FemaleFirst.co.uk: DVD: Girl in the Park [2008] [DVD]

Girl in the Park [2008] [DVD]
enlarge	Director: David Auburn Actors: Sigourney Weaver, Kate Bosworth, Keri Russell, Alessandro Nivola Studio: Halcyon Category: DVD List Price: ~~£15.99~~ Buy New: £5.93 as of 21/11/2009 23:24 GMT details You Save: £10.06 (63%) New (9) Used (2) from £5.40 Seller: findprice Rating: 3 reviews Sales Rank: 22320 Format: PAL Language: English (Unknown) Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over Region: 2 Number Of Discs: 1 Running Time: 109 Minutes Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2 Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6 EAN: 5060103791491 ASIN: B001MLCS3I Theatrical Release Date: 2008 Release Date: February 23, 2009 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days


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Customer Reviews: An Intelligent Drama May 28, 2009 Balraj Gill (Slough, Berkshire, United Kingdom) 4 out of 4 found this review helpful This is an indie film which seems to have slipped under the radar in the UK, but I would recommend seeking this out, both for the performances on show as well as the thought-provoking nature of the story. br / br /The film opens with the sudden and mysterious disappearance of a 3 year old girl from an outdoor playground in New York. We then almost immediately cut to 16 years later and from the look on Julia Sandberg's face (played by Sigourney Weaver) as she walks down the street, you can see that this is a tragedy that still dominates her thoughts and actions. She has chosen to live an insular existence, both from her family and her work colleagues and refuses to "move on" from the events of 16 years ago. br / br /A chance meeting between Julia and an itinerant young woman (Louise, played by Kate Bosworth) leads to Julia taking her in and letting her live in her flat. The film does not make explicit the exact nature of the relationship between the two - is Julia simply using Louise as a replacement for her daughter who would now have been roughly the same age or does she genuinely believe that Louise is her missing daughter? Similarly, is Louise some sort of con artist who is exploiting Julia's vulnerability or does she genuinely need guidance and a helping hand to assist her through life? br / br /However, whilst the storyline draws you in, I think the more important aspect of the film is how it portrays the psychological impact of loss on an individual. We are used to being told that people can put horrible experiences behind them and get on with their lives simply with the passage of time, but this is a film that goes against the grain and shows Julia needs more than just time to heal her wounds. br / br /Weaver and Bosworth turn in good performances, only over-egging the pudding once or twice. Also worthy of mention is Alessandro Nivola, who plays Julia's grown-up son and is not at all keen on the relationship between his mum and Louise. br / br /This is an intelligent, thought-provoking drama and I hope people who do get the chance to see it are as appreciative of it as I was. br / Intense, touching and relentlessly melancholic June 12, 2009 P. Jackson (UK) 3 out of 3 found this review helpful br / Not even ten minutes into Girl in the Park, our attentions are deeply provoked with a gripping and sadly disorientating scene in which devoted mother Julia (Sigourney Weaver, in an utterly stunning performance) witnesses the disappearance of her 3 year old daughter; with relation to the film's title, this takes place in Central Park, New York. br / br /We then join Julia 16 years later; she's divorced, has a new job and moved house, with a gradually disintegrating relationship with her son. It soon becomes distressingly apparent that she's been physically and emotionally torn apart due to her daughter's loss. Once a very happy and comfortable young woman, Julia is now deeply dissatisfied with life; her personality now cold and rigid: she's lost her spark. br / br /We become wary of the possibility that Girl in the Park could become a meandering, main-stream 'find-yourself' drama. However, through a random act of confused kindness, Julia meets Louise (Kate Bosworth, in a similarly compelling performance); she's young and beautiful but strangely familiar, living an uncertain and unstructured life around the city. It's clear that Julia and Louise are total opposites and we initially believe their encounter to be short, puzzled and shallow... But when Julia invites Louise to stay with her, we begin to realise that there may be a deeper meaning behind their relationship. br / br /To let loose any more of the plot would disallow you from enjoying the film as much as I; however I can assure you that it's deeply interesting and highly engaging. Though slightly unrewarding, the film's central question is, `To what extents would you reach in order to foundation the ultimately inescapable sense of emotional emptiness?' br / br /I'm not overly familiar with writer / director David Aubern, but he ultimately handles the complexities of his story with the utmost competence, managing to steer the film clear of the blandness and cheesiness which is unfortunately becoming overly habitual in contemporary drama. Aubern also carries the film on occasion with his visually significant colour-schemes and largely productive mood-specific lighting. br / br /Performances throughout the film are generally very good; the two leads aside, we're treated to a strong -though uncertain at times- performance from Alessandro Nivola (treading similar ground to his impressive debut in 2007s Junebug) as Julia's son, Chris. Furthermore, there's an effective -if subtle- performance from the ever-reliable Kerri Russel in the role of Celeste, Chris's pregnant fiancée. br / br /My reasoning for only giving four stars as apposed to five is purely due to the fact that too many plot-strings are left untied. We never find out how the relationship between Julia and her work colleague unfolds; we're left with a feeling of slight dissatisfaction as the broken relationship between Julia and her son seems to remain unhealed; apart from only one weak suggestion mid-way through, we're never given any indication as to what actually happened to Julia's daughter, therefore it's hard for us to see the ending in such a constructive light. br / br /Still, these are rather minor niggles amongst a film that is actually very well structured and accomplished. Sigourney Weaver does not fail to meet expectations and remains one of my all-time favourite actresses, with the excellent Kerri Russel hot on her heals. Girl in the Park is a gripping and unique experience for those who're fans of intense dramas, or for any in search of engaging, quality filmmaking. With the skills to successfully switch from uncomfortable and challenging to heart-warming and moving in just one scene, David Aubern is a progressive talent and certainly a name to watch in the near future. br / br / br / br / br / br / br / br / br / leave her in the park July 20, 2009 pete (edinburgh scotland) 1 out of 2 found this review helpful I admire and enjoy watching Sigourney Weaver as an actress but I do struggle with some of her career choices. This is a overly labored TV movie type drama about the prolonged grief of having a child go missing and how coping with the grief of such an experience can lead to mild mental illness. Weaver loves playing these complex, self destructive women and as Julia she blames herself so much for the loss of her daughter she fixates on anyone who might be Maggie to help heal her emptyness. That anyone just happens to be Kate Bosworth who scams Sigourney for all she can get. The movie didnt do well in the States and consequently didnt pick up distribution for the UK. The sentimental neat ending stretches credibility and I wouldn't recommend it. Not a career high!!

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