fernandof-1 So, basically you get a re-telling of the American dream for the n-th time, this time in the form of two barely-functional drunken gambling addicts who struggle to become rich by creating the ultimate piece of junk that can pollute the planet AND be sold for $6.99 retail.In the meantime, the usual happens: they fail a couple of times, they get ripped off (and try to sue), one of them get dumped, his ex wife try to quit a successful, well-paid, loved job to engage in a long career in self-hating by becoming a real state agent alongside her sister -who she clearly cannot stand- (why is she doing this? we never know. why are the filmmakers telling us this? we never know), until they finally struck gold in the form of the most useless trinket ever imagined by men, proving that in America you only need a good idea (and cheap Chinese labor) to become a millionaire.If you like modern Cinderella-like stories, go ahead and watch this. Otherwise, avoid.

praghubir I thought this was a great movie, not just a feel-good film but extremely well cast and fun to watch. I had not heard anything about Ingenious but thought so many facets of the film excellent. First of all the location, set design, lighting, soundtrack of the film felt exactly right. We watched this film and were swept right along with them. The people were believable and we felt so happy for them that they were successful. The acting was excellent by all the main characters in the cast. We watch a fair number of films but don't always feel any connection with the actors or narrative and for many I can take them or leave them. Congrats to all connected with this gem of a film. We bought the DVD a few days later!

cinderchild I was on Google movies the other day trying to figure a way out of the heat and saw that this was playing at the "cheap seats" theatre that also screens art/independent films. Having just seen the Bourne Legacy (and having been a Renner fan since before it was cool), it struck me that this might be my only chance to actually see this. Aside from the fact that I like Renner as an actor, this was filmed in my hometown of Tucson (albeit while I was living out of state - grrr) - which makes it a must see on my list. I really enjoyed this flick. It's well paced after a slightly slow beginning, but I didn't notice it so much as I was ticking off all the places I know. While it touches on addiction (gambling and alcohol to be exact) it doesn't over dramatise it and depicts it in a very real way. You can tell that Sam (Renner) is definitely an alcoholic and gambling addict as he is more than willing to gamble with not only his best friend's money but his best friends' wife's money! That's over the top yet very true to life. It kept my attention wondering what goofy little gizmo they would come up with next and how they coped with failure after failure with optimism, and humour which is only something that true friends can achieve. Thought Matt's (Roberts) wife leaves him, the movie does a great job of not depicting either one of them as the bad person in the relationship (which is so often the case when dealing with addicts). You even get the happy ending where everyone comes together and they make their millions and they pull it off without being cheesy. If you're looking for a fun and quirky way to kill an hour or so, I would recommend this movie. If you're looking for something that's deep and emotional and will change your life, maybe this isn't for you. If, on the other hand, you're looking for superb acting, this is for you.

fnorful I saw this movie at the 33rd Cleveland International Film Festival, where it bore the honor of being the Opening Night flick. As such, it worked well, being an accessible, pleasant crowd-pleaser. Based on producer Mike Cram's own story, it follows the travails of several young adults seeking to make their own way in the business world by marketing their own inventions.Dallas Roberts as Matt, Ayelet Zurer as his wife Gina and Jeremy Renner as business partner Sam make up an interesting triangle (of sorts). We are thrown into Matt and Sam's business with opening scenes that represents the failures they have had up to this point: numerous failed "can't miss" inventions are mentioned, we find they are not at all business-savvy as they are involved with a unctuous telemarketer (played with a shark-wide smile by Richard Kind) and we find out about their shared gambling addiction. Oh, and Matt gets his ideas by standing on a small mountain surrounded by numerous communication dishes and "listening". Gina provides the regular income in the family, and has been through enough as an addict's co-dependent. She gives Matt his last "last chance", putting us into the heart of the story.There are enough unpredictable elements to provide a good narrative structure, with pretty good acting all the way around. The film was fine technically, I was told a story and I cared/knew about the characters. I especially liked the scene of "grand-theft cactus" and the conclusion up on Matt's mountain, ambiguous in a satisfyingly Indie way.Lightbulb delivers a good package of entertainment, some comedy and a load of empathy for anyone who has endeavored to make their own way in the world.