Reviews

*Mild spoilers* - nothing you don't find out in the first five minutes. As a fan of Jefferson Moore's movies, I was surprised and delighted that he decided to tangle with the important issue of breast cancer in women. This movie pulled no punches with just how badly the main character, Becca, sank after she made the devastating discovery that she needed a double mastectomy. She quickly lost everything she held dear and sank into a lonely life of misery, living alone, eating and drinking too much and never seeing the light of day. Then one day she made a connection that changed everything. Unlike many stories of recovery and redemption, Becca's journey was not an overnight event. It took time and patience from many, including herself. The subject matter is handled thoughtfully and we are never smacked over the head by the director's message. The characters are real people and these issues are reflected in the lives of many who have been touched by this horrid disease. Indeed, the credits list how many involved in the film have been effected. Well done to all the cast of this film. I highly recommend it. Just make sure you have a full box of tissues available. You're going to need them.

I saw the previews to this event and I was hopeful for a more faithful retelling of the original story. Alas, I was disappointed with a story that mixed elements from HG Wells' own personal story and blended them into the mash of lousy story telling and poor special effects. I'm sure I wasn't the only one to pick up on the fact that Herbert "George" Wells, his second wife Amy and his brother Frank featured in this schlock fest. Where do I start with this story of sexual repression and foolishness that ends in what looks like the death of humanity? As an author, I like to create characters that people will root for, but these sad individuals were too messed up to care about. HG created a story about survival in the face of overwhelming odds. This story had the characters more at one another's throats than worrying about the Martian "threat". Mind you, the Martians were a joke. HG had the smarts to create a creature that was intelligent and capable of creating limbs that could carry out basic functions. Without our opposable thumbs mankind would be in serious trouble. These "Martians" were nothing more than creatures with spikes for legs - no arms. How on Earth did they create the means to brush their "teeth" let alone manage technical devices? In the original story bacteria killed the Martians with humanity none the wiser and grateful for their foolhardyness. In this story typhoid killed them - but only after the crafty humans figured it would. Give me a break! I went into this hopeful, but sorely disappointed. To sum it up - dumb and depressing. I'd rather watch Tom Cruise's outing.