Martian Child (2007) Reviews

• My Favorite Martian

  pdwebbsite2007-11-10

  Martian Child will be one of those quiet movies that many people won't see. Those who don't see it will miss it. I can understand why it's sitting quiet: not much promotion, and who would it appeal to? There is no CGI, no car chases, no undue violence, only a brief kiss, and the movie isn't partof a trilogy. People who want plot that is not clichéd, and meaningful dialogue will search the movie out. It's aimed at the heart, and touches the emotions. It makes a person realize how important it is to have people in your life who will never, ever, ever, ever give up on you. Even when it looks like you are from Mars. John Cusack is not an actor I am drawn to, yet this movie changed my mind. He has depth, wit, and range I hadn't noticed before. Even if the movie doesn't get wild acclaim, it has a quiet understatement that I hope gets noticed. We all need to belong, and have at least one person believe in us.

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• This film is adorable.

  OliverGbyrne2007-11-04

  I work in a cinema so I'm in the perfect job not to miss any film releases including minor ones like this film. I call this film a "minor" release because it was not advertised much, just a trailer here and there but it's the type of film that make me happy to work at a cinema otherwise i would have miss out on this little treasure of a film. The story is simple , a lonely widower, also a sci-fi best selling author , adopt a child who lives in a world of his own were he convinced himself that he's a Martian who was sent to earth to study the human race. The child's rather strange, he hates the sun and doesn't smile often. At first the writer he's not sure if he's up to the task to bring up a child with such big issues but little by little he realized that he was the perfect match for the boy. In a world were we have countless film about fart jokes and people getting tortured to death , I found "Martian Child" to be a breath of fresh air. It's a sweet film without being corny. The acting is great all around.John Cusack his wonderful as always but its the young Bobby Coleman who plays Dennis the young boy who's the real star of this film he is great but also likable and god knows how this sort of character could have turned out in the wrong child actor's hands. Joan Cusack bring much of the comic moments in this film and it's nice to see her with her real life brother , I love that woman , she always add something to any film she's in. The most interesting aspect of this film is seeing the character of Dennis progression throughout the film , from a troubled boy to a happy kid , it was really well done. Somme people might found this film "overly sentimental" but I believe it's because we live in a cynical world and a film like Martian child stand out more in a time when we are not used to see a film that doesn't show violence or gross out humor. The main purpose of the film is to introduced us to two character , make us love them and see them grow together and it does a more then decent job at that. I would recommend this film to anyone who has enough of a open mind to accept a film that just wants to grab hold of our heart for 1 hour and 45 minutes. I think this film is a nice little gem and I don't care about all the critics that found it just too sentimental.For the full duration of the film I was interested by the characters and at the end I was happy for them and thats all I ask for a film , that the character are involving.

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• Martian Child: are we all strangers in a strange land?

  mgoldhamer2007-10-30

  What would be different about a child from the planet Mars than one born on Earth? No one knows, since for all practical reasons no one has ever meet a Martian Baby. David (John Cusack) a widowed science fiction writer, with writer's block decides to find out, by adopting an unwanted boy. The boy, Dennis, (Bobby Coleman) outwardly acts as if he is a child from our closest celestial neighbor, the planet Mars. David and Dennis appear well suited for each other because they are both living apart from society. David does so by living alone and writing science fiction novels up until the present time of his wife's death, now he is just alone. Dennis, avoids contact with everyone by taking on the guise of the child from Mars, an alien, a stranger, who acts differently than the norm, and therefore society avoids confrontation with what is unusual. This screenplay is adult in nature because it deals with issues that are unpleasant and upsetting. Taking on the responsibility of rearing an unwanted child, alone, having never actually been a parent, and never knowing if the love you give is going to be returned is a huge step! This is a film that will be appreciated by a very small audience. One must first be able to get past self indulgence and reach a certain level of maturity before one can consider taking on the total responsibility of another life form. Director Menno Meyies has created a very strong bond between David and Dennis in their scenes throughout his film. Unfortunately most of the people on this planet will never see their performances. Go out of your way, go alone if you must, but go see the Martian Child. If you are a parent it will remind you of raising your own children, if you are not yet a parent it will remind you of the childhood you had and the experience of raising your own Martian Child yet to come!

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• A good story about fitting in within yourself

  RCWjr2007-10-30

  I was able to catch this film during a sneak preview a few weeks back. I really had no idea what the film would be about given I hadn't seen many trailers and only knew elements of the story from the synopsis I read of it on Rotten Tomatoes. So I went in with a pretty clean slate. The film jumps right into things and doesn't really take a lot of pit stops. It charges forward with the story and I think that is the thing I appreciated the most about it. We are not weighted down with too much subplot and extraneous emotional scenes. We are given exactly what we need to form a connection with all the characters. The film is changed some from the book that it is based on. Mainly that the lead character played by John Cusack is a widower rather than homosexual. In the end, it really doesn't matter the sexuality of the Cusack character, the connection he creates with his son is fantastic to watch develop. They are the same, though different in that one is grounded in reality and the other up in Mars some where. Both are individuals in a world that doesn't want different, the want everyone to do exactly as they are expected to. Loved the film, will be a definite purchase come DVD time.

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• This Movie Will Blow Your Mind To Outerspace

  zoe_washburn2007-11-03

  With John Cusack, I have found great performances and amazing films, as well as movies that left a lot to be desired. This movie was perhaps one of his best films and most satisfying performances since "Say Anything..." in 1989. This film had perfect juxtaposition which is on the same standard as "Little Miss Sunshine." The movie hits you hard, makes you think, and just as it's about to make you cry--something outrageously funny happens and you are laughing too hard to even think of crying. Bobby Coleman is perfect in his role--quirky, poignant, and subtly portrays a character that many children would over-act, giving Dennis the credibility and relatablity that he deserves. His performance is reminiscent of Johnny Depp in "Benny and Joon," and this young boy will win just as many hearts. Both leading actors portray their characters perfectly and work so amazingly well together that their performances are seamless. This movie is one of the best I have seen in a long time. It is truly a work of universal mastery.

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