MoPoshy Absolutely brilliant

Livestonth I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

Tayyab Torres Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Tobias Burrows It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Rainey Dawn After his father's death, Gilbert has to care for his mentally disabled brother, Arnie, and his morbidly obese mother, which is suddenly challenged when love walks into his life.I remember seeing this one in my mid-20s... the Heart-Breaking Story is still with me... this one is a tear jerker.9/10

bsmackey-48572 I fully admit that I appreciate slower films more than most and that this definitely qualifies as a s-l-o-w film. That said, I'm still surprised at some of the excessively, over-the-top negative reviews here.It's already been pointed out, by many, that -- for the performance of Leonardo DiCaprio alone -- this film is worth checking out. And that's true. Like others, this was the first time I had ever seen him in anything and I remember thinking how amazing it was that they had cast a mentally challenged person in the film. He was/is that good in this.But, beyond that, I found the film uniquely touching in its portrayal of family and the limits that a community can sometimes put on those who are struggling to improve their lot in life and overcome those things that would bring us down. Inspiring.

Evan Wessman (CinematicInceptions) Initially, this movie would seem to be a pretty boring two hours. It doesn't have a terribly definitive external plot like people expect lots of movies to have. That's not to say that there's not a story there, but it's just not one that you could advertise well. Actually, one could make a case that it was spoofed by Napoleon Dynamite eleven years later since very little happens in either Midwestern town, but Endora is made laughable enough that there's nothing really to spoof.Gilbert seems a little bit like one of those characters who "didn't exist before the movie", but I think this is actually his Inactiveness. The quoted phrase above is typically used when critiquing how a character is written, but I think it actually holds true for Glibert as a person. We don't think he's existed prior to the events of the movie because he hasn't. He's just been content with his dead-end life and doesn't feel like making any change to it, not because he likes it, but because he's just never considered doing anything else. Throughout the story, we see him try to shed the burdens and responsibilities that his family has placed on him and begin to seek his own interests. His most prominent burden is his disabled brother Arnie. I get the feeling that if Arnie ever did die, Gilbert would then be able to handle practically any challenge that he faced for the rest of his life. Firstly, he would finally have the freedom to accept other responsibilities without having to worry about Arnie, and secondly he would have so much day-to-day experience with hardships and dealing with difficult people that other tasks would seem fairly easy to him. But all the same, Arnie's innocence makes him worth the workload and he provides emotional support for Gilbert like nobody else could. A less rewarding burden is Mrs. Grape, a lump of a woman who becomes the laughingstock of the town for her extreme obesity. The other two women in Gilbert's life are his adulterous lover Mrs. Carver and the out of town visitor Becky. Eventually, Becky's presence in his life makes Gilbert more aware of himself and helps him to bring his entire family to a better state of life (even in the form of Mrs. Grape's death). Mrs. Carver is probably the most hatable character (outside of maybe Ellen Grape) because of her poor parenting and how she takes advantage of Gilbert's problems. On the other hand, Becky is a breath of fresh air to everyone she meets, but you don't get the sense that she's a saint or anything. The acting was amazing all around. Obviously DiCaprio steals the show as Arnie, but the other actors deserve props as well. Johnny Depp didn't really have an opportunity here for a great performance, but he did well enough for the part he was in. The overall directing felt way ahead of its time. Without knowing the year, I would have guessed that this came out ten years later than it did. I especially liked the way the camera was positioned so that you were constantly aware of how much danger Arnie is in whenever he is in an elevated position. The script was pretty good with dialogue and the author did a good job adapting the screenplay; I could feel the care that was put into the action lines as they were performed on-screen. The score did a really good job capturing the mood of care-freeness when that was called for.As I said at the start, it might not seem that appealing, but I would encourage you to give it a try. It will most likely not be one of your favorite movies, but it will be a fairly enjoyable and enriching experience. I suppose if you like one of the actors featured, there's already some draw anyways. If that is the case, you will not be disappointed by DiCaprio, but know that it is a relatively low-key performance from Johnny Depp. Overall Rating: 8/10.

DCSassyQueen So, I have decided to watch all (nearly all) of Leonardo and Johnny Depp's movies. I have to say that this movie is unexpected because it does not have the elements of what I usually enjoy in movies (adventure, action, dramatic romance etc.). The story is simple. Everything about this movie is beyond simple, but it works because the performances from Johnny Depp and Leo (especially Leo) carries this movie. I cannot believe Leo did not win an Oscar for his role, Arnie. I have seen the Fugitive and I love Tommy Lee Jones, but I believe Leo deserved this Oscar. I, always, was outraged that he never won an Oscar, but now I truly understand how upsetting it is for him to not win the Oscars. He puts his everything in his performances. I love the brotherly bond of Gilbert and Arnie. It truly warmed my heart to see Gilbert take care of Arnie the way he did. The ending was so touching.