O Que de Verdade Importa

This is one of those films that exists to give us a light-hearted look at life.

It has all the ingredients of a story that gets you nodding in agreement, shaking your head in annoyance and smiling at the feel-good sections.

You may also feel your eyes filling up at times because the mix draws you in and pulls at your emotions.

So, settle down comfortably, get a box of tissues just in case, and enjoy a movie that has some mystery, a 'not so bad' baddie, minimal sex, no swearing and a fairy tale story line.

Well worth a viewing.

I didn't have much hope for the movie based on the actors as they're not well known... however I'm very glad I took the time to watch it. Oliver Jackson-Cohen played a very good role for this well written, somewhat emotionally tugging (in a good way) script.

There isn't anything specifically that will jump out to you or blow you away, however by the end, you'll feel very rewarded by what comes to light as the overall reason the movie was written and produced has one of the best undertones I've seen from anything in movies recently. There isn't a huge God based message in the movie, despite being about faith and something bigger.

Overall, I think Paul Newman would absolutely give The Healer a thumbs up. Most will be happy they spent the time to watch and feel emotionally rewarded for their time. Despite this movie not costing much to make, it's certainly one of the better flicks I've seen this year.

Cute movie Super cute leads But very made for tv/Hallmarky

If you want to watch a light-hearted feel good movie with the family, this would certainly be it. It has a bit of everything, which appears to have disappointed some reviewers who were trying to put this movie into a specific genre box. There was some intrigue, comedy, romance and magic. The actors did a fine job and you did start connecting with them in spite of the brief time some of them were on screen. Overall, a fun movie to watch with a good message to boot.

The first thing that everyone missed is that this is an "auteur" movie, that is, the writer and director are one and the same.

The significance of that is important.

Canada, since the launch of its film sector in in the 1980s via tax credits, has built a solid and reliable industry by being essentially the "Walmart" of the sector. Constantly undercutting Hollywood prices (because of the cheaper Loonie) has kept the cash flowing.

And the Canucks have also taken hostage obscure sectors of the business that no one else was paying attention to. For example, 90% of all the so-called "X-mas" films you have seen in the last 20 years were Canadian-made.

Finally, Canada is where most once-successful franchises go to die. When you see a horror franchise or action franchise on its very last legs -- think Freddy Kruger IX or something like that -- chances are it is Canadian made.

So, against this odd backdrop of entrepreneurial spirit, it is rare and refreshing to see an auteur express a vision that is not a knockoff of something else.

And that is the key. This film is an original, it is like nothing you have seen. It takes place in one of Canada's most picturesque (showcase) small towns but it is not a small town piece like Doc Martin or Gilmore Girls or even Corner Gas. It has elements of faith but it is not a "faith-based" movie. It has elements of a rom-com yet without the "rom."

Again, an original.

And it is technically perfect. The script is solid. The acting from the leads is excellent, especially the often-overlooked Jonathan Pryce. (Secondary characters are hit and miss, which unfortunately is the curse of Canadian film making.) The story holds the attention. The questions raised are interesting. In many ways the film revisits issues from the blockbuster hit Resurrection (1980) but in a much subtler way.

It is solid workmanlike entertainment and deserves a better rating than most members have given it.

Recommended.