Un cadeau inattendu

I found this on Sky and despite the title which is irrelevant and does nothing to draw any attention to the film, I looked up the title on here and decided to give it a go, despite mixed reviews. I watched it with my teenage son and we both loved it. It was funny and poignant and a little bit of a mystery ;) I liked all the characters, especially Eli! What a delightful little oddity he is. Sure it is reminiscent of other movies such as "It's a wonderful life" and it is somewhat predictable, but that didn't detract from it at all for me. It made me cry but on the whole it's a tender experience that leaves you with a very warm glow along with the end credits. It should be re-titled as simply "Eli" Whoever called it "Foster" was having a very bad day! It's not going to be everyone's taste but sensitive souls like myself will no doubt appreciate where it is coming from.

The story centres around a couple who apply for a foster adoption. However, the very next morning after their application, a seven year old boy comes up to their doorstep, all dressed up in a suit, tie and top hat, with all the legal documents in hand. This is an extremely interesting idea and the film does justice to this innovative premise.The scenes in the film following the strange arrival of the child are worth watching. The way the couple reacts and adjusts to this unique child is both heartwarming and humorous. Truly wonderful.

Newman's simple and well plotted narrative, his effective screenplay and the talented mix of actors (its got Toni Collette) all come together to tell this interesting tale. Come and watch the story unfold.

Mood: Comfort Movie with a good serving of wonder and warmth

See, I think of my self as a tough guy who only watches horror movies. However I loved every part of this film, it will be one of those unforgettable movies. Also I am used to getting bored in the middle of the movie but this one kept grabbing my attention. The movie is about a family who is not able to have a child and their life marriage was beginning to fall apart. Acting was awesome, the plot was awesome and so was every part of this film, at the end it made my eyes tear. I don't really wanna say anything else about the movie so you can enjoy every part of it and be surprised with the events that happen in it. Maybe I am not very familiar wit this genre of movies but I think that the ideas were original and that was what made me like it. Maybe the idea of the box wasn't that brilliant but it was original and very realistic. Oh yea, speaking of realistic, the movie does not seem to be 100% real but it makes you think that it is.

Zooey (Toni Collette) is having trouble getting pregnant. Her husband Alec (Ioan Gruffudd) is having trouble with his toy business. They decide to adopted a child. He's a strange little boy. Along with a strange homeless guy (Richard E. Grant), they start to dig up their past tragedy and recover their lives together.

There isn't enough magic in this movie. That is the biggest missing ingredient. This is relying a lot on the kid. The directing style isn't helping him any. The level of production is some kind of TV movie.

Then there is the unrealism of the toy business. The big orders ending seems more like a high school play. It's a nice sweet story, but there's just nothing great in it.

I tend not to watch films like this one, but I watched this movie with my two little daughters on Sky this weekend, and it was a good experience.

My two little girls did not stop talking the next day about the little boy who showed up out of the blue in their foster parents doors steps with no notice.

We did enjoy the way that the movie was written and how the characters interacted with this little boy, Eli, was nicely done.

We did notice how Eli's foster mom and dad dealt with each event Eli was bringing to their lives.

I am not so sure if I understood some of the negative comments from other reviewers about the film, but being able to watch PG and G rated movies with one's kids, should be a pleasant experience.