Coeurs perdus en Atlantide

Hearts in Atlantis is another Stephen King adaptation I wasn't aware of, it stars Anthony Hopkins, David Morse, and the taken before his time Anton Yelchin.

It tells the story of a small bullied boy, his father has passed away and his mother isn't fullfilling her duties as a parent. When a mysterious man appears in his life everything changes.

I had no idea what to expect but was quickly gripped, it was standard King stuff from small town America to flashbacks of youth to that wonderful charm they all seem to have.

The movie immediatly whispers sweet promises in your ear, you know something is coming and you'll expect it to be big! Sadly it doesn't entirely deliver, in fact I found the big "Revelation" very underwhelming. Don't get me wrong it was okay but not on the level I had expected.

Hearts in Atlantis is a beautiful quaint little tale, but is not one of those big epic life changing experiences that occasionally cross our paths.

The Good:

Cast are on point

Looks and sounds wonderful

Very charming

The Bad:

The twist is very weak

Feels like it should have been better

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Anthony Hopkins simply can do no wrong can he?

What can I say, they've made another great Stephen King story into another great movie. Although it doesn't hurt to have the likes of Anthony Hopkins in your film to give it that stature and elegance. This film is one of those movies where you leave sad, but yet feeling good about everything, not many movies do this, some would include American Beauty and The Green Mile. The film is set in the backdrop of the 1960's where a strange man (Anthony Hopkins) moves into the apartment above a young boy and his mother. The boy quickly befriends the stranger and soon learns about the man's mysterious gift. I won't spoil anything for anyone because this is definitely a movie worth seeing and not knowing what happens before you go into it. Also I recommend reading the book, it is truly one of Stephen King's best.

This movie was a great surprise! I never read the Stephen King novel that this film comes from, but as always, King has crafted an intriguing and absorbing story.

Anthony Hopkins never disappoints and his performance as Ted Brautigan here is no different.

Brautigan lives upstairs from young Bobby Garfield and his widowed mother and a friendship soon develops between Bobby and Ted. Bobby knows that there is something different about Ted, and the bond between them grows when Bobby starts uncovering some of Ted's secrets. Bobby's father passed away when he was very young and he has no knowledge of who his father was except the word of his neglectful mother that his father was a drunkard and gambler. Bobby, through Ted learns a lot about his father, and more importantly, himself.

I don't want to give away too much of the plot of this wonderful movie, especially if like me you have not read the book. This is a thoughtful, insightful, well written and well acted movie and is definitely a part of my own library.

Dont miss Hearts in Atlantis.. you will be sorry if you do!! 8/10

Sure to be one of the best-loved films of this fall, "Hearts in Atlantis" adapted from Stephen King's best seller mines a lot of familiar territory from "Stand by Me," but that beloved film is a good model. In "Stand by Me," it was a writer reflecting back on the childhood summer "when we found the body," here it's David Morse as a photographer remembering the summer of his eleventh year "when Ted the boarder moved upstairs." Downplaying King's supernatural elements, this film slowly, but surely, builds to an emotional payoff every bit as moving as the end of Rob Reiner's gem.

This is a small, gentle film with lots of character development and period atmosphere. The tech credits such as production design and cinematography are superb and bring to life a time--1960--which, for some of us, was not that long ago. The child-actors are perfectly cast, and Anthony Hopkins as the mysterious stranger gives one of his best, most-heartfelt performances. (This guy could read USA Today weather forecasts aloud and make them sound like Shakespeare.) While others may have taken a radically different approach to the material, emphasizing action and suspense, I think screenwriter William ("Misery") Goldman and director Scott ("Shine," "Snow Falling on Cedars") Hicks ultimately hit the right notes. I will interested in seeing if this decidedly low-key approach strikes a box office chord with moviegoers frazzled by the big, dumb summer action films. If there's any fairness left in the world it will. It's that good.

I saw Hearts in Atlantis last night, and I have to say that the more I think about it, the more I like it. After it was over, I couldn't help but remember my "Atlantis." The town in which I grew up in was certainly one of the best places in world. I lived there from the time I was born, until I was 18. Hearts in Atlantis made me remember what it was like to be a kid, and to really not have a care in the world (except what time all my friends were going to meet to play football or baseball). Of course I understand now that there is much more to life then riding bikes and playing games, but a part of me wishes I could go back, just for one more day. I loved when the Hopkins character explained how when you're a kid a day could last forever, and the place in which you lived seemed almost like a paradise...like Atlantis must have seemed. This movie made me remember my "Atlantis," and I am glad that I saw it.