That was an excellent one.

Purely Joyful Movie!

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

I have read reviews about this film, and am baffled by some. This film was considered slow by some. Why? Because it isn't an action film? Do we really need speed all the flipping time? Then, one review said it was a film we have seen before. Hmmm. We've pretty much seen all films before, but that sure doesn't stop anything.Some said the ending just rolled everything up in a neat ball. It doesn't...not at all. Maybe the reviews I read were from cynical people..who knows. This is one of the most well acted films to come along, and that surprised me. I wasn't expecting it. I really wasn't expecting anything. Just an indie film about coal miners. It was gritty, and beautiful at the same time. The country/area where it was filmed is gorgeous, but at the center, the coal mine, the dangers of the coal, and the miner's job makes it less beautiful. The mine is quiet, with a danger just sort of always present. Elizabeth Banks was really good. It was nice to see her in a role where she wasn't playing an over the top character. (Hunger Games) She seemed damaged,but not with too much damage to keep going in her life. Josh Lucas played the company man, about to take the fall for a mining accident, well. The young man from the movie Mud, Jacob Lofland was very good...very heartfelt, and trying so hard to do the right thing. The most engaging character was Amos, played by Boyd Holbrook. He was FANTASTIC. So understated, trying to deal with being pushed/pulled from multiple directions, after surviving the mining accident. He was really, really good. Intense, and just so good in the role. I've not seen him before..or I wasn't aware if I had seen him in a movie before. A great character actor. I hope he sticks with being a character actor...they are so amazing. Sure we all like leading men/ladies, but character actors are awesome. (Sam Rockwell is one of my favs)As for the story, it is a story of miners, afraid of losing their jobs, if they complain or ask about safety issues, and what happens after a few issues were ignored by management. It is sad, yes a bit slow, but worth it.

'Little Accidents' seems anything but little, with the exception of the tiny town this all takes place in. Director Sara Colangelo takes control of a stellar cast in this unsmiling drama about two major events in a small coal mining town. Colangelo does a great job in not jumping on clichés, and letting her characters be true to themselves, but often throughout the film, there are several circumstances and characters that don't get to earn their keep. Colangelo did say she had a three hour film with this, but was cut down to under two hours. I think the three hour cut would have been perfect, but I expect good word of mouth of avid film fans to recommend this one, despite some of its clunky execution.Boyd Holbrook plays Amos, a coal miner who is the sole survivor of a recent mining accident in this home town that left ten of his co-workers dead, which was caused by upper management negligence. Upon his return home after a few months in an out-of-town hospital, he is still without use of most of his right side, and is still trying to put the pieces back together of what happened. He is physically and emotionally drained at this point, and Holbrook pulls this off nicely.Meanwhile, high-school freshman Owen (Jacob Lofland, Neckbone from last year's 'Mud') is the son of one of the dead mining victims, where his mother (Chloe Sevigny) is constantly showering him and his younger brother with down syndrome with the newest video games and electronics to keep them happy in the short term. Owen bring his younger brother along to play with some of the other older kids in school, but they all tend to rag and bully the two brothers constantly, even though Owen wants to fit it.Among these bullies is JT (Travis Tope), who is the son of Bill Doyle (Josh Lucas), who is one of the head managers of the coal mine and directly responsible for the tragic event that left ten miners dead several months ago. During a conflict in the woods with Owen and JT, Owen is accidentally involved in JT's death, and not knowing what to do, he hides the body and does not tell anyone about it. Meanwhile, Bill and his wife Diana (Elizabeth Banks, amazing) conduct a major search for their son with the whole town.There is certainly an undertone of the class system here, but it is never 'too on the nose', which was nice to see. And being set in a small town, it wasn't that weird to see new relationships form, such as a grieve-stricken Diana taking up a suitor in Amos and befriending Owen, when not one of them knows all of their dirty secrets. I imagine in its true form, 'Little Accidents' is about being honest with one's self and being guilt free, but it takes quite a bit of time to get to this point.There are several instances that are drawn out over the course of the film with much build up, but don't receive a pay off or even a conclusion. I would hope that the three hour cut defines these characters better. The acting by everyone is top notch, and they all deserve some sort of group acting award. And Colangelo's artistic eye is beautiful and stylistic, although there is room for work in the editing room. 'Little Accidents' is a good film about honesty, despite its flaws. And I expect big things in the future from Colangelo.

