Refuge

I stumbled across this movie on Netflix, and I was not expecting much from this but this movie actually blew me away. It's been a very long time since a movie got to me emotionally like this one did. I have never written a review on here before but I wanted too with this one, as it doesn't seem to have much feedback.

Refuge is a Heartfelt Drama, you are introduced to this family after their parents have abandoned them. Amy is the older sister and takes the role of the mother, and looks after her younger siblings. Sam is also troubled passes through the town, meets Amy and decides to stay. He tries to help out Amy and does his best to be there for her and the two siblings.

The younger brother has brain damage and is really depressed. It follows him trying to talk to people as he has a hard time doing so. The younger sister suffers from abandonment issues, and is seeking for attention. Both siblings adore Amy and want her to be happy, there's a few scenes where you really see this.

The acting in this movie was brilliant, especially Krysten Ritter's performance, she did an amazing job in this role and I will never doubt her in a drama. You felt for her character the entire film, the emotion was written all over her face the entire time. The rest of the cast was also very good. I feel like I had to give a special shout out to Krysten though, she was very good.

What I liked most about this movie is it feels very realistic and I think that's what makes it most depressing. It doesn't necessary give you a happy ending, which is how life can be.

If you are into drama's definitely check this one out.

I've seen plenty of big budget and blockbuster movies, intricate plots, and success in the big-time.

REFUGE is none of these. It shows dirt poor and small ambition people making life better between themselves. As a writer and someone who likes seeing honest character portrayals, i give it 9 stars. It's too bad movies like this don't get a wide theater release. With a theme like this, it was probably too difficult finding a buyer, or getting Hollywood interested in this.

I like the way these young people found a way to happiness by coming to terms with their own problems, and that they realized they could help each other by being together. It's such a simple lesson, well written and delivered by the actors. I have more respect for characters created like these, than those caught up in the twists and turns of how to get rich.

Easily the worst movie I have ever seen. The acting is good. The direction must be a joke on all of us. Human beings are not like this; we have a brain, and are better than this. We are not zombies. I believe this production and the direction of it, is intentional. It is bad. The movie is filled with clichés and lacks authenticity in most scenes. The atmosphere of the film is artificial. The characters, by themselves solicit sympathy, but feels like they are manipulated by the director, complicity or not, to utter the dialog, and complete the film. There is an ineffable quality to all the main characters and they are portrayed in the story as if to play a joke on the audience. I believe the director and the producers intended to betray the audience with this movie.

I stumbled across this on Netflix and apparently this was perhaps a straight to DVD video, so I wasn't expecting much but it turned out to be a sweet, heartfelt drama. Amy is a young woman with a bright future and college scholarship but chooses to stay home to care for her younger siblings when their parents abandon them. The movie starts after she has been home for a while and is dealing with the frustrations of small town life with parental responsibilities of two teenagers. When a stranger, Sam, drifts into town with his own challenges and interacts with Amy, they each have to come to terms with what happiness means to them.

Loved the leads and wanted to see how their two lonely characters turned out. Could have been grittier. Screenplay seemed underdone at times. Extra star for the laidback soundtrack from (I think) the Milk Carton Kids. (viewed 10/16)