in a few other features) is doing a pretty good job. And he has to, because he carries the movie on his shoulders. His drive has to be convincing (even though it's not that apparent as I said before) for the viewer.

Heder has a small role, but the character he portrays could easily be a Napoleon Dynamite offspring. Still he does have a few laughs to offer (laughs that might not sit well with some people I guess). I really like the idea and the execution, but try it, before you buy it

Why would you do that? Why would you filch the ending from an all-time classic when it doesn't even make sense in your own story and it's anyway only going to underline how vastly inferior your film is?

It's strangely maddening to me. But at least, at the end of a hopelessly pointless film about a sad guy drifting around entirely uninterestingly, it reminds us that slice-of-life character studies like this can actually work.

The scenes with Ellen and Joby getting to know one another are tender and heart breaking. I wanted more interactions between Joby and Ellen but the brevity was very powerful. The actress who plays Ellen seemed thoughtfully wise beyond her years. For example she initially want to tell her Dad about Abigail or something very important about her mom that Joby didn't know.

I enjoyed the very deliberate toy store scene with Joby and Ellen where much was unspoken. The silence and slowness contrasted with the fact joby only had a short time left to be with her.

Paul Dano gives a subtle peformance as a somewhat immature young man who hasn't found out what really is important in his life -ie. His wife and daughter. It's amazing to think Paul Dano did this film many years before he had his own children and became a dad himself.

The ending was bittersweet and stayed with me. I liked Ellen playing music for Joby and the promise of her musical talents. A beautiful quiet movie.

I was intrigued most of the movie,,Just wondering when something was going to give this movies a spark. I am a big fan of So Yong Kim,,Then all of a sudden pops in Ellen (shaylena mandigo)....Movie saver bigtime....This little girl is going to have a big future ahead of her,,,Excellent film ,,,My hats off to So and the cast,,,,Paul Dano and John Heder work very well together in this movie..The music in the bar scene and the toy store scene were my favorite parts,,,Watching Paul and Shaylena work together as an adult child team was excellent....Overall I was extremely impressed with the movie and look forward to more of So Yong Kims work,,,I would rate For Ellen her best movie yet followed by Treeless Mountain,,,,She is an inspiration to all.