It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

It is both painfully honest and laugh-out-loud funny at the same time.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

This was a surprise. I bought this film expecting an average love story with clichéd scenarios and cheesy dialogue. Well, it turns out I loved this film a lot and I can't believe I'm saying this, Mandy Moore was great in this. I'm kinda partial with singers turning into actors so I'm not really a fan of the thing but Mandy Moore in this film is an exception. She was great, I love her. She's not like those other singer-turned-actors who has only one expression in their face and it never changes throughout the film. Like Norah Jones in 'Blueberry Nights' and all those rappers in gangster films. She was pretty good here. Her leading man is Billy Crudup. I can describe him in one word: Phenomenal. He plays Henry Roth (50 First Dates homage?) a neurotic, eccentric, crazy, wacky children's books author who dislikes driving a car and likes to get his chest splotched by a stack of books. He reminds me of Woody Allen's character in "Annie Hall" They are very much similar. They're both neurotic, they both look like they'll break down in a jiffy and they both dislike driving. Fantastic.This is the director's excellent directorial debut. The dialogue was great it contains some very memorable lines, the chemistry between Mandy Moore and Billy Crudup sticks with you like super glue, the acting is superb (Tom Wilkinson huzzah) and the cinematography is better than awesome. The editing: magnifique."Dedication" is a 9 out of ten.

I just finished watching this movie and thought I should pen down my thoughts. I would like to add a few disclaimers before recommending it.For viewers who expect a romantic comedy, this is not your average rom-com genre movie. And for avid movie buffs, this ain't the first attempt of its kind either. This has shades of Trust (1990), Music and Lyrics (2007), As Good as it Gets (1997) and a few others.But the familiarity worked for me. Also, not knowing what the movie was about did work for me too.Watch this if you want a romance with quirky and intelligent characterization. Considering, it is both the writer's and the director's debut feature film, it is fantastic.

This gentle romance is about an anxiety-ridden children's book author, Henry Roth (Billy Crudup) who seems to suffer from simultaneous bouts of tourettes syndrome, paranoia, and OCD. Holding on to resentment for his troubled childhood and possessing a great disdain for life in general, he has no problem bringing those around him down to his level of desolation.When his only constant, long time friend and more optimistically inclined illustrator Rudy Holt (Tom Wilkinson) dies and leaves him alone to deal with himself, Henry is forced to work with a new illustrator, Lucy Reilly (Mandy Moore) because of a contractual obligation. She is the epitome of the "nice girl" Rudy had wished for his undeserving friend, and naturally, Henry wants nothing to do with her.When scaring her away with his cutting personality succeeds, he finds, thanks to a series of conversations with his dead friend, that despite his resentment of having to work with Lucy, he actually likes her. The question is, can he get over himself enough to make it work? I have to admit, I almost turned the film off towards the beginning when Henry Roth says something completely obscene to a little girl during a book signing, but I gritted my teeth and reminded myself that I'm not supposed to like this character, not yet, because he doesn't even like himself.The soundtrack and art direction in this film are worth mentioning as is the wonderful performances of the supporting cast, Tom Wilkinson and Dianne West as Lucy's almost bipolar mother. I loved the constant metaphor/parallel of Henry and Lucy's relationship and the book they are trying but failing to write. I also appreciated that Henry never uses the truth about Lucy's fiancé as a means to win her affections. There is also a scene in the diner that deals with child abuse in such a truthful way that I'm gutted every time I watch it.Dedication has a quiet depth to it that most mainstream Hollywood movies lack. Within the dialogue you will find truth in the tagline, life is what we make it. It's easier to push happiness away in fear that it will reject us, thus living in a constant yet comfortable state of misery. Throughout the movie Henry dismally refers to life in a pessimistically dramatic fashion with lines like, "Life is nothing but the occasional burst of laughter rising above the interminable wail of grief." But towards the end of the film his friend firmly rejects that viewpoint with the greatest line in the film, "No… Life is a single leap for joy." Because it is, even if most of us are too scared to leap.

This is a wonderful film with characters that touch the hearts of anyone who has ever known or been close to someone with a severe depression, anxiety disorder or real neurosis. Although Dedication can be considered a romantic comedy genre film, and may follow a somewhat conventional type of narrative, the actors breathe life into this story that in itself is a love letter to New York. NYC is a character in itself in the film, which is not to be overlooked. I loved this movie and think it is an amazing effort for Mr. Theroux. I am excited to see what his next project will be, considering this was a script he obviously acquired somehow, and didn't pen himself. "I think that hate is a thing, a feeling, that can only exist where there is no understanding." TENNESSEE WILLIAMS, Forward to Sweet Bird of Youth