Visitors Review

sunshine_26 (2012-05-26 16:34)

Charlie St. Cloud To Me

Charlie St. Cloud is a remarkable story about life and love, death andloss, letting go and moving on. But above all it's about the bondbetween two brothers that not even death can break. Charlie St. Cloud the movie was not exactly like the book but it didnot disappoint me as a whole,because while it is based on the book, youalso have to appeal to the movie goers and I think they did thatwell.For me, having read the book there were a couple things (scenesand script) that I missed. Iwill point out what I missed but I feel Ifirst have to comment on the beautiful portrayal of the main characterCharlie St. Cloud by ZacEfron. Even if I had not known who was going tobe playing Charlie in the movie Zac Efron would have been my choice, hejust fits the part.He brought everything that was needed in thatcharacter to the big screen. You really felt the bond between him andhis younger brother Sam who was portrayed by Charlie Tahan (wonderfulperformance). AfterSam dies but is caught in the in between, he andCharlie are still connected, and you need that bond to be strong butalso believable throughout and they did just that. Zac Efron is one ofthe best actors out there today in my opinion. Yes he is incrediblyhandsome but he is also incredibly talented and in my opinion as theyears go on I think he is just going to become more of a talented actorand may be even become one of the best actors of all time if hecontinues on. I think people should not type cast him in the musicalroles, because while he is great in all of those, he is also amazing inmore serious roles that don't involve singing and dancing (like Me andOrson Welles and 17 Again... he may do a tiny bit of both in each ofthose but you get what I mean, I'm talking the full on musicals) and Ihope he continues to do more of the serious/mature roles like this onewas. I've heard that some critics out there don't feel that Zac got theemotions across that Charlie goes through; I feel that all thosecritics are wrong, I think he got all the emotions across the way thatthe book intended them to be and the way that in real life sometimesyou feel in those kind of situations. Zac to me always gets hisemotions across through his beautiful blue eyes, and too me that'simportant, because you can tell a lot of what someone is feeling fromtheir eyes (at least in my opinion). I felt every emotion that he felt,and to be honest I think every time he cried I cried because it was amoment when you would and the same goes for his happy moments and soon, so don't tell me that he didn't get his emotions across because Ifelt them all through his acting. All of the actors and actress'sportrayed their characters well, however there were a few charactersfrom the book that were missing in the movie and in some ways I feltthey were needed, but what can you do. This movie had some incrediblescenery and the way it was captured on film was beautiful. Thesoundtrack, which is always important to me, was amazing. I especiallyloved the song While We Were Dreaming by Pink Mountaintops. The thingsI missed from the book in this film, well there's a scene where Tessmeets and can see Sam and I think it is a pivotal moment in the bookand would have brought more sense to those who watched the movie andhad not read the book. I think they should have taken us on Tess'sjourney in her boat when things go wrong, I guess for the movie goersthey thought maybe it would give away too much, I suppose in some waysit might have. Ray Liotta's character Florio Ferrente to me did not getenough of a part, he is a key character in the book and I think itwould have given the movie just that much more if he had narrated a bitat the beginning and end like he seems to do in the book. Some of themost beautiful words come from his character and I don't think they didhim justice in the movie and that's too bad, I really admired hischaracter in the book. All in all I think both the book and the movieare a must read and watch. Until next time! "Qualcuno ti ama."

napierslogs (2012-05-26 03:07)

Simple romantic drama, nothing more and nothing less

I like movies that are exactly as they claim to be. "Charlie St. Cloud"is just that, a romantic drama, nothing more and nothing less.There is nothing profound, although with a few thoughtful dynamics,it's just the story of a young man (Zac Efron) unable to overcome thetragic death of his younger brother until he meets a beautiful girl whoshares his same passion for sailing.The problems are plentiful, with cringe-worthy dialogue, supportingactors who haven't yet learned how to act, no affecting drama producingfew tears, and there just isn't enough to completely hold yourattention. But yet, because it's a simple love story that doesn'tpretend to be grandiose and doesn't force out-of-place tears, I liked"Charlie St. Cloud". I found it to be sweet, subdued and modest.It was also the perfect choice for Zac Efron as he matures in hisacting career. Sure, there are probably a few too many shots of Efronstanding in his jeans and t-shirts staring into the sunset with hislonging, blue eyes, but that is, of course, partly why we would watchit in the first place.Follow my blog Napierslogs' Movie Expositions athttp://napierslogs.blogspot.com

(2012-05-25 15:19)

Satisfied with seller LOVE LOVE MOVIE!

