Abandon
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Movie Reviews of Abandon
Movie Review: Thoroughy enjoyed
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a good movie. Granted it is not the greatest psychological thriller that I have seen, it is not bad at all. Katie Holmes gives an incredible performance as well as Charlie Hunnam and Benjamin Bratt. The cinematography is well-done and I thoroughly enjoyed the story. The movie is not as predictable as others make it out to be. In fact it is not bad at all. "Abandon" may not win any awards or be the best movie ever made, but it is unique and well-done.Movie Review: if the dress fits this lovely lovely lady
Summary: 4 Stars
This is one of Katie's best. She played fantastic roles in The Gift and Wonderboys. I look forward to watching her role in Batman Begins. If you enjoyed Swimfan, you will enjoy Abandon.
Dear Ms Holmes, I look forward to you playing characters that have emotions and expression, cuz I believe thats the kind of roleplayer you are, so please stay away from the shallow characters in the future eventhough they might look good on the outside.
Movie Review: Don't "Abandon" This One
Summary: 3 Stars
After his Oscar winning scrpit for "Traffic" Stephen Gaghan decides he wants to direct. At first I wasn't to sure about this. But, I did want to see the movie anyhow, because I'm a fan of Katie Holmes. So now after watching this movie I find that it was actually enjoyable, and I can't understand why the public has decided to bash it the way they have."Abandon" tells the story of a young college student Embry Larkin (Charlie Hunnam) who has mysterious disappeared for the past two years. This brings forth a detective Wade Handler (Benjamin Bratt). Who is now questioning all the students to find out anything he can on Embry including Katie Burke (Katie Holmes) who we find out was dating Embry. And then a lot of weird things happen. Suddenly Embry returns and starts stalking Katie! And then a friend of Katie's, Harrison (Gabriel Mann) disappears too! Is there a connection? Well, I'm not going to say.
I liked "Abandon" because it seemed to take it's time a tell a story. It tried to create characters that would make it enjoyable for us to watch 90 minutes. The movie had some depth to it, and I like it when movies do. The acting by the cast is wonderful, and I suppose it's Holmes and Bratt who steal the movie but credit has to be given to Stephen Gaghan as well. While I admit the film rarely hits a suspenseful moment, there is a certain style to Gaghan's directing. The movie in a way is sort of a character study-ish movie that examines it's two lead characters. And I'm also pretty sure most will see the ending coming. I myself predicted 50% of it. I wasn't exactly sure. Would I tell someone to see this movie? Yes. I don't feel it's bad movie, the way some people would have you believe. Do I think everyone will like it? Well, I think that answer is obvious. No, everyone will not like this movie. And I'm not exactly sure what the target audience is for this movie. You might guess teens because of Holmes, but, that's not to say someone over that target audience wouldn't enjoy the movie.
Bottom-line: An entertaining first effort by Stephen Gaghan. The movie has a wonderful performance by Holmes, and manages to keep our interest until the end.
Movie Review: Getting over Dawson
Summary: 3 Stars
Katie Burke (Katie Holmes) is neurotic, single, overstressed, the typical movie cliché of an attractive female college student. Because her father left her when she was young and her troubled boyfriend Embry (Charlie Hunnam) disappeared a short time before she became Tom Cruise's beard, her abandonment issues are so rampant she sucks her thumb in a few deleted scenes. Keeping her afloat are her three closest friends: slut Samantha (Zooey Deschanel), token Amanda (Gabrielle Union), and tree-hugger Harrison (Gabriel Mann). Investigating Embry's disappearance is Wade Handler (Benjamin Bratt), a man with whom Katie obviously has an instant attraction because he's significantly older, like her father...and Tom Cruise. The plot thickens when Embry suddenly begins appearing around campus, haunting Katie from afar.
Production-wise, there's nothing outstanding at all. The cinematography is paint by the numbers predictable. Granola on a hiking trip predictable. The direction is above par, but uninspiring. Holmes sideways smirks her way through the film and the others don't really do anything noteworthy. I'm pretty sure M. Night Shyamalan wrote the script; but if he didn't, he should sue for royalties. If you happen to labor through the lethargic pacing, you'll be treated by a Staples button "That was easy!" kind of ending, one hinted at early and figured out well in advance of the actual finish. There are two subplots that go completely underdeveloped that would have completed the film. First is the reasoning for Embry's aloofness and distance from everyone else. Second is Wade's alcoholism, created solely to get Bratt to sign on. Both are inconsequential precisely for the incompleteness of their storyline.
The one major positive to this film is that we get to see Katie Holmes BC (Before Cruise) in her bra and panties. Otherwise, Holmes' cuteness and the underwhelming malaise of competent but sleepwalking actors can pass the time.
Jason Elin
Movie Review: I have seen worse films ...
Summary: 3 Stars
... Having said that, "Abandon" is not a great movie. It is an okay movie if you just want to pass two hours, but no more than that. There is no suspense ... I easily get scared, but I watched this movie alone and in the middle of the night yet I wasn't one bit scared. For a thriller, that is a bit disappointing! Even when looked at as a psychological thriller the film doesn't really deliver. The script isn't well written ... a lot of scenes don't make sense ... there is a girl who keeps talking in cryptic messages as if she knew exactly what happened to Embry (the missing student), but we never learn whether she really did know ... another student goes missing and everybody is worried (there is a scene where his parents are at a restaurant with Katie, the main character, and ask her if she knows where he might be) yet he later re-appears and no mention of where he was (or even that he was gone) is made. Odd, to say the least! Characters keep saying things that have no relevance to what is happening in the movie, and the plot is entirely predictable! You can literally tell what a character is going to do before he/she does it!!!
The acting is okay ... Benjamin Bratt gives a solid performance and manages to make his character likable and interesting; Charlie Hunnam is brilliant as the young eccentric composer Embry; the only one who doesn't seem to feel comfortable with her character at all is Katie Holmes ... her acting in this movie is mediocre, and she doesn't fit the part at all!!! Why she was cast in this movie is beyond me ...!
There are no suspense-elements in this movie, and the surprise-ending is, well, not very surprising. I won't spoil it for you, but you will figure it out halfway through the movie! So, all in all, if you don't mind that the story develops very slowly, and that some things don't add up, then you might like this film! As I have said, I have seen far worse films ...