Smartorhypo Highly Overrated But Still Good

Pluskylang Great Film overall

Acensbart Excellent but underrated film

Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

bmk8 This movie is hard to describe without possibly wrecking the viewing experience, but as this is not for everyone, I will try to talk around it, without giving away too much. At its core it is a strikingly realistic mystery, involving the death of a special education teacher. The people in this story are misfits, realistically portrayed, but very unusual people. Taken in total their strangeness makes the entire situation feel unreal, as real things often feel when you know enough of the truth about them.Do not expect the people and events in this story to make some statement about people or events in general. This is about specific people and specific events. Do not look for comedy or jokes here. Do not expect a great deal of violence or a high body count. Though the sexual activity of some of these people may be disturbing to some viewers, do not come looking to see a lot of naked bodies, this is not a skin flick. In short, this is not designed to appeal to any mass audience, leave your expectations at the door - whatever they are - they are very likely to be disappointed.The excellent script, by Jonathan Glatzer and Robert Lawson, leads us through the discovery that a mystery exists, why we should care about finding out the truth, who are the people involved, and what is the truth about them and their role in what happened. Marvelous direction by Jonathan Glatzer and an extraordinary cast (including Steve Coogan, Hilary Duff, Josh Peck, Olivia Thirlby and others) produce an almost flawless film. Makes me really wonder why 9 out of 10 critics gave this film negative reviews. I think that says something about why so many terrible movies keep being made.If you are wondering why anyone should bother with this movie when it only concerns what happens to a bunch of misfits that you might not relate to - the answer is that this movie is about the nature of truth. How illusory, how dangerous, and how hard to deal with, truth can be. It is about how difficult finding out the truth can be and how careful one must be with what one finds out. Actions have consequences and real truth is seldom purely good, or satisfactory or pleasing, and one must always filter what they reveal to others lest they do more harm than good.Perhaps that is why so many do not care for this film - it is not going to leave you satisfied or pleased, do not expect to feel like cheering afterwards, but if you want to see something that may give you something to think about this film is well worth your time.

crtarrant I hadn't heard of this movie before I watched it but it turned out to be one of the best movies I've seen in the last few years. I can't believe no-one has told me about it. Sure, it's not neat and polished ( messy as the critics have it) but that's part of its appeal. Its fresh, off-beat, raw, dark, warm and full of heart and insight. The acting is terrific and touching throughout, particularly Steve Coogan and Hilary Duff. You really feel these people are lost and falling apart, looking for someone or something to grab hold of. And you never know where the film is going to take you. I found it enthralling and rewarding and the soundtrack is excellent too. Its one of those films you want to champion - so I did.

jotix100 The comment that is top rated among the entries submitted about this film seems to indicate that the creators, and/or the publicist, wanted to create a hype to sell the movie. This is the same tactic that is used in most media ads, in which a phrase, or two, will make the viewer run to see the picture. At the same time, an indie like "What Goes Up" needs to be enjoyed for what it is, not because that someone decided to tell us to like the picture. This is manipulation of the first order.Jonathan Glatzer and his co-writer, Robert Lawson, were obviously a bit pressed for time, or perhaps a tight budget to make this dramatic comedy a winner. Part of the problem seems to be Steve Coogan's Campbell Babbitt who is a cynic, a liar, and a character that is not likable; he shows no redeeming qualities whatsoever until the conclusion of the story. Then, there is Hillary Duff totally miscast as Lucy Diamond, a mixed up young woman who doesn't know what she wants.On the other hand, the excellent Olivia Thirlby, one of the most versatile actresses working today, has better luck with her Tess. She is appealing as the young woman facing a difficult time. It is a departure from some of the sunnier parts she has been asked to play before. Molly Shannon has some good moments as the music teacher trying to put on a show to honor astronaut Christa McAuliffe, who died in the tragic explosion of the Space Shuttle Explorer.Our own recommendation is to watch "What Goes Up" on its own merits. Just relax and be objective.

Jackpollins The new indie comedy What Goes up is somewhat amusing in its storytelling but is also too confusing for its own good. While it's all one story, it packs too much into its story. The story follows reporter Campbell Babbitt (Steve Coogan), who writes a story about a woman who lost her son to civil acts. But then she commits suicide. He then is sent to report about the Challenger Space Flight launch. There he meets a group of misfit students. He gets a lot of his information from student Tess (Olivia Thirbly). Later, when reporting the story, he falls for a student named Lucy (Hilary Duff). The Movie shows him getting to know these students. The fact that it goes between Campbell's visit to the town, and the days adding up to the Challenger Space Flight launch, but making it all one story makes the movie feel forced, and confused. As I was watching this, I felt somewhat entertained, but I also cringed in all the brain power it took to figure out just what was going on. Overall, you can skip this one, because even if you are entertained by it, it won't be worth it for the simple fact that it's so damn confusing.