This review is from: Charlie St. Cloud [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray) I absolutely love this movie! It pulls at your heart strings and Zac Efron is just incredible! He is truly blossoming into someone like Leonardo or Brad pit in his acting abilities as well as in the looks department! :) The provider of this movie was good. The movie was in good condition the only complaint is there was a small scratch on the disk so there was about 15 seconds of skipping at one point in the movie. For a used disk i was satisfied though.

(2012-05-25 07:27)

EXCELLENT Film

Zac Efron has solidified himself as a leading man in Hollywood with his masterful portrayal of Charlie St. Cloud. Without giving too much of the plot away, Efron absolutely shined throughout the film. You felt every single bit of his angst, heartache, emptiness, and sadness. I never read the book, but I'd imagine this movie more than did it justice. What a beautiful, heart warming film. I can't say enough good things about it.

brioche_a_la_cannelle (2012-05-23 19:47)

I waste my money

I thought that that movie was going to be touching, heartbreaking, aunique love story... but it was just... a waste of time and a waste ofmoney. Yes, Zack Efron looks good. Yes, his eyes are amazing. Yes, he can be agood actor. But the story is boring. It does not make any sense! First,Efron's characters talks to dead people. I was like "What the heck? Heneeds to go to a psychiatric institute!" It is not believable. And thepunch of the story is just ridiculous. At the end, I was still thinkingthat Efron's character needed to go to an institute. And for good. Andthe whole story is based on a relationship that we do not even knowwell. The brotherhood between Charlie and his brother did not seem thatstrong... Nothing works in this movie. The actors are good, this is nottheir fault. The whole story sucks. That was the problem. I don't evenwant to read the book, life is too short. I was very disappointed andafter seeing this movie, I was like "I should have seen Inception for asecond time. At least this film is more realistic." It gives you anidea. The only good things in this film? Efron's eyes. And the song"Airplanes" in the trailer. That's all.For 10$ you could buy something more useful in your life.

mistressselene (2012-05-23 17:02)

Pleasantly surprised...

I honestly wasn't expecting much except for a fluff, but was pleasantlysurprised by this heart-warming tear-jerker. I don't know much of themain actor Zac Efron other than what is mentioned in his "known for"Bio on IMDb; as such I wasn't expecting a grand performance as such. Asmuch as the movie surprised me itself, as did the actor. Being that majority of the movie center's on Zac Efron's performance itwas a very pleasant surprise to see a young actor around my age holdhis own and move past his Disney starting career, where so many elsehave failed miserably, and try for an actual acting career. I won't go off the deep end and say this film deserves of an award ofsome kind but I found it to be pleasant with some tears (as I am femaleand tend tear up at the "tear-jerker" parts) and an over all satisfiedfeeling at the end. The movie was a bit corny in some parts maybe a bittoo much fluff towards the ends, but I was expecting that. I wouldconsider this a nice movie to watch with your girlfriends/gayguy-friends (if I was back in my home town I would have watched it withmy best friend and his lover) or at home on a weekend night. I would however recommend that you not watch it with your boyfriend(unless he's the rare and lovable oddball that likes chick-flicks), asit is definitely a chick-flick. Also, take into consideration that asZac Efron is on the screen for most of the movie and most guys do notlike watching *just* a dude for almost two hours, with a minor mix oflittle brother and possible love interest mixed in. That being said youshould be able to judge how your boyfriends would react to this movie;at least I hope you would for their sakes. ^_~;;On another note despite not being a raving fan girl of Zac Efron I canadmit that he is eye candy, particularly his chartreuse/blue eyes, somost women (and men that are so inclined) will not only get prettydecent solo acting and a heart-warming tale, but a nice face to look atin the process. =) That said I enjoyed the movie and am curious as towhat else this young actor might produce in the future.

