Problem: 1. The great high-school comedy that spawned a thousand rip-offs.
2. The comedy captured the brutal realism of post-sexual-revolution high school life and has been imitated often, rarely equaled, and surpassed only once.
3. The movie is sublimely funny. And interesting.
4. Lacks the frenzied energy which allowed Porky's to beat all competitors in its field.
5. A brashly funny yet sensitive comedy that has become a cult favorite.
6. Was never all it was cracked up to be.
7. Sean Penn's calling never left Mr. Hand's classroom.
8. overrated
9. [Penn] sets the tone of fun for the whole movie.
10. This R-rated comedy captured the natural humor of high school life, while also addressing serious topics.
What is the consensus?
****
Answer: While Fast Times at Ridgemont High features Sean Penn's legendary performance, the film endures because it accurately captured the small details of school, work, and teenage life.


Problem: 1. The casting is impeccable, the dialogue raw and the impenetrable Glaswegian brogue is wisely translated with English subtitles.
2. Ken Loach's most effective film since My Name Is Joe.
3. From its gripping immediacy to its strong cast of unknowns, Sweet Sixteen feels almost like a documentary. Loach and screenwriter Paul Laverty keep an evenhanded focus on harsh truths, and avoid melodrama and grandstanding.
4. Don't get too close; don't help out; let them make their own mistakes
5. Sweet Sixteen is a gritty film directed by Ken Loach about the spiritual dynamics of hope in the life of a resourceful and brave teenager living in poverty in Glasgow, Scotland.
6. An uncompromising look at life, with all its questionable triumphs and irreversible consequences, performed by a cast that is virtually untrained and entirely genuine, with a fully engaging performance by Martin Compston.
7. The film boasts sensational naturalistic performances and a raw edge that is undeniable. I don't think I can tell you that it's entertaining. It draws blood.
8. [Loach] allows us to look into lives we would otherwise ignore.
9. Loach's latest adheres so closely to his long-established narrative pattern -- overdetermined case study crowned with a morbid jolt -- that viewers might underestimate its wit, empathy, and careful characterizations.
10. Yes, this is a political movie (at least it has a political viewpoint), but, more than that, it's a character study of an individual who will not easily be forgotten.
What is the consensus?
****
Answer: A bleak, but heartbreaking coming-of-age tale that resonates with truth.


Problem: 1. The overall result isn't drama as much as it is a dissertation.
2. Sort of an existential version of a Seinfeld episode.
3. Just what makes us happy, anyway?
4. It wonders what life is all about.
5. Flawed, the movie certainly is, but Thirteen Conversations About One Thing is essential viewing for moviegoers who don't mind being made to think.
6. A small, quiet movie, full of surprises and powerful character moments.
7. 13 Conversations About One Thing is a very unusual but thoroughly accessible film.
8. The actors really draw you into their Conversations and make you want to know what their sentence in life will be.
9. Thought-provoking and engaging.
10. The dialogue is more vibrant and thoughtful than what you'll find in most movies, and gimmick free.
What is the consensus?
****
Answer:
Thirteen Conversations About One Thing is an intelligent and poignant look at lives intersecting.