filippaberry84 I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Aiden Melton The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

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.

Fleur Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

Python Hyena White Oleander (2002): Dir: Peter Kosminsky / Cast: Michelle Pfeiffer, Alison Lohman, Renee Zellweger, Robin Wright, Billy Connolly: Dreadful sack of trash hyped by its wasted casting. A teenager goes from foster home to foster home after her mother was convicted of murdering her cheating boyfriend. Ending leaves her future uncertain while viewers are manipulated with a phony redemption theme that comes off as contrived. Setup gives little background and it is followed by predictable and depressing developments. Director Peter Kosminsky seems unfocused in his presentation of these warped relationships. Alison Lohman does her best with a role that is beneath her. Michelle Pfeiffer is unsympathetic in what is easily one of her worst roles. Renee Zellweger is wasted as a failed actress who commits suicide. Or maybe she was upset when realizing that she went from Bridget Jones's Diary to this sh*t. Robin Wright overacts as a drunken stripper who claims to be a Christian. Or perhaps the bottle is her reaction to the film in general. Billy Connolly also wastes his talent in this miserable depressing charade. One could say that this showcase regards the damaging affect of neglect and abuse although nothing is neglected more than the miserable screenplay. This film is all over the place and should only be in one place; a deep dark hole. Score: 1 / 10

jkbonner1 A good movie and worth watching. The acting is outstanding. Michelle Pfeiffer does a great job portraying Ingrid Magnussen, a brilliant woman fiercely fixated on maintaining her independence and nurturing her private demons, even to the point of almost destroying her daughter, Astrid. I say "almost." To reveal what is meant by that key term would be to give away the ending. I strongly recommend the reader to see this remarkable movie. Intertwined within the film is the issue of good and evil. Astrid is played with complete conviction by Alison Lohman. Lohman, who in reality was twenty-two during the making of the movie, plays a teenager who at the beginning with her mother in LA is still basically a child. She transforms before our eyes into a beautiful young woman seeking to discover who she is. Placed in several foster homes, she must find her own way and free herself from her powerful and manipulative mother. I found their relationship crushing, but within the context, completely believable. The supporting cast is also first-rate. I rate this movie an 7 out of 10.My only criticism is the movie leaves too much to suggestion, but perhaps this was to preserve its PG-13 rating. Because it does leave too much to suggestion, several relationships are not explored satisfactorily. For example, it would have been interesting to see how Alison behaved when she loses her virginity with Ray, her first foster mother's boyfriend, and her emotions centering around it. With the recent exception of Unfaithful, American films fail to explore adequately human sexuality. Foreign films are way ahead of the American film industry in this regard, and it's really too bad. Y Tu Mamá También, Lucia y el Sexo, and Intimacy quickly come to mind. Maybe there's a lesson to be learned here.I also have a comment. Given the premise of the movie, that Ingrid Magnussen creates a poisonous concoction from Oleander leaves, stalks, and flowers by steeping them in milk, I have to question whether this would be a very effective method to kill someone. Although it is certainly true that Oleander is a rather potent poison, reading up on it, it would appear that the victim would first suffer severe abdominal cramping and nausea, and possibly vomiting. If he did vomit, he might eject enough of the material so that it wouldn't have killed him. If he didn't vomit, one might imagine him going to an ER and having his stomach pumped out. Perhaps Ingrid's boyfriend was so macho that he never would do such a thing. It just seems odd though.7/10

denis888 I am not a fan of such movies, to be honest with you. I like good dramas and if they introduce good actors - the better. The White Oleander is a good work, decent, honest, deep and still flawed a bit. I have never read the book and the movie was a first time experience for me, and quite a nice revelation. I enjoyed the parts played by all great actors here, as Michelle Pfeiffer, Renee Zellwegger, Anna Lohman, Tom Fugit and many did a decent and very good job, which is obvious. Maybe, the movie drags at times and becomes a bit too slow in some moments, and then there is an overflow of sentimental nonsense sometimes, too, but then, this is the law of the genre And oh, one more moment - if my wife, who read the book, had not told me about the poison of the flower which gave the name to the movie, I'd never guess why on earth the film was titled so and why this milk was shown there several times.

collan dsilva I was really amazed at the performance delivered by the actors especially alison lohman, renee zellweger and michelle pfeiffer. This is a movie which delivers the story mentioned in the novel in the best possible way. Nice direction and cinematography as well. I was especially amazed by the 2 scenes which showed the location - Ladera Heights in Los Angeles,CA. The way this location was used, the background music (sound created by sea waves), the scene at that moment .. everything was quite intriguing. I repeated that scene many times and thought before dying I should stay in a home like that for at least a week. Ms Zellweger did quite a nice job of a faithful wife devoted to her husband and really felt bad for wht happened later. Its very difficult to get a wife that devoted to her hubby and if a woman like that exists then she should choose a right partner. Pfeiffer's cold-blooded view on life was a little out of the league. But given her life story nothing else wud have been expected. Robin Wright reminded me of so called "God's people" who just read the scriptures and never follow it in their lives. Lohman did a great job acting in various circumstances was at her best through the movie. Overall I give 10 out of 10 and recommend it for people who believe that life's not fair for everyone and for those who want a Feel GOOD movie!