(2012-05-21 01:51)

Only Slightly Better Than Good: One-Time Read Only

Even though I was almost engrossed in the book for a short period of time, I feel as though I was almost hoodwinked into reading something that would've only just made my top 100 books list. The cover is more to draw you in than the pages of the book are to provide meaningful content to the plotline. I would buy this book, but not at the price it was sold for. It could be argued as to whether or not this review was biased due to my negative experiences with books of this genre, but there are definately many negatives to this book as well as there are positives. The fact that Charlie ST. Cloud can, or believes he can see the spirits of the recently departed is as inspirational as it is original. This gift only permits itelf to be existant within a certain radius of the cemetary. It explains why he got a job there. However the book only explains when and why Charlie got his gift, but never how it happened. Also, Charlie's self esteem changes constantly between the two extremes of his existence: considering himself to be a slut, and believing he is the luckiest man alive. This can leave the reader a bit confused, and the metaphorical string that ties the book together, a bit frayed. Overall, I would recommend this book to only the most avid of readers. It requires a certain attention span for books that for some people may be more wisely spended in another activity.

(2012-05-20 08:31)

tear dropper

This review is from: Charlie St. Cloud (DVD) this was a touching movie. It had us girls crying and couldnt get away from the movie. we watched it from the beginning to the end

Patrick Czekaj (2012-05-19 18:59)

Read the book, then watch the movie

I've read Ben Sherwood's book The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud afew year ago. I can honestly say that it was pretty enjoyable, due toits ability to get straight to the point in order to grasp the reader'sattention and its easy-to-understand language. It's anemotionally–packed story of a great tragedy, where the main charactertries to 'stay in touch' with his dead brother, and, at the same time,move on in order to develop a relationship with a newly met girl. AfterI have heard the news that the movie is about to come out I thoughtthat t will be a great opportunity to test my imagination and reassuremyself that the book possesses a special attitude that makes the plotvery entertaining.I really thought that the choice of Zac Efron for the role of Charliewas a good one. His age, posture and physical abilities – all thatseemed to be right on the spot. However, his inability to connect withthe character that he was playing made his appearance particularlydull. One thing I must say for certain – this man can cry, and I meancry like a newborn baby. Yet, his deeply unemotional and expressionlessface in addition to the ever-occurring sobbing doesn't really capturethe true grief behind the nature of Mr. St. Cloud. In the book he was astrong and independent man, regaining control of his own life. Hisdepiction as a big crybaby didn't convince me. However, the pictureshown on the screen can vary from the one originally written, right?This could have been the director's intention. Unfortunately, it cameout all wrong. Of course, all the girls that are in love with Efronwill be amazed, that is for sure. And I don't want to say that he is abad actor, because he isn't. I just want to say that his performancehere is bad. But let's just leave Zac alone and move forward. The role of Sam, thebrother, is played rather well by Charlie Tahan, because he capturedthis character's presence correctly and honestly you can't expect moreenthusiasm from a young boy, who is now a ghost still present among theliving (it sounds depressing, but it was his choice to stay on Earthand always be near his big brother). Amanda Crew, playing the beautifullady, who tries to convince Charlie that there is still more to lifethan mourning and that, especially right now, he should live to thefullest, is a bright star in this production. I loved her heartfeltattitude and the amount of positive balance that she brings onto thescreen.However, the stagnant mood and melancholic atmosphere of the film makeit a far from entertaining. On the plus side, it is supposed to be atale about growing up and letting go, so let's just say that is a goodthing in some strange sort of way.Indeed it can be said that this is a strong position in the teenagedrama category. Looking from this perspective one can always find someinspiration and try to put himself in Charlie's traumatic position.Only then it carries a certain message and is slightly more appealing.That is why I wouldn't consider this movie to be a total flop, butdeveloping my opinion from the point of reading the breathtaking bookI'm not able to state that I'm satisfied with this adaptation.

(2012-05-19 07:32)

A beautiful touching movie!

