Reviews

I am a successful professional, 54 year old father of two, grandfather of three. When I was 15 years old, I was kidnapped by a pedophile who was a small-time criminal with two body guards. I was never brutalized, but was constantly in fear for my life for a week. He had a gun, baseball bat, and the two guards, and I never doubted for a minute I would end up dead if I did not cooperate. When you are that terrified and under the control of an antagonist, the heroic reactions you would like to think you would have are not always the ones that you live out.

This movie rang true for me in really painful ways. I survived that nightmare and went on to have a full life. It could have been different. When I went to see this film, I did not know the first thing about it other than Naomi Watts was in it, who I will see in anything. The film turned out to be a sobering reflection on a painful part of my life.

Absolutely mesmerizing; Resist the desire to analyze it, let it flow over you...This film is a "Six Degrees of Separation" in a globalized world. I was transfixed by the interwoven narratives, and each of the characters was superbly acted and distinctly drawn, and the cinematography was rich and fantastic. As I was watching the film, I was aware of some audience members who were actually laughing derisively at the film, which was a mystery to me because I was so completely drawn in. I realized early in the film to let go of analyzing and attempting to draw meaning, and to let it unfold like a dream. All I can say is I left the theater feeling deeply rewarded for having invested my 2 1/2 hours, and I did not want to leave my seat for a few minutes after the credits and sound track had ended.

What I love about this film is the very plausible portrayal of the development of human traits in prehistoric man. The story centers around a tribe that has not yet learned to start a fire. They have to steal fire from other tribes, or find it in nature. So much of their efforts are centered on keeping a fire constantly nurtured, and if their fire goes out, the entire tribe suffers the elements. However, this is not a simple caveman flick. The filmmakers portray the development of human attributes such as humor and laughing, connection between males and females beyond the pure sexual, language development, story telling, cross-pollination of ideas between tribes of different levels of advancement, and at the end, the awakening of a sense of the transcendent. I find the film to be a compelling drama even after 25 years, and it does not seem at all dated. If you have even the slightest interest in early man, this film is a must-see.