Take Me Home

I don't write many reviews, but this movie deserved one. The characters feel very real. I find myself wanting to multitask during most movies, but I ended up glued to the screen watching the subtle changes of expression on the actors' faces that really brought it across.

I thought at first "oh, great, a grumpy woman gets cheated on, grabs a taxi, and they fall madly in love in two days, make out, and shack up by the end of it". Gag. But this movie actually showed a real, believable romance developing, with plenty of the naturally funny bits from the silly quirks most everyone turns out to have when you get to know them.

I usually prefer action movies with a bit of chemistry tossed in, but this was nice. It is a good cuddle on the couch, lazy rainy day movie that, while you won't get great quotes, will leave you with a good feeling at the end.

Take Me Home (2011)

When a movie makes you want to get on the road and see the country, it's doing something right. In classic storytelling fashion, we begin with some quick and disastrous events by two characters who haven't met. Their lives are in various state of ruin (emotional or actual) and when they meet--well, the sparks definitely do not fly.

But the story begins in earnest. And what is a short drive around New York transforms into the main idea of the movie. And of course the two have to find a way to get along, which involves slowly coming to understand each other mostly by letting their own old habits and presumptions fade away.

The leads are actually a married couple, Sam and Amber Jaeger, and Sam is the director and writer (and producer), so yes, it's a home brew movie. But it's shot with the high end Red digital camera and it feels fully professional. And more important, the acting by these two leads, who dominate the movie completely, is terrific. You feel where both of them are coming from, and when they change it makes sense.

The details of the story sometimes dip into obvious or slightly unbelievable zones. Every now and then the dialog is a hair off kilter. And maybe there could have been a slight shift in pace to keep the flow flowing. It's not a masterpiece, surely, but they know that, too. It doesn't have those kinds of ambitions.

What "Take Me Home" aims for is a light, believable sincerity, a sweetness that we all recognize and sometimes need, and which doesn't get too too sugary. And on that level it's a really enjoyable movie. And it really does make you want to hit the road.

This is without a doubt one of the best romantic comedies I've seen in a long while, probably because it didn't come out of the Hollywood mill. With interesting, developed characters, a quirky, fun plot and twists that keep your brain alive, Sam Jaeger did a fine job writing a first class screenplay that doesn't rely on sex, animals, excessive profanity or outrageous antics to keep the laughs coming. Instead it relies on the quirks of the human condition, which is infinitely more funny than over-the-top pranks. The perfect date movie, it would rock the box office if it gets a chance, just by word of mouth. At the premier, a man with a kidney stone tried to tough out his pain just to see the end. Who can beat that for an endorsement?

Having recently finished a long road trip adventure by myself, it is great to see a movie about two 'misfit' people driving across America by pure coincidence.

There are great chemistry between the two leads, who are actually married in real life, and that brings a bit of authenticity into the movie. The script is well-written and some of the scenery are breath-taking similar to what you would expect from a long road trip across a continent. I like the wickedness in some of the dialog. I also like the fact that all famous actors/actresses keep their fame within their parts and didn't attempt to steal the thunder from the leads.

Overall 8/10

P.S: Most guys would probably find this movie boring...

I enjoyed watching this movie at the Chicago Film Festival with a lively, responsive crowd. It's a character-driven story featuring two unique individuals, against a backdrop of our beautiful, expansive country. As the journey progresses through big cities, desolate deserts and incredible canyons, the characters grow in their own personal journeys, confronting head on the reality of their life's decisions. For Claire, it's a marriage that is falling apart and a strained relationship with a father who just had a heart attack. For Thom, it's going broke pursuing a career he loves, and lying to his family about it out of shame and embarrassment. As the characters drive across the country together, they eventually reach two destinations -- California and the personal realizations that they need to change the patterns of their lives in pursuit of something more meaningful.