I just watched this movie and I loved it! Don't want to spoil anything about what happens or the twists in this movie....I would just say WATCH IT!

djnau29 (2012-05-19 03:15)

"A wonderful made drama. Zac Efron gives one of his best performance in his career.

Based one the novel "The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud"; by BenSherwood. Charlie St. Cloud (Zac Efron), a small-town hero and anaccomplished sailor who has it all: the adoration of his mother andyounger brother, and a Stanford scholarship. His bright future is cutshort when tragedy strikes, taking his dreams with it. Now Charlie istorn between honoring a promise he made years ago and pursuing his newfound love with a former high-school classmate comes a story of hope,second chances and the transformative power of love. (Universal) Charlie St. Cloud is a wonderful movie, very endearing and quitecompelling. The story is not only a love story, its also about grief,miracles, letting go, moving on, & second chances. The story packs inso many different levels of emotions and drama, as well as some comedy,and romance. There also elements of sports add to the story mainlysailing boats, but also a little of baseball. While I can see that itwill discourage male audiences who don't like to sit through a chickflick, but I thought it was one of the better so-called chick flickI've seen, one that's very well-written and quite affective.The cast were all great but credit goes out to Zac Efron's andnew-comer Charlie Tahan's that gives this movie soul and heart. This isby far one of his best performance I've seen. Other note-worthyperformances goes out to Amanda Crew who had great chemistry with ZacEfron, and Charlie Tahan has bright future ahead after this movie hewas very good. It's also worthy noting of Enrique Chediak's beautifullydone cinematography really captures the lush landscaping.The scorecomposed by Rolfe Kent, who crafted such lovely music in the movie. Ihope they decided to release a soundtrack of Kent's beautiful score.So Overall, this is one of the most underrated movie I've seen of 2010.It may be a movie for those who love chick-flicks, but its in myopinion one of the better chick flicks I've seen one that is veryheartwarming and so wonderful, its worth a watch, but its Zac Efron'sperformance that gives the movie soul and heart. By far one of his bestperformances since Hairspray. It's unfortunate this movie is gettingsuch harsh reviews from critics,In my opinion it didn't deserve thatmuch negative reception. I liked it, its quite a compelling and wellmade drama, beautifully shot, and good acting from the cast.Movie Grade: BReview by: Doug NauWork cited: Charlie St. Cloud official Site. "Synopsis". Web. 10 March2012. http://www.charliestcloud.com/

doctorjagger (2012-05-18 18:57)

Amazing

This was an amazing movie. But if you don't like movies that haveheartbreaking sad parts that stick with you after you leave the theaterdon't see this one. Otherwise you're in for a very well put togetherheart full, and touching movie. At times the plot line is hard tofollow. But I think if you can tell what's going to happen when, themovie maker hasn't done their job. In this case you are hooked on thestory and the acting the entire time. The moments between Charlie andhis brother Sam where very heart warming and also heart breaking. Allthese things are the mark of a wonderful movie. It has a very goodmessage: you can love your family forever, even if they are no longerwith you, but you must also live your life. Zac Efron has come a longway from High School Musical. I think he could go the distance as anactor. The same can be said for his young co-star, Charlie Tahan, whoplayed Sam St. Cloud. He was very convincing every second he was on thescreen. I cried every moment it was intended with him. I think he alsohas a bright future as an actor. I really latched onto them both. Whichmeans they where good at their parts. I give this movie, which willstay with me for a long time, a 10/10.

DICK STEEL (2012-05-18 13:04)

