Just when I begin to think that everything worth while that can be said in a movie has been said along comes a brilliant work like Outside In! Other reviewers have done a good job of sketching in the outlines of this unforgettable film so I'll just say that in a seemingly understated style the writer, director, and actors did a brilliant job of recreating the almost mind numbing complexities of what might at first appear to be a simple plot. There is an "authenticity" to this film that at first appears gritty but later turns out to be quite tender. Whatever life throws at the characters their response is reserved and measured. Sincere! Everyone but Carol's husband reaches out, tries to put themselves in the other person's shoes, and seems willing to put self interest aside. When tears are shed you don't find yourself wondering how the actors made themselves cry, when laughter occurs it rings genuine, not scripted. Complexities are not made simple, endings are left open, important details are left for filling until near the end. Time and again I found myself putting myself in the actor's shoes, trying to figure out why they said a particular thing, or why they responded to something said, or left unsaid, in a particular way. From beginning to end this film was so "real" that I felt like a member of the cast myself. Great film and I will be watching it again in a few weeks!
Review of Outside In
