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It was not made clear why this family needed to dine in such a fancy restaurant to discuss a dire family crisis.

The last thing you would need is some food savant Maitre D explaining your food when your life is on the line. Did the Richard Gere character realize that this would take place? I would assume that he ate there before.

I understand that the film makers set it here to show the contrast between their lives and the homeless and downtrodden. Or to show that they are callous posers. But I found the feast aspect unrealistic.

The best thing in the movie was the Steve Coogan character's monologues and critiques. Not because they were necessarily true, but because he was so real in his exasperation with himself and the world. They were funny, tragic, and to some degree true.

Reviewers say this was a Left-Wing vehicle. Apparently, the Director intended that. I don't know if the book author did. But I'm not sure what side the politician character was supposed to be on.

There are some hints that he is a poser Liberal. But other indications that he was battling both conservative and liberal instincts.

The emotionally disturbed character hated elites and wealth. He seemed to pride himself on being an old school principled Liberal. But he hated humanity and himself.

In a politically correct Lefty movie, you would expect the women to be the heroes. But not here. They seemed to rule the roost when it came to protecting their nests. But not for standing up for moral absolutes.

I think the creators were trying to make a point about the banality of existence and everything comes down to self-preservation in the end.

The depressed character is a Historian with an obsession with the American Civil War. It makes sense. Because he was fascinated by what makes people effective warriors for a cause. And he likens it to the battles of the ancient world when right and wrong or allegiances seemed clearer or more basic.

As others have noted, this film needed trimming. Less of the dinner food descriptions and the Gettysburg wanderings. But one of the best dialogue scenes does take place at Gettysburg.

The violence of the main crime was too much for me. But no close-ups of it were shown. What was shown upset me to the point of needing to look away.

I loved the ending!! The ambiguity was a perfect metaphor for the moral ambiguity of these people and the post-modern world.

I loved this movie. But I will attempt to review it objectively.

I adore the concept of being "out on the water." I had never heard of this river/lake in Louisiana, but it looked very seductive. It was wide and long in a flat area, with some homes on the banks. Great cinematography.

We have a male hero to root for, a woman with her own ambitions and lots of characters with angst or chips on their shoulder, as the expression goes.

That was my primary criticism. There were multiple people with some sort of haunted past.

I didn't really understand or buy the coach's personal demons. Okay. He was in Vietnam, he inspired some teammates to join him, and he couldn't save them. But that's hardly something to hold onto for life. His mates made their own decisions.

Meanwhile what did he do for a living besides coach during rowing season?

Another guy used to drink, another lost some loved ones in an accident, and yet another had dad issues. They really stacked the deck. But I suppose you could have several people on a team with angsty issues from the past. It just felt a tad forced.

I loved the depiction of friendship. Brotherhood, young love, and sports challenge.

I would have liked more character development about the coach, what happened between the cocky guy and his ex, where was this college, and what were these guys studying.

I like Michael Shannon. But don't expect him to go somewhere new here. It's the standard version of him.

The girls were beautiful, supportive, and had a sense of humor. But this was a guy's movie.

Everyone in this is a pretty decent person. That's rare in this cynical movie era.

The kids are close to their mothers and their guidance counselor, they don't swear much, they are conservative in their sexual expression, and their great flaw is studying too much.

Most of the adults are either wise or chill.

We learn a subtle lesson. That's it's fine to strive hard for success, But that it behooves us to seek out human connections.

They had to throw in praise of Obama and make the urban duo the real cool ones. But I'll grant this indulgence. It never crossed the line into preachy or self-righteous.

The kid actors were totally natural. I was very impressed, and I rarely am. The Helen Hunt counselor character was just the right amount of helpful, cool, and wise, without being sanctimonious.

Meanwhile no attention was paid to race with our leads. As it should be. People who grow up together often wind up drawn to each other. Regardless of race.

It was so refreshing to find something with barely any profanity, no sex, no cynicism, and lots of decent people as characters.