A Nutshell Review: Charlie St. Cloud

The legion of female teenage fans who turn up in droves for thispreview screening is probably testament to the drawing power of ZacEfron, probably Hollywood's latest heartthrob who's standing his groundwith his alpha male status from the High School Musical series, tofilms like Hairspray and 17 Again where he plays a star basketballerwho's life didn't turn out as he thinks. In Charlie St. Coud, a romanceflick with its title named after his character (which tells a lot abouthis ability to marquee a film), he too plays a star sportsman (hereit's sailing) whose championship potential got cut short by tragedy,which turned him into someone who can see and communicate with deadpeople.I kid you not if you think this was a Shaymalan picture, but it's moreDisney friendly that you can imagine, with his powers only limited tocommunicating with spirits caught in limbo, and thus making him thetown looney where it's best to leave him alone. His powers only camewhere he was pulled from the brink of death by a paramedic (Ray Liotta)some five years ago, where his babysitting of his young brother Sam(Charlie Tahan) turned out tragically in ways that's not his fault,because Zac Efon's the latest blue eyed boy of the industry, and hischaracter cannot be all that negative (see uproar cause by 17 Again'spremarital sex)From what would be the promise of sailing challenges and scholarships,Charlie becomes a cemetery caretaker in the same cemetery his brothergot buried in, so as to be able to play catch with him every eveningdeep in the woods without fail, as his guilt made him succumb to notbeing able to let go and move on. To most he's a lost cause, that hissecond stab at life was wasted in doing something menial other than tochange the world or something, but this doesn't bother Charlie so longas he gets to seek out his dead brother as a confidante.But of course a romance movie will suggest to you that love willconquer all and set him free, and this comes in the form of Tess(Amanda Crew), his school mate admiring him from afar, sharing his samepassion for sailing (not spook interacting) and is gearing up for thechallenge of sailing solo around the world. Curious about Charlie andnever hiding the fact that she's interested in him, they soon hook up,but there's more to this romantic angle that I will like to give itcredit to as I didn't see it coming, feeling rather bored about thefilm until a spanner got thrown into its narrative to shake things up alittle.The one thing working against Charlie St. Cloud's favour is just howconvenient things can turn out to be, especially in its final actinvolving shooting stars (told you it's far out) and stroke of lucks,but for fans of Efron these can all be overlooked so long as their herogets plenty of screen time as a romantic lead spouting lines like neverleaving you, and being together forever, anything that's swoon-worthyenough to appeal to his demographic fan base. It's not a perfect movie,but has enough to make it an above average date movie.

perkypops (2012-05-18 01:14)

Enjoyable whimsy despite its bigger flaws

There are many parallels to other twisty, turning, "are they alive ordead?" films of this genre that probably do it at lot better but BurrSteers effort is undeniably entertaining. He has some great acting fromCharlie Tahan in particular to raise the rating a notch or two too.The opening is neatly crafted as back story explaining how brothersCharlie (Efron) and Sam (Tahan) are as inseparable in death as in life.Fast forward five years and we have the revelation of a gift Charliemay, or may not, have. The story takes over from there as a charminglymeandering exploration of promises, principles, reasons and deeply heldbeliefs. Zac Efron gives a goodish but slightly uneven presentation ofthe "man with a mission", his own worse enemy, but also one of hisword. There are moments when Efron is very convincing but there areothers when he seems to be going through the motions. What CharlieTahan succeeds in doing is taking the simple and raw and keeping itsimple and raw, something Efron needs to work on.Amanda Crew is good as the romantic interest and there are a couple ofcameos from Kim Basinger and Ray Liotta.Now I will not plot spoil to reveal the bigger flaws in the script butI was not expecting a revelation to be made in quite the way it was,and at the time was left thinking - that's stupid it should have beendone differently without spoiling the story - but that is show businessfor you! Overall it is a worthwhile film with a reasonable point tomake. I give it seven out of ten.

(2012-05-16 02:24)

A great Zac Efron performance

Letting go is never easy. For Charlie St Cloud, the death of his brother Sam triggered a change of life. Once a champion sailor, his brothers' passing left him lost, and with a unique ability to see dead people. Spending every night playing ball with his dead brother, he denies his future for his past. A second ghost begins to haunt him as his 'girl', Tess, another sailor, is lost at sea.Charlie, missing his nightly appointment with Sam, says goodbye to his brother while he discovers that to move ahead, he must face the future head on. Relying on the faith in St Jude that the paramedic who saved his life gives him, he heads out to sea and finds Tess barely alive. This is one great movie with a good message. Zac Efron delivers a strong performance as Charlie and Amanda Crew is a good mesh for the psychologically/psychic challenged sailor. Each cast member builds into this strong character driven film, and turns this into more of a thriller as opposed to a romance or rite of passage film. Truly, the film shows the maturation of Efron as an actor. His co-stars, Liota, and Basinger are just part of the package.

earleywinejamie (2012-05-15 10:40)

I kiiiinda liked it.......

