10000 Saints

Another movie that makes you think humanity has no hope. Broken kids, broken parents, broken ideals. The movie takes place in the eighties and I remember the time well. So, yes, a lot of us were screwed up but this is just hopelessness incarnate. I did not like any of the characters as dysfunction seemed to be the running theme with everyone. I would suggest finding a better coming of age movie to watch as there are many good ones out there. I gave this an extra star for the very brief inclusion of CBGB's, it was the highlight of the movie. The rest was just so depressing it made me want to embrace traditional conservative values for the sake of humanity. Maybe I am getting wiser in my old age. . who knows?

I wound up liking this a lot more than I thought I would. For the first 20 minutes or so I felt it dragged but then picked up. Overall I thought the acting was excellent, especially Ethan Hawke who played his somewhat complex character splendidly. What I really liked was that most of the characters stepped outside of stereotypical bounds. Hawke's character was a stoner, but in some ways level-headed and responsible. Johnny, the punk singer and tattoo artist, was trying to stay straight and walk the spiritual path and succeeded reasonably well. I read other comments which complained that "nothing happened" in the film. This is not an action film; it's a relationship movie, and given that, I believe it worked well. Plus, the characters all showed some degree of evolution. The scenery, with 1980's East Village was done really well too, very realistic, Twin Towers and all.

"The women? They make their decisions and men? We just do our best not to be men. The whole system needs a looking over."

I don't know how I missed this film in 2015, but I am happy that I've finally come across it. Better late than never.

As a film, it's really well-done. It's shot beautifully and the acting is very good. But, come on! Look at the talent they got for this: Ethan Hawke, Emily Mortimer, Hailee Steinfeld, Asa Butterfield, Julianne Nicholson... It's a great cast, and they do a great job here.

The terrain traveled by this story is nothing new, but the fact that all of these people seem so devoted to the telling of it that it makes it special and new. It's an incredibly realistic exploration of young adults and older(ish) adults trying to navigate the consequences of past actions and create a better future for those little people who they will bring into this world.

Greetings again from the darkness. Sex, Drugs, and Rock 'n Roll – not just a bumper sticker, but also frequent and fun movie topics. Throw in 1980's New York City, some excruciatingly dysfunctional parenting, and the coming-of-age struggles of three youngsters, and you have the latest from co-writers and co-directors Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini (the real life couple behind American Splendor, 2003).

Based on the novel from Eleanor Henderson, it's a nostalgic trip with little of the positive connotations usually associated with that term. The surprisingly deep cast features Ethan Hawke and Julianne Nicholson (August: Osage County, 2013) as parents to son Jude played by Asa Butterfield (Hugo, 2011). Emily Mortimer plays Hawke's new girlfriend and mother to Eliza played by Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit, 2010). Avan Jogia plays Jude's best friend Teddy, and Emile Hirsch is Teddy's big brother Johnny. It's an unusually high number of flawed characters who come together in a story that features some familiar coming-of-age moments, yet still manages to keep our interest.

The story centers on Jude as he comes to terms with finding out he's adopted, works to overcome his less than stellar parents, and spends an inordinate amount of time finding new ways to experiment with drugs. One night changes everything as it leads to a tragic end for one character and pregnancy for Eliza. Ms. Steinfeld is extraordinary as Eliza and really makes an impressive step from child actress to young adult. Julianne Nicholson is also a standout, and Ethan Hawke provides some offbeat comic relief.

So many elements of 1980's New York are included, and no effort is made to add any touches of glamour. The Tompkins Square park riots also play a role, if only briefly as the key characters realize life is just not so simple … a consistent theme for both kids and parents. The fragility of life is always an interesting topic, and the filmmakers bring this to light through some characters that we feel like we know – and wish we could help.

Can't help but to love a movie that reminds me of old school New York. Was it really that great? That's how I remember it to be. Than again, I'm not old enough to have struggled on those streets, Squatting in houses and being semi homeless for my art, which the movie glorifies.

They did a pretty good job at recreating late 1980s NYC with tight shoots to leave out how alphabet city has change and to keep how it stayed the same, using Super composites of CBGBs, old trains and even phone booths, plus old shots of world trade. It's cool that technology allows us to do that now.

The movie's focus on that time period sometimes feels force with one liners explaining how that moment of the late 80s was about to spawn what that neighborhood next to Thompson Square park is now.

I thought it was interesting that the actual band, Army of One is showcased in the movie, though not the center focus of the movie, it's about their tour Guitar player Jude and his life, based on a book that I did not read.

Ethan Hawke as Jude's dad Les was charming and funny

It's a hardcore punk version of Juno in a lot of ways, but all together a coming-of-age story with a lot of layers to it as it Centers around Jude and his friendships with other kids. It was a great ensemble cast.

Definitely worth checking out.