Waiting for Forever

"Waiting for Forever" is actually a good movie, just don't expect it to be yet another teenage romantic love comedy movie, because it is far from it.

This movie is quite deep on an emotional level, and the movie really works out so well because of the talent of Tom Sturridge (playing Will Donner). This is actually high-class drama.

I found "Waiting for Forever" to be rather surprising, because it appeals to your more humanly nature and your sense of hope. The story reaches in and touches your heart. If not the story of Will, then the story of Emma's parents. But of course, there are many aspects to this movie aside from Will's obsession with Emma. There is also the childhood trauma, the strained brother relationship, not fitting into the world, and so forth. And all these small plots work well and come together for a greater end result.

The cast in "Waiting for Forever" was quite nice. There is no doubt that the entire movie is riding on the shoulders of Tom Sturridge. He does an amazing job in portraying Will. His acting is emotional and sweeps you up for a ride. This guy has a bright future in movies, in my opinion. Richard Jenkins made a nice appearance as Emma's father, Richard Twist, who is bedridden and ill. Rachel Bilson also did a good job with the role of Emma Twist.

All in all, then "Waiting for Forever" is a fantastic movie that is full of emotion, rich in love and a movie that will stick with you for a long, long time. I was pleasantly surprised by the movie, and if you haven't seen this movie yet, get yourself in gear and watch it. You owe it to yourself, because this drama is fantastic.

Great little film this, was really surprised. judging by the quality and negativity of some reviews I think you need to have reached a certain maturity level to really appreciate the film.

The branding of Tom Sturridge's character(will Donner) being a creepy stalker really is misleading, I urge people to watch the film instead of jumping on the bandwagon! The pace of the film started a little too slow, potentially causing some later scenes to be rushed that had potential to really add to the film.

Despite this, the supporting cast had enough character building(all be it light) to support the lead of the film that ultimately, has enough to deliver the story and bring a tear anyone's eye! Providing your not going into the film having predetermined the lead as a creepy stalker, you will enjoy this film! :)

Now let me start off by saying that I am not into romantic movies whatsoever. They are always the same clichéd sappy crap with an overly dramatic lead that becomes more annoying than anything by the end of them. THIS WAS NOT THE CASE WITH "WAITING FOR FOREVER"

I was lucky enough to attend Gen Art film festival this year in New York and was able to see this movie. I honestly had no idea what I was getting into or what it was about and it really surprised me! I honestly can say that at no point in the movie was I ever bored; from the get going of the flashback train sequences until the ending scenes I was enthralled with the movie. I was right there with Will and his struggles to show his enduring love to Emma.

The acting was fresh and superb. Tom Sturridge had so much on screen charisma and a believable carefree attitude that I found myself rooting for him the entire time. It is nice when you ACTUALLY like to watch the protagonist of a film! He is surrounded by an incredible supporting cast where I really think that Blythe Danner gives the performance of a lifetime (I smell Oscar nod). The always lovable Richard Jenkins has the best moments in the movie and a surprisingly strong performance by Scott Mechlowicz. At first glance I was like "why is the kid from EuroTrip in this" and after the movie I felt like a putz for ever thinking that statement. He is the voice of everyone in the audience in the movie.

This is also a movie that doesn't have cheap entertainment of constant swearing, blood and guts, gratuitous nudity, etc. It solely focuses on telling the story and making us like the characters for themselves. I think that is a rare statement made by films today and this one should be applauded for it.

"Waiting for Forever" held it's World Premiere at the Santa Barbara International film festival in February and since then it as been at a host of festivals. I just attended a premiere screening at the Gen Art Film Festival on Thursday April 8, 2010 in New York City. In the audience sat the director James Keach, writer Steve Adams and several actors and actresses from the film including Rachel Bilson, Tom Sturridge, and Blythe Danner. Below is what I thought of the film and how it ranked compared to films similar to its own genre.

The basic premise of "Waiting for Forever" is about a guy named Will (Tom Sturridge) who has been in love with his best friend Emma (Rachel Bilson) ever since they were little. This is his story about confronting the woman he loves and what it took for him to finally do that. Why he has fallen head over heels for this woman is discussed in the film, as well as the battle of how hard it is sometimes to be honest with the people you love. A somewhat touching yet average film ensues...

Reading the premise above you're probably thinking to yourself, I have seen this film a million times before so why in gods name should I devote 2 hours of my life to this film? I wish I could honestly tell you a good reason because just as it attempts to be different, its dull storyline tends to get in its way. The reason why Will loves Emma is definitely interesting and unique, however, the rest of the film is not. The movie comes off as your typical friend loves friend storyline. The film even tries to throw in sub relationship story lines such as the parents relationship played by the talented Blythe Danner and Richard Jenkins but that subplot just bored me. The storyline doesn't really cash in on how unique the film could be but instead takes the easy way out and therefore just leaves you saying been there, done that.

Tom Sturridge puts on his best "Benny & Joon" impression and does it well. He is probably the most likable character in the film. Sadly about half way through the film his character seems to stop growing so even Will becomes dull but he definitely did a good job with the material he had to work with. Rachel Bilson, who is definitely a good looking woman, does alright here. I hate to say it but I just don't think she has real star power, at least not yet. She does a good enough job for Emma at least for a film of this caliber. Richard Jenkins and Blythe Danner are OK but since they are more established actors both of them have done better films in the past. Like I said they do OK here. As I said even the acting was average.

In conclusion there isn't really much to say about this film...it's your typical love story with a little bit of an interesting story mixed in. The story wears off quickly as the viewer is hoping to see something more out of the ordinary but just gets what would be expected from a film like this. This movie isn't worth a trip to the multiplex, probably not even worth a DVD rental to be fair. I would say this is one of those films that you catch on cable one day and just don't expect much from it and you should be OK.

MovieManMenzel's final rating for "Waiting for Forever" is an 5 out of 10.

A unique love story about friendship and a view of the world from different perspectives, Waiting for Forever explores the connections people make in the face of life's changes. Best friends while they were growing up, Emma (Rachel Bilson) and Will (Tom Sturridge) lost touch a long time ago-as far as she knows. To Will, Emma never stopped being the most important person in his life. Believing them to be forever linked, he goes wherever she goes. Will doesn't have a home, a car, or a "real" job. He survives on his talent as a juggler and entertainer-talents honed through years of showing off for Emma. When her father gets sick, Emma returns to their hometown, trying to leave behind her complicated love life and failing career as a TV actress. Will follows her and decides to once and for all talk with Emma about his feelings.

Waiting for forever is a sweet little independent film. Perfect to watch with your girlfriend or boyfriend, it's probably a great choice for a first date but it's not much more then that. I kept waiting for the story to took off, for the film to get real and deep, profound but it never happened. It's a very simplistic story and although it is entertaining and moves at a good pace there's never real insight into the characters. In fact, most characters are two-dimensional.

As for the acting, nothing outstanding here but overall satisfactory. Rachel Bilson's acting skills are very limited but she always does an OK job. On the other hand,Tom Sturridge was great. His character was not an easy one but he played it very well. Again, the script is to blame for the character's flaws because as far as the way the role was played, it couldn't have been better. Richard Jenkins and Blythe Danner did the best they could with what they were given. I should also mention the soundtrack which was very good and fitting. Overall, it's a sweet little love story but you shouldn't watch this film with high expectations.

6.5/10