I went to this movie with my girlfriend, not JUSTTTT because she wantedto, but because I was also interested in seeing this sad tale. Thepreviews looked good and I'm not a guy who's afraid to watch some"sappy" love/drama film. I give props to Zac Efron because that dudecan really act (and cry). He has the ability to make the audience feelthe pain and hardships he is going through in his own life and he isvery good at toning down some of the cheesy screenplay with his ownexperience as a well-achieved and believable actor. The kid who playedhis brother Sam was also GREAT for being cast at such a young age. Theyhad a realistic bond and it perfectly personified the true relationshipof any brotherly comradeship. Girls, if your looking for a sad/happyending, zac efrons shirtless body, and a movie that will make your eyestear up then this is the movie for you.

Yaseen Hamed (2012-05-15 06:16)

A heart touching Drama

Charlie St. Cloud is a movie can only be felt maximum by those who havelost their loved ones untimely. A story about charlie who lost his kidbrother in a horrifying car accident while he was driving. later hestarted seeing his brother at specific place and time hence he gave upcollege and all opportunities, in fact he never moved on with hislife..the story speaks about this lonely young man who's father left him andthen he lost his brother and later his mom moved on to another city...and now he is alone, working in a cemetery...I loved this movie and Zach Afron proved that he is more than just adancing bubble boy in Disney's high school musicals! I wish he had abetter start as an actor but its never too late! the way he tears awayin a moment has touched me !!!

(2012-05-14 18:03)

Charlie Not On Cloud 9

CHARLIE ST. CLOUD was a bit of a head-scratcher, but that's just me. The incredibly beautiful Zac Efron in the title role is most sweet, enjoyable and he has a stillness that is fitting. Very dignified, a quiet charm that I think might take him a long way in film.Charlie has lost his 'baby' brother Sam in an accident, the results of which leave Charlie able to see certain deceased people. The film, while it keeps the ghost of young Sam ghostly enough, does not seem able to find its right niche. After all, is this a ghost here, a ghost there, or is Charlie really just left wacko from his injuries?The sad predictability of something I expected to really pop - crazy boy-sees-ghosts-finds-girl, she brings him back to a normal life - YAWN! There was a powerful potential in the relationship, but the makers missed that beat also. This film attracted me for many reasons and I waited a long time to view it. Aside from the inducement of the stunning Zac, I found myself turning away in boredom more than once.It seems a relatively safe family film, it's a deep enough story to satisfy the average viewer. If you can stomach the canned cream corn of the storyline, it is even passable as a romance. Just as a selfish little wish, I hope Zac Efron, who is strongly rumored to be gay, will try a "bromance" comedy next time around - I haven't seen him star in anything since this film.That's it, I won't warn you away from this so-so film, I've seen a lot worse. At the same time, I won't praise it to the skies, but I will repeat that Zac Efron is a major acting talent, and if he ever learns to broaden his range he'll have a life comparable to that of Cary Grant.

(2012-05-14 16:38)

One of the Greatest Movies

This movie is about the unforgivable bond between brothers. Then a different love tears it apart. This movie stays true to the book which i love.

(2012-05-14 01:33)

This movie was WWWOOOOOWWWW!!!

i admire this movie. it was a very thoughful movie and it is a greatly put together movie. The story was put together nicely and it didnt jump from one thing to another. You could actually follow wat was happening. Zac Efron was amazing!!!!!!! in this movie and when i say that i mean it. alot of people bashed this movie as soon has they saw the "High School Musical Guy" was in it (air quotes) that turned alot of people off from this movie!!! but im telling you put that aside and watch this movie!!!! it will be worht your time!! it was a sad but happy movie at the same time. it teaches you that if you are giving a second chance don't dwell, live your life and you will find happiness