Plantiana Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

Evengyny Thanks for the memories!

Casey Duggan It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

Rosie Searle It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

hermatician Although, it may seem to many about loneliness and melancholy... its much much more than that. The movie shows a mature examination of the effects of technology, industrialization and almost everything which describes the 20th century human life, narrated by the central character Prof. Walter Zarrow. Some of the scenes are written and directed wonderfully by Tim, especially the one where Kristen Stewart shouts out loud how lonely her life is and Prof. Walter is probably just mesmerized at the young raw intelligence in so much grief. The movie also shows how inconvenient and difficult it can be to even call a friend in need, and how easily a stranger can buzz in a stranger in a tragic situation. The writing is so philosophical and intelligent that not a single sentence should be missed without digesting it. Surely its all bagel platter for philosophy and psychology students, but so it may be for others as well. The drug addict cites Augustine and Walter cites Montaigne before death and as a compliment, this movie can be and I am sure will be cited (at least by me) in many practical situations.

Paul Allaer "Anesthesia" (2015 release; 90 min.) brings a sprawling story involving a seemingly unconnected group of people in New York. As the movie opens, we see an older guy walking home, buying flowers for someone (his wife we presume), and then just as he gets to his building, something terrible happens, as he is being buzzed in by a neighbor. The movie then goes back in time, and we get to know a slew of people, and how eventually it becomes clear that all of their lives are interconnected, directly or indirectly. At this point we're not event 10 min. into the movie but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.Couple of comments: this movie is nothing short of being a labor of love from Tim Blake Nelson, who wrote, directed, co-produced and for good measure also stars as one of the characters in the large ensemble (playing the son of the older guy). Here Nelson (best known for his acting work) brings us a complicated character study of mostly flawed characters who are dealing with demons of various kinds. Because of the strong story-telling and plot-driven context, it would be inappropriate for me to say much more than that. The movie features a number of noteworthy performances, none more so than Sam "Law & Order" Waterston as the philosophy professor who is pondering his options as his long and distinguished academic career is winding down. What an acting talent this is, a crisp mid-70 years young when this was filmed. Kristen Stewart (as the troubled philosophy masters student) is 180 degrees away from her "Twilight" franchise role, and makes the most of her brief screen time in this. Canadian composer Jeff Danna provides a lovely orchestra score.This movie was filmed in 2013, and premiered to positive acclaim at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival, but it sank like a stone upon its brief theatrical release in early 2016 (it never even made it to my art-house theater here in Cincinnati). A darn shame. But the movie seems to have found a second wind with the subsequent VOD, TV and DVD releases. I happen to catch it on SHO the other night, and I absolutely loved this movie. No, this isn't a 'jolly good time' as the movie is serious and complicated, but I loved spending time with these characters and wasn't ready to say goodbye when the movie's end credits started rolling. "Anesthesia" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Tony Heck "You can't see you're in charge of yourself." The lives of many people and families all intersect after the attack on popular professor Walter Zarrow (Waterston). A husband and wife in marriage trouble, a wife with health issues, a young woman with mental problems and two old friends on opposite ends of the law all have an impact on each other without realizing it. I really enjoy movies like this. Movies where seemingly individual stories all converge at the end. Movies like Crash, 11:14 and recently She's Funny That Way have all used this mechanic with success. This one adds to that. The movie starts off a little slow but really grows on you and by the end you really don't want it to end. The only downside is the movie is a little too predictable, but it does have enough curves to keep you surprised though. The acting is very good in this and this is a sleeper movie that should be seen by more people than it will. Overall, a movie to watch for the acting and the story, not for everyone but those that like it will really like it. I did. I give this a B+.

Peter Lorme Anesthesia (2015) is an indie drama is produced,written,directed by Tim Blake Nelson, who also stars in the film. This film is a mixed bag for me. I thought the acting was phenomenal. The script was creative, but at times I found it dull. I was bored for most of the film. The ending was investing and pulled me in. I cannot say that about the majority of the film. The movie centers around several characters. This can either work or flop. The movie manages to do both. The characters I liked/cared about: the professor, the self-destructive student and the junkie. The characters that I didn't like/care about: The cheating husband and his alcoholic wife, the junkie's brother, the professor's wife. The other characters are neutral, mainly because they are completely forgettable. Solid start, flat middle, great ending.