“An intensely beautiful and painfully presented picture of grief. A universal emotion that manifests itself differently for each of us. It brought back memories of all those I have lost. I thought of my dear grandmother who outlived two of her children. Fabulous acting; very realistic depictions of grief.”
“The shot in the car with the 3 of them after the funeral was painful and amazing. I really thought at one point the father and son would die too. Much better than EXPLODING GIRL! What happened to the photo she took in the car?”
“The film began beautifully with the jolt of the accident followed by the long and painful silent shot of the family in the car after the funeral. I think that grief is a difficult theme for a film. There’s no way to depict it without the audience feeling manipulated (I felt that way for sure!). And the story arc was pat in a lazy way: reconciliation on the delivery date, the unity of the family so perfectly synchronized. I liked this film, but I resented it a bit too.”
“Good first effort.”
“Very touching. Brosnan was very effective. I was very moved by it.”
“Sobering!”
“Even though it was predictable I enjoyed it. Very interesting to see how each person grieved in a different way.”
“Carey Mulligan was great as she was getting another education!”
“A difficult topic exceptionally well presented.”
Beautifully edited. Carey and Susan are always great.”
Brosnan’s scene at the seashore agonizing about his son in the water was chillingly effective. The rest, not so much.
“The film had its moments, at times poignant, touching on real issues. Good acting. At other times it was like a too long TV show.”
“Tremendously moving!”
“The pain of grief jumped out at me.”
“A wonderfully acted film despite being a real tear jerker. Reminiscent of ORDINARY PEOPLE although Susan Sarandon’s character evoked far more empathy.”
“I really liked it despite some of the negative comments during the discussion. Many seemed picky about unimportant details to me, but you either buy into it from the start or not. If you don’t, you start seeing little mistakes and irritations from then on. Thank you for a good movie!”
“Good film, but not the greatest.”
“Fabulous presentation.”
“THE GREATEST was not…”
"Superb character study of reactions to grief. Pierce Brosnan being unable to sleep, while Susan Sarandon awakens with the repeated real world shock and realization of what happened." Combine personal insights with unpretentious direction and in a year where a woman finally won best director he's another female director to be watched."
“Much better than expected! Susan Sarandon and Pierce Brosnan carry off perfectly the complexity of 1) a mid life marriage. 2) The alienation that comes when life partners face a common tragic experience.”
“Good first effort. Noteworthy is the perfectly excellent opening that set me up for more action (and took me down a bit) although perhaps too slow for me. Carey Mulligan is a jewel and is headed for major stardom.”
“Most intelligent screenplay and film I’ve seen in a longtime. Wonderful performances all around with a great ensemble cast. Unlike last week’s film, totally believable which is unbelievable for a first film! What a talent! In this case, the flashbacks work.”
“Good topic addressing grief and those it affects, but predictable, classic tearjerker. Should be made for TV.”
“Scattershot, manipulative mess of a movie that is only saved by Carey Mulligan and Susan Sarandon. Pierce Brosnan cries as well as he sings.”
“Terrific film. They really made me feel their pain. Sensational cast.”
“Too each his own melodrama. I think if I saw BLINDSIDE or this film at 20,000 ft I would appreciated them. However, seeing THE GREATEST in our cozy darkened theater made it an enjoyable, satisfying experience in the coat of many colors, melodrama in a class by itself - the greatest!”
“Maybe not the greatest, but a pretty darn good portrayal of a family dealing with grief. All ends were tied up except for the question of why did he stay in the middle of the road.”
“I didn’t cry, although I usually do. I thought it was a very good movie, probably not a financially successful movie. The weakest acting was Pierce, a little less of him, but I enjoyed it and believed it. Good soundtrack.”
“Felt somewhat contrived, lacking in focus and bordering on schmaltz. I lost patience when the film did not express the emotions intended by the filmmakers.”
“Although all of us have experienced it grief is a tough topic for a film – perhaps the toughest. Who wants to spend $12 to see depression? Thanks largely to a great cast, some welcome moments of humor and yes – an upbeat and hopeful ending this is a solid film, and a remarkable first film by writer/director Shana Feste.”