Solidrariol Am I Missing Something?

Kailansorac Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.

Tyreece Hulme One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

Celia A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

travis36 Even though I gave it a 5 rating I did enjoy the story itself. I normally look for a clever plot or a bit of action in the movies that I give a higher rating. But nevertheless the story was touching and very real to anyone that has lived with regret. Billy Bob Thorton is such a diverse actor and played the part with conviction. At times the move depressed me but overall I came away with a bit of appreciation the the director committed himself to focusing on a single man and his road to redemptionThe supporting cast was a bit unbalanced. Samuel L. Jackson and Kirsten Dunst seemed out of place in the movie. Holly Hunter was a good addition and carried her role well. Overall its a 1 time watch and will touch some while boring others

alohahome How does one make things right? Seek forgiveness? Where does redemption reside and how do you get there? How does a wounded soul reconcile guilt? This is a slow and thoughtful character study set during a grim and dreary winter in an urban town. This is not a Hollywood movie. It's raw with real life. It's apparent ugliness is its sheer inescapable beauty. Morality does exist no matter how we try to hide. Thornton, after spending over 20 years in prison for the murder of a young convenience store clerk during a robbery gone haywire in his youth, is drawn to return to his old neighborhood to visit the older sister of the young man he killed, played by Holly Hunter. She doesn't quite know who he really is since so many years have gone by. Thornton was content to live out his remaining years behind bars but must now face his past because his sentence was suddenly commuted. Bleak with melancholy, this type of film gets shunned by audiences and it's a shame. Morgan Freeman plays a mysterious soup kitchen minister who has his own issues, whom Thornton comes to work for. Freeman is a natural actor and believable in any role. The story unfolds slowly without gimmicks. At times, Thornton happens to find himself visited by the ghostly apparition of the young man whom he killed, while he is in the process of seeking resolution and atonement. His simple desire is to somehow make amends. He wants to be forgiven but, strangely, he is unable and unwilling to forgive himself. Unfortunately, unresolved redemption seems to be too deep a theme for contemporary audiences who are hooked on chills and thrills and pyrotechnics. This is an independent film, the kind that many people just don't get. A movie for your quiet time or a rainy night. Something different and refreshing. And no silly happy ending to mar the proceedings.

jpschapira "Levity" is about redemption; it is about a lot of things inside something ironically simple, about philosophy and the human mind, about thoughts, second chances and about many other things if I want to say them. It's also one of those pictures with a cast of terrific actors who got interested in the project for some reason and did it. It is worth it, if you like slow and detailed stories that are easy to understand f you don't think much; kind of like "The Constant Gardener". But "Levity" is different from 'Gardener' in the way that things are more difficult to understand; the film is truly philosophic. The music, a mix of powerful songs, is a key element in the development of the story, which maintains a mood of depression and sadness.The story was written by Ed Solomon, who also directed. What is interesting and discussable about Solomon is that he seems to have saved his best lines and ideas for his first movie as a director, because he has written nothing like this in the past. His movie credits as a writer include: "Men in Black", "Charlie's Angels" and "Super Mario Bros", among other films that are not better than this one, which isn't great itself.You like the movie because of its honesty; the honesty of its story, of its characters, of its images. The frames and sceneries are so beautiful and so clear that you are not able to take your eyes off the screen; maybe Roger Deakins (director of photography: "The man who wasn't there", "A Beautiful Mind") has something to do with it. Then you've got the terrific cast, which makes the movie even more watchable. I was surprised that Morgan Freeman's voice is recognizable over a phone. Freeman plays a role in the film, which he also produced. At the top of his game and in the platform of a calm man; he speaks his lines as if they weren't Ed Solomon's but his own. Billy Bob Thornton stars as Manuel, the main point of the movie. Thornton, an actor who can go from peaceful ("The man who wasn't there") to totally crazy ("Bad Santa"), finds himself closer to the side of the movie in black and white than to the one in color, if you know what I mean; and he does it perfectly well; I still wonder how he studies a role, how he constructs it.Holly Hunter is the female element. Hunter is the kind of actress who can pass totally unnoticeable in a film, but however leaving you a big impression. I admire that quality in a performer; and Hunter portrays her role so normally, that she comes as the closest to a human being in the picture. Then we have the talented Kirsten Dunst, over the edge as most of the time, and creating another good character with a lot of authority and commitment. As it looks like, "Levity" can't fail; but it's not going to blow your mind off. If that pleases you

arlev-1 I've seen this three times now and it gets better each time I see it. It's a bit strange for me to give *any* film '10' but I do so because the strength of the film is in the viewer's participation in the analysis of the film - that is, it's something that you have to take away and think through.The film displays different characters living out the reality of the way they understand the concept of 'Redemption' and 'Forgiveness'. Without adding spoilers here, let me try and define the characters and their own concepts: To Holly Hunter's character, there's no absolute redemption or forgiveness. To Thornton's character, redemption is something that has to be worked at. To Freeman's character, redemption is almost meaningless because 'what's done's done'. To Holly Hunter's son, redemption is 'an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth'. To the kids that Freeman knows and looks after, there's no forgiveness for a wrong, only retribution.These differing ideas of redemption intermingle throughout the film and reach a climax where pasts catch up with the characters. Although a bitter-sweet, happy/sad ending, the film gives more hope than despair.The film could be criticised for being slow - as judged by other films. But the slowness adds to the complexity of Thornton's character and adds space for the viewer to think about what's going on.There! I hope I haven't given the plot away - or the conclusion. The film is most definitely for the person who wants to be challenged to 'think'.