mbat19
Elijah wood plays a college student who after dropping out after his first day, moves into an apt building. He soon envelops his life in the lives of a few of the residents, including a photographer, Famke Potente and a self absorbed actress (redundant?) Mandy Moore. While he tries to figure out his life, a car crash makes him focus and do a reality check. The movie is a nice slice of life coming of age film but it seems that there is no there there. The acting is OK and the story is OK but slow. In the end it seems like the movie just sits there and doesn't really say anything that the viewer wants to hear.if you are a fan of the actors it is a passable way to waste a hour or so, but they have done better
ElijahJWoodFan
I loved this movie. The initial reason that I saw it was because I'm a huge Elijah Wood fan, but I would actually recommend it. The different characters and situations really mirror the pain that teenagers go through at critical times in their lives and Elijah does a great job as Jones, the main character. Not only did I enjoy Elijah Wood, but Mandy Moore and Franka Potente are great actresses. The chemistry between both Elijah and Mandy as well as Elijah and Franka makes for a great storyline. Yes, a lot of questions go unanswered, but I was very happy with the outcome of the plot. Also, Elijah does a great job in his very first on-screen sex scene. It is both beautiful and tasteful.
~* Mandy *~ (SBLOMS)
All I Want/Try Seventeen is a fresh, beautiful film about one young man's struggles as he travels along the bumpy path of growing up. This film was absolutely brilliant- the script, the way it was filmed, and especially the music all worked together to make it a refreshing change from the normal teen movies of today. Not to mention the acting- Elijah Wood did a wonderful job of portraying his character, Jones Dillon. He gave just the right amount of depth and feeling to his character without overacting. Hollywood could do with more young actors like Elijah Wood. He knows how to give a real, stirring, heartfelt performance and he give his all, which is apparent in this film. Equally good performances came from Mandy Moore and Franka Potente. If you remember what it's like to be around that age, on the brink of adulthood but not quite there yet, you will enjoy this film!
screenhound22
There could be some SPOILERS AHEAD but I doubt it. I have no idea how the screenplay for this one made it past the shredder. It's horrible. Completely unwatchable. I hung in there for 45 minutes (about half the running time) and just couldn't stand it anymore. I was an Elijah Wood fan in the '90s (see "The War") and I learned to enjoy Mandy Moore's shifts from bubbly to serious this year (see "Chasing Liberty" which is surprisingly entertaining). I've seen bits of "Run Lola Run." So with three leads I liked this should have been fine. It wasn't. Nobody turned in a good performance. Wood's Jones was flat. For an aspiring writer he had next to no imagination (his violent fantasies looked like they were ripped off from "A Christmas Story" and his lustful ones were--huh, a cross between boring and alarming). Potente is absolutely unlikable from the first second and I'd only know that she was supposed to be "THE girl" by reading the box. Speaking of the synopsis--whoever they employed for that job made the film sound funny, quirky, romantic, and quite enjoyable. Whoever that person was, he or she should have been employed to rewrite this script. By the halfway point, I didn't care about ANY of the characters anymore. Moore's Lisa is an aspiring actress who's bubbly and a little conniving (for no apparent reason at all) but her ludicrous period play (which is supposed to be funny in presentation) is on a par with the rest of the script. There is supposedly a happy, romantic comedy ending to this turkey--given the character material they had to work with, I just can't envision it. Save your money. Warn your friends. DON'T watch this movie.
AD
