Bringing Up Bobby

Synopsis looked promising. But fell terribly flat of all expectations. We only watched it to the end hoping for something redeeming. Listed as a comedy, but not one thing comically amusing. It had the potential to be a realistic touching and poignant movie of a failing mother having to make a choice between staying with her son, or letting foster parents raise him. But her failings are so over the top as to be unbelievable. This can be acceptable if it was farcically funny... but it is not... just painful in the way that she raises her son in a way that he can do no wrong even though that is all he does is wrong. The mother's accent is so fake that I thought it was part of her shtick. The actress, though born in Kiev does not have an accent in interviews, so had to create this one, but it just does not ring true. This is about as low as I'd rate any movie that I watched all the way through.

"I just don't want Bobby to end up like me and you." Olive (Jovovich) is a single mother/con-artist who is trying her best to raise her son Bobby as best as she can. Bobby starts to act up in class but Olive doesn't see anything wrong with what Bobby does. When a freak accident causes Kent (Pullman) to come into their lives Bobby has a chance at a better life, but Olive has a choice to make. This is not a bad movie at all but it is another movie that has a lot of heart but really nothing else. It's not a total nothing movie because there is a plot but it has the feel of a movie that is just made in order to spend money. I'm not saying that this is a bad movie because I did enjoy it and it was a decent watch, but don't expect anything that will make you think. There really is nothing else to say about this other then that. Overall, a decent watch but nothing amazing. I give it a B-.

Famke Janssen has managed to put all of the elements of a great independent movie together here but somehow the chemistry never grabs you really hard. Milla Jovovich's character is somebody who thinks they understand the American Dream from watching TV and from the movies that she is often quoting. The reality in America however is that the "American Dream" is much more complicated than she ever imagined. Milla Jovovich and Spencer List are very convincing as the mother and son duo and the portrayal of their relationship is what carries the movie. Pullamn does well but is careful not to grab the attention away from the two main characters. The colours and costumes stand out against the bleak Oklahoma backdrop. It is a good movie and it is easy to watch. It is not the sort of movie that will interest people who do not regularly watch small independent movies.

(2012) Bringing Up Bobby DRAMA

Co-written and directed by actress Famke Janson, starring Milla Jovovich as single mother, Olive an Ukrainian woman who's trying to raise her 11 year old son Bobby right, who she'll probably won't get any 'mother of the year' awards, since she lies, cheats and steals during her stay as an American citizen. And because the movie is about 11 year old Bobby, it shows him to be a total douche as both their worlds come for the turn for the worst as she gets arrested. Resorting her to give up custody toward a wealthy couple of Kent (Bill Pullman) and Mary (Marcia Cross), who has coincidentally had just lost their own son. And once Olive is let out, her son, Bobby resorts back to his bad behavior again. Strictly-by-the-book plot with nothing people can't come up with by themselves. And I also have to say that it's hard to sympathize with characters who initially act like a couple of self indulgent douches.

A stab at a comedy mingled with drama. It doesn't entirely work, even if the actors at work do try their best (even if it doesn't feel like that at times). The story being told from the point of view of Milla is interesting. It might have been more interesting, if we'd seen the whole thing through the eyes of the son. There are times when you wonder what is going on there.

Apart from that you have a stellar cast together. Which of course might have to do with the fact, that Famke Jansen is directing. Not a bad try for a movie and I'm sure the script did sound great too. The making it into a movie process, is entirely different of course and there are quite a lot of flaws to be found here (character but also plot wise). A nice little movie then