All These Small Moments

ALL THESE SMALL MOMENTS (2018)

This has all the trappings of the style of film I usually love: small, intimate, slice-of-life, coming-of-age, with lots of silence decorated at the edges by acoustic guitar. I appreciate the effort and enjoyed Brendan Meyer as Howie Sheffield, but I found this movie depressing and confusing and it creeped me out. The story follows sixteen-year old Howie as he manuevers through a difficult time; his parents are on the verge of a divorce, which provides an unstable and unhappy environment for Howie and his younger brother. I didn't find the parents, (played by Molly Ringwald and Brian d'Arcy James), sympathetic; the tone of the narrative was a downer; and I had to push myself to see the film through. I like to support first-time filmmakers, and some people will like this film, but I feel like I wasted an hour and forty minutes.

During this tumultuous time in his life, Howie becomes obsessed with a thirty-year old woman whom he sees riding the bus. Odessa grows veggies on a Brooklyn rooftop, sells them at the Farmer's Market, and apparently likes the smell of Basil and the attention of a teen boy. Coming-of-age tale or not, this part of the storyline befuddled me and made me uncomfortable for no good reason; it didn't give me anything of value or insight. I kept comparing this story to Almost Famous and other films in which similar topics were so expertly handled by writer / director Cameron Crowe. On a parallel track, Howie also meets a girl in high school in a room where they both sit out gym class because his arm is broken and she claims to have asthma. Lindsay has a past of her own to overcome and takes an interest in Howie, unaware that his energy is focused on Odessa. I wanted to root for Howie and Lindsay to get together, or have something to champion in this film, but in the end, it never engaged me in a positive way and I just didn't care.

Or whats up? i didnt expect much from this film because i couldnt find much about it, well now ive seen it and im still sitting here , the same old grumpy man,and havent learned anything new at all, other than that small thing are crucial in life, destiny can be cruel or giftful in life, and that siblings,parents,friends and bypassers are all very important parts of your life.you'll understand when you grow old enough. and the kiss? wow that wonderfull kiss that every boy and girl strives so hard for to get, well its just a moment in time just like all the other moments that shaped your life. even though i am merely grumpy all the time i still have flashbacks of bright and meaningfull moments in life, and what i remember best is my first real ,wet profound kiss, i can still feel the butterflies in my tummy that i felt then, and that memory overshadows other highlights in life, like my my kids birth, my first time in bed with a girl or even the day i got married. so behold and preserve the small moments in life, they will haunt you whether you like it or not , either good or bad.

Also i found molly ringwald as smashing and alive and kicking as i remember her from saint elmos fire and the breakfast club....mmmmm... amazing. the rest of the cast does a good job too, especialy the teenage actors.

but , and that is a draw back, i feel like viewing a whole lot of uncommited skits, that are bundled up into a feature film , it is so full of signs and secrets but nobody wants to attack them. there are definately no sting in the carachters, it should really have been spunked up a little. the music are of the easy sort,a bit dull if you ask me, even though the film are nearly a family tragedy,i think every teenager would be more entertained with a bit more geared up score , i know i would.....

anyway, the film are just allright, its not the key to everything,but i'm sure youll find part of yourself reflected in this film. recommended.

This movie is hardly going to be seen! It is one of those that no one has heard of & like me you may come across it by accident (like me). I had no idea about any of the cast, so was iver the moon when Molly Ringwald's name came up!. The movie itself is a slice of life drama mapping out how important little points in your life that will stay with you forever. I personally really enjoyed it as this is right up my street (I hate CGI, special fx & blockbuster movies) give me a little independent cinema any day!

What's not to love about. Real... Great writing, acting and directing. Can't believe I had never heard of it. Stumbled across it and am very pleased!

I watched this on Amazon streaming movies, primarily because it has Molly Ringwald who I have enjoyed since her her teen movies of the 1980s. Here she plays the mom and was about 50.

It is about a New York City family, mom, dad, and two teenage boys, but the movie is mostly shown from the perspective of the older boy. It might be considered his coming-of-age story. The title contains the words "small moments" because that is really what it is about, all those small moments that end up forming your view of the world and molding your eventual adulthood.

Mom and dad are having some middle age marriage crises, the teen boys are dealing with puberty the best they can, the older teen gets very infatuated with a married 30-ish woman who often rides the same bus, while a girl his age at school is taking a keen interest in him.

Yes this is a small movie devoid of any real "action" but as a relationship movie works very well.