auralstudent
To summarize, this is a feel-good movie that encompasses pretty much everything I look for in a movie. There's silly boy humor and pranks on one end of the spectrum, deadly serious discussions about life on the other, and everything in between. The scenery is absolutely gorgeous and serves as a nice backdrop for a bunch of boys being boys while camping in the woods.The camaraderie between the four friends feels genuine and is very entertaining to watch. I don't remember too many dull moments in the movie. There are a lot of light moments full of spontaneous boyish silliness that will keep you laughing pretty much throughout. And yet, there are also those touching moments when the depths of the meaning of life are explored, secrets are revealed, and loyalties are tested.This is just a wonderful celebration of manhood that would give any viewer a taste of what it's like to be a young man in the prime of his life, surrounded by his best buddies. As a man myself, I enjoyed it very much.
Furuya Shiro
Benedict Cumberbatch. His name is unique, so is his face, which perfectly suits a young man with terminal cancer. On his 29th birthday, this man (James) starts on a journey with his 3 friends to Barafundle Bay, West Wales. All characters are introduced in the beginning, and the plot is simple. Therefore it is easy to follow the story. You can easily spot Barafundle Bay on the Google Map. It is a quiet and beautiful beach open between cliffs. It is a part of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, very long cliff of lime rock. After dropping off their van, they walk top of the cliff several days, carrying the terminal cancer patient on a cart. According to the Google Map, it seems cars can reach only 2 kilometers away from the bay. They deliberately made a wild journey plan. They could be high-school mates. They are candid each other and reckless to do wild things, burning a tent, dropping important items. During the journey with James, who is fighting with death fear and strong pain, gradually the problems each one has are revealed. Personally, recently I often see movies about the people facing death. But this one is the story of youth.
kriszcsiki
How often do we get to watch a movie and laugh in one minute, cry in the other? When emotions run so deep that we smile through our tears and tear up when laughing at a joke... This is what this movie did to me. Kudos to the cast for a brilliant performance, each in their own role, and to the director to provide a wonderful audio-visual background to the beauty that lies in the friendships of these four young men.After seeing it, we ask ourselves: would we be able to do what Davy did? Could we be this strong and brave? Maybe if we love someone that much. Maybe.Another question is: how would we deal with a serious illness? How CAN we? The alternative is wait until it vanquishes us and steals everything from us that we used to be, that used to make us what we are, or... or take the upper hand and go out screaming. Choose how we want to end it. Choose to miss many important events and great moments... because we want to feel capable... just once again. James poses this question and we are left wondering up until the end which alternative he chooses.I strongly, highly recommend this film to everyone who loves genuine human emotions portrayed without sentimentalism, who thinks that friendship is not over-rated and that there can be times when friends are all that's left to rely on. Because in friendship, we have a choice.
mayadreamer
The performances are intriguing and, in particular, Cumberbatch is memorable and often mesmerizing as James, a terminally ill young man. The scenery is beautiful, and the backdrop of the Welsh coastline thematically frames the friends' journey to help James visit his favorite place on earth. Although death is often the emphasis of reviews, the film plays up the importance of love and friendship, highlighting just what makes us alive.The audience likely will recognize or identify with a personality or two among the four friends making the journey to Barafundle Bay, but the film doesn't resort to "types." The friends have different opinions about their own--and each other's--lives, but they share a bond that can't be broken.As other reviewers have noted, you should stick with the film for the final payoff. Undoubtedly you'll be left with something to think about--and shouldn't that be one aim of a good film?
AD
