The Weight of Elephants

Definitely a somewhat sentimental film just because of the subject matter and what actually happens in it, but definitely not made in a way that seems too forced or unrealistic. The child performances are extraordinarily good, so much so that it's really quite unbelievable that they were able to give these because of good direction. The aesthetic is also quite nice, and in many ways this did remind me of Let the Right One in. This is the kind of film that many might take to in incredible ways, and some others just will not. I liked it enough, not very original but still a rather sensitive, careful approach to the type of story. I hope it gets a release date or something like that,

My wife and I enjoy good dramas that are close to reality, often resulting with films in which not much happens. However, this film took nothingness to a whole new level.

I don't like to be overtly critical of independent movies, but this particular one left us feeling a little annoyed and extremely bored. Admittedly, it was beautifully shot and the acting was subtle and convincing, but the narrative was immensely dull. The pacing was also excruciatingly slow, but we persevered, believing something would happen to take it up a notch. Wrong. Film ends. Credits roll. Evening wasted.

I am sure some people might enjoy this, or should I say "appreciate" this movie, but I personally don't think it should have extended beyond a short film. Sorry.

Gentle on the Eyes, Hard on the Tear ducts.

The Weight of Elephants is lovingly shot and fantastically acted. Nearly all the child actors play well and the boy playing Adrian gives a remarkable performance for a kid.

It is by no means a feel-good movie. It puts the main character, an engaging ten year old boy who deserves much better, through a really, really hard time. It's heartbreaking to watch, and you quickly sense that there is no promise of a Disney-like happy ending.

So I really feel I should warn anyone thinking "Hey! A kids film!" or "I need to be cheered up by a heartwarming coming of age film".

I get it was trying to show this feeling of isolation or childhood, but this didn't do it. It's just a movie showing an ordinary boring life of your average kid, but entertainment isn't about the ordinary or the average. It's meant to have drama, romance, action, suspense, it's meant to be an escape from the boredom of life. It got to 4 because of the few emotional moments that did hit home with me. Also even tho most of the actors were kids it was really good acting, usually with kids there's a high chance of the acting being deadpan but her everyone did well. There were just to many boring and mundane moments for me to give it a higher score. And as my mother pointed out it has a very NZ feeling about it.

Final Verdict: It's a VERY subtle drama about the problems of being a child in New Zealand. With some strong emotional scenes and good acting but there were too many unnecessary scenes to make it more interesting.

I really enjoyed watching this movie. The acting was superb and it always surprises me how talented children in foreign (non-USA) movies are, even the very little ones. I understand that we all have different perception of this movie but to call it "nothingness" and/or "boring" or "slow" just doesn't seem fair. This is not a mainstream film and won't find its audience among those who love Hollywood crap movies . This art-house movie is beautifully made and acted. The pace of it just right, it captured my attention from the start to the end. The heartbreaking story of a lonely and vulnerable boy abandoned by mother and leaving in fear of abandonment deeply touched me.