Kailansorac
Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.
Tymon Sutton
The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.
Zandra
The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.
leonblackwood
Review: I'm in two minds about this movie, because it starts off well and the witty script was quite intriguing but once the pregnancy element came into play, it just became a right mess. The acting was great from the whole cast, especially Ethan Hawke (Les), who plays the teenagers father and Emile Hirsch (Johnny) who is a homeless punk but they all seem to wonder through life with any structure or morals. I didn't know who was adopted or not after a while and the whole "selling of babies" subject was a bit weird. You can't really tell that it's an 80's backdrop because there isn't any relevant scenes to that period. Also Eliza (Hailee Seinfeld), seemed to be getting off with everyone, so it wasn't surprising when she became pregnant. The main character, Jude (Asa Butterfeld) was stuck in the middle of all of the drama, suffering with severe father and son issues which started when he was a child. So basically it's a coming of age movie about teenagers growing up without any guidance from there parents, which is quite messy at times but still worth a watch. Watchable!Round-Up: This movie was directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, who have brought you Girl Most Likely, which I didn't really enjoy, the Extra Man, the Nanny Diaries and American Splendor with Paul Giamatti. This is definitely one of those movies which would have been much better if it was made simpler. It just seemed like the directors were introducing too many elements at once, without finishing the one that they had just introduced. With so many movies about teenagers growing up in America nowadays, like Boyhood, which also starred Ethan Hawke, this is not one of the best in that genre but I have seen worse.I recommend this movie to people who are into their drama/music/comedies starring Ethan Hawke, Julianne Nicholson, Hailee Steinfeld, Nadia Alexander, Emily Mortimer, Emile Hirsch, Asa Butterfield and Avan Jogia. 4/10
Gordon-11
This film tells the story of three parents, and their four teenage children who live chaotic lives in New York.I didn't think I would like "Ten Thousand Saints" at first because their world is so different from mine. The father, played by Ethan Hawke, is an irresponsible parent beyond imagination. He even shares illegal drugs with his son, which is really beyond me. Yet, soon afterwards the characters grow on me and I care much about their well-being and happiness. Hailee Steinfeld's character as a pregnant teenager really stands out, the things she has to go through is tough even for an adult. The scene that she confides that she does not remember what Teddy looks like is quite breathtaking."Ten Thousand Saints" has great character development, and an captivating story to go with it. I certainly hope there will be a happy ending for the children in the untold future.
Moviegoer19
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.
David Ferguson
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.
