Quvenzhane Wallis is stunning (and adorable!) as a six year old, near orphan living in an isolated and impoverished bayou community. More character than plot driven, this film won't be for everyone. Gritty and often quite dark but with many poetic moments and some great imagery.

Washington's performance, one of the best of his career, makes this film a "must see." (He was nominated for an Oscar.) The rest of the cast, Kelly Reilly and John Goodman in particular, are also excellent.

Some people have the wrong impression about the subject matter of this film. Despite a thrilling "action" sequence within the first half hour (said "flight"), this is *not* an action movie. It's more about the toll of alcohol and drug abuse. If the R rating didn't tip you off already, be warned this is not appropriate for young children. There is excessive violence, many scenes of drug and alcohol abuse, as well as a long scene featuring full frontal female nudity.

I was impressed how suspenseful this film continued to be, even after the crush sequence within the first half hour.

Nervous flyers beware: this one will mess you up for a bit.

The actors are appealing and convincing as close friends and siblings. I liked how the script revealed information gradually, giving the illusion that you were actually getting to know these people in real time. However, once the secrets are revealed, the movie loses its way and overstays its welcome. The final third was painfully long. And then after all that, there's an ambiguous ending, which is even more frustrating. Overall, glad I watched it but was disappointed when it failed to stick the ending.

A sweet little film that tries really hard. You won't learn any great truths or anything but you could do worse. Good cast.

Plus, one of my favorite odd quotes ever.

Man (meeting the extremely ugly cat that belongs to the girl he's dating for the first time): She only has one eye.
Woman: Yes, but it's her good eye.

Admittedly the first season started off pretty generic, feeling very much like a loving pastiche of THE X-FILES and old B monster movies. However, once it hit its stride, FRINGE became one of the best shows on television. It's a shame it never found the success it deserved. So thankful Fox stuck by this cult classic and let it limp to a fifth season.

If you're a fan of sci-fi or supernatural horror, you really should give this show a try.