Limerculer A waste of 90 minutes of my life

Curapedi I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Motompa Go in cold, and you're likely to emerge with your blood boiling. This has to be seen to be believed.

Staci Frederick Blistering performances.

robinski34 This was not the film that I was expecting, I guessed as much when I saw Ang Lee's name role past in the opening credits, and the notion was confirmed two hours later. I thought I was in for whimsical comedy and free spirited stoner philosophising, but the reality is somewhat different. In the end it is a more personal voyage of discovery for the central character, however once things are set in motion his involvement feels peripheral, and events happen around him, driven by others. There are some stand-out performances, Imelda Staunton is priceless as the protagonist's mother and she and the excellent Henry Goodman create a fascinating relationship that is central to the film. Demetri Martin's turn in the central role is rather low key by comparison, and that may be the problem, since everyone else seems larger than life, his performance gets lost in the 'far out' stuff going on around him. The hallucinogenic scenes are well done, and there is a brief burst of action, centred on Mr. Goodman, but largely the pacing is flat, and this does not help. Perhaps the most telling thing is that this is a 2 hour film about a music festival with almost no musical performances in it. I think that would confound most people's expectations. It certainly did mine.

p-stepien A fairly personal real-life tale about the backstage of the revolutionary Woodstock Festival and how it came to take place on a cattle farm in up-state New York. The hero, one Elliot Tiler (Demetri Martin), gay president of Bethel's chamber of commerce, obtains a concert permit for $1 and on news that organisers of the Woodstock Festival have been driven from the initially planned location, invites organiser Michael Lang (Jonathan Groff) to move the event to his backyard, a rundown El Monaco Motel belonging to his parents, Jake (Henry Goodman) and Sonia (Imelda Staunton), which is on the verge of foreclosure. Despite opposition from local residents Elliot goes ahead with the event, which in a bizarre twist of fate changes from a 50,000 planned ticketed event to a free 500,000 extravaganza. The much feared concert quickly turns into a gold-mine for the small-town parents resort, with cash-tills working overtime. Seemingly all problems will be solved by this one epic event...This movie is less however about the concert, which barely features, except as background noise or a distant shimmering on the horizon, and more about the times centred around Elliot and his immediate friends and family. Among them an absolutely adorable and awkwardly memorable performance by Imelda Staunton, who steals the show with her cranky penny-hugging portrayal, as well as an astutely hilarious Liev Schreiber, who plays ex-Marine transvestite Vilma straight and in-your-face, surprisingly getting away with it.Despite all of the above the overly comedic focus of the movie pushes Ang Lee to indulge into stereotyping with detriment to the emotional pull of the story. Most characters are pretty linear extensions of expectations with town folks shown as petty and close-minded, distraught and terrified by the 'unknown' (whilst having no remorse at profiteering from the invading forces), while hippies are crazed clueless teenagers, who spurt out cosmic sentences without any essential context. Stuck in between it becomes hard to empathise with any group portrayed in the movie, even more so that Demetri Martin gets lost in proceedings, pushed aside by events that unfold, more a hapless observer, less a visible protagonist. In the end it becomes hard to really care, whilst what's the point of making a movie about Woodstock, if by the end you don't really give a flying rat buttock...Nonetheless the behind-the-scenes set pieces and/or special effects are pretty breathtaking, almost surreal, giving it a magnetic pull lacking in the story department. Plus the amount of extras on set is really out there. This recreates the feeling of sheer audacity and scope of the event, with the muddied desolate aftermath of the festival a highlight right before the end credits.Music lovers hoping to relive the concert itself are better off looking elsewhere, as Ang Lee deliberately focuses on the behind-the-scenes, the place where the real action is taking place.

mbrgaw2000 I saw "Taking Woodstock' @ the wonderful River Oaks Theater in Houston, Tx. a while back & really anticipated watching it! They were My Generation... that helped Our World make some Course Corrections... though not enough, yet!! I recently bought a used DVD of it from Blockbuster & just finished re-watching it! Overall, it was a very good film & brought back so many Great Memories & filled in some valuable & entertaining history!! Though I didn't go to Woodstock, I was definitely a Psychedelic Hippie, & loved some of the Psychedelic Scenes of the movie... very well done, as it even evoked the 'feeling experience' along w/ some of the visuals!! However, after watching it again, as in my 1st viewing, I was upset & disappointed @ the Underlying Gay Theme of the movie... which Definitely was not nearly as prevalent then as today!! That's not what Woodstock was anywhere near about... yeah for sure Peace & Love, but just like the part in the *Woodstock Record* when one of the Organizers said to everyone over the loudspeakers, "This is now a Free Concert but, That doesn't mean That Anything Goes!!" There are Rules to Life... *Not Just Anything Goes*...i.e. the 'glbt' agenda is outside that Parameter of Right & Wrong; just as Adultery, Prostitution, Pedophilia, Lying, Cheating, Killing, etc.!! This was just Ang Lee's, who I've heard is gay, twisted misconception & distortion, & his way supporting the 'glbt' way!! Long Live Woodstock, an Event like None Other***

pik923 That's like asking Leni Riefenstahl to direct a film about Israel....I'm doing my best to enjoy this as I grew up in Sullivan County, I new Max Yasgur as did everyone in the area, I worked in a local hotel during the Festival, my sister attended the Festival, and this has no feeling of the mood, the people, the locals, the music, the madness, the spontaneity, how everyone worked together to keep the 1/2 million strong safe and sound....and the music! Where is the music? How can you think - yes I use the word think - how can you think about making a movie about Woodstock without a soundtrack? The depiction of the immigrant mother from Russia is ridiculous, almost insulting - not because of her actions, but she doesn't make it. Give me a break! What a pity - that many of my younger friends liked this film but hey they were too young to appreciate and really remember Woodstock....see the documentary - it is great! The mud the rain the people the music the music the music and Swami Satchidananda blessing it all!