tradeczar
About half-way through watching Take Me Home - and expecting to at any minute start becoming disappointed - I began marveling that such a good romantic comedy could have been ignored by the major distribution companies. But even with that self-inflicted distraction, I can say that my enjoyment of Take Me Home pretty much stayed high from beginning to end. Certainly the chemistry of the two main characters can be explained to a degree by the fact that they are husband and wife. But that does not explain the quality of the other performances or the outstanding direction by Sam Jaeger. Comedy is difficult and I cannot remember the last time I enjoyed a romantic comedy as much as I enjoyed Take Me home. That this movie did not hit the US box offices is a sad statement about the state of the industry. Amber Jaeger was simply outstanding as Claire. But all other things being equal, had Take Me Home been made twenty years earlier with Sandra Bullock in the lead female role, it would have been appreciated for how good it really is.
dan-2710
The movie reminds me of John Cassavetes in its understatement of the tensions and drama of small moments. And the characters' flaws are not systematically, that is smoothly or monotonically remedied, so dramatic tension in the movie is sustained. No sex or glamor or exotic tricks are needed to bring this film home. The dialog is smart and honest and is pitched right for the scenes, not unnecessarily cleverMy daughter and I simultaneously remarked on Amber Jaeger's softness and beauty, one non-conforming to anorexic standards. A deep bench of talent in secondary roles, too. Because the two lead characters are married, their coming together in the final scene makes the movie feel like a tribute to their own marriage. I don't know if that's Sam Jaeger's intent.
zif ofoz
what to write? this is a very sweet adventure road story romance. a lot of people will turn away because they will assume it's just another chic-flic love story. it is not.two people with major disappointments in their lives cross paths and in doing so find love. i won't get into the story - the other reviewers have already done this. a fun, funny, adventure that keeps it clean.my favorite part of this story is the ending. just what did she do? at the beginning she makes a statement, near the end she encounters that statement. two pivotal moments in the story. just what did she do? watch it and decide for yourself.
secondtake
Take Me Home (2011)When a movie makes you want to get on the road and see the country, it's doing something right. In classic storytelling fashion, we begin with some quick and disastrous events by two characters who haven't met. Their lives are in various state of ruin (emotional or actual) and when they meet--well, the sparks definitely do not fly.But the story begins in earnest. And what is a short drive around New York transforms into the main idea of the movie. And of course the two have to find a way to get along, which involves slowly coming to understand each other mostly by letting their own old habits and presumptions fade away.The leads are actually a married couple, Sam and Amber Jaeger, and Sam is the director and writer (and producer), so yes, it's a home brew movie. But it's shot with the high end Red digital camera and it feels fully professional. And more important, the acting by these two leads, who dominate the movie completely, is terrific. You feel where both of them are coming from, and when they change it makes sense.The details of the story sometimes dip into obvious or slightly unbelievable zones. Every now and then the dialog is a hair off kilter. And maybe there could have been a slight shift in pace to keep the flow flowing. It's not a masterpiece, surely, but they know that, too. It doesn't have those kinds of ambitions.What "Take Me Home" aims for is a light, believable sincerity, a sweetness that we all recognize and sometimes need, and which doesn't get too too sugary. And on that level it's a really enjoyable movie. And it really does make you want to hit the road.
AD