"You gonna be the big shot that closes down the Bonford Coal Company? We lost men in there. I'd keep to myself, if I was you. Just keep telling them you don't remember. Try to get back to work, back to being productive."You made plans for a cozy movie night ? Are you sitting all comfortably in your seat buried under bags of chips and a bottle of Coca-Cola at your fingertips? Then I advise you to put on another movie than "Little accidents" because this movie won't make you happy. Not even a little bit. It shows a series of truly sad and depressing circumstances and occurrences. A fatal mine accident leaving 10 miners dead, an unfortunate incident with consequences, the wrenching dilemmas, the immense grief after losing a loved one, not knowing what's the fate of a missing person and the misunderstanding within a marriage. It's all included in this social drama, set in a dying town that looks so gray as if it was covered by a layer of coal dust. A story about two people in this "village without a future" whose lives run parallel, without them realizing it, with several points of contact : a dramatic event, the grueling truth that they keep secret and the decision whether or not to reveal it. Eventually, these parallel lines intersect and end in the same way."Little Accidents" is a melodrama in which various interest groups are diametrically opposed to each other. On the one hand you have the working people whose lives depend on whether or not they close the Bonford Coal Company. And on the other you have the representatives of the victims and the unions who want to sue the company for negligence and pursuit of profit on the back of the underprivileged workers, making them work in hazardous conditions. Just like Amos Jenkins (Boyd Holbrook) did. He's the sole survivor of the mine accident. After a rehab, he returned to his town in West Virginia and finds himself immediately confronted with this dilemma. He's constantly harassed by both interest groups. At the same time we meet Owen Briggs (Jacob Lofland), son of one of the victims in this mine disaster. His mother Kendra (Chloë Sevigny) tries to pick up the thread again, while Owen takes care of his younger brother James (Beau Wright), an endearing little boy who has Down syndrome. Although Kendra overwhelms both boys with electronic gizmo's, Owen is still struggling to integrate into the community and seeks the company of a group of young people who in the end only bully and exploit him.The central figure of this group of young people is JT Doyle (Travis Tope), son of Bill (Josh Lucas) and Diane Doyle (Elizabeth Banks), leader and the one who turns up to be missing one day. The only one who knows the true facts about this disappearance, is Owen. But anxiously he keeps his mouth shut about it. This ensures the parents of JT facing a period of long waiting for the outcome of the investigation. The reason why this secret remains with Owen, is the fact that JT's father is one of the board members of the coal mine, who could be responsible for the fatal accident. Probably Owen thinks he could be accused of acting in an act of revenge. The moment the statement of lightning will be seen as untrue, his position as a director of this company will be practically untenable. Diane suffers the most under the disappearance of her son, while father Bill launches himself entirely into his work, and feels more and more neglected which leads to a surprising affair. The result is that the lives of Amos, Owen and Diana get intermingled because of these circumstances. It's a pretty depressing film. Don't expect smiling faces. It feels more like a competition in "who looks the most depressing". Holbrook plays a surprising role as the half-crippled laborer who's facing a difficult choice. The choice between the relatives of the victims and the non-affected who still benefit from the fact that the only industry in their town still exists. The helplessness and at the same time the shame of being the only survivor, is written all over his face. "It was a waste to save me,if you think about it. I ain't got no family, no kids."as he admitted himself. Also Lofland (known for his role as a helpful teen in "Mud") plays an outstanding role. That intolerable burden he's carrying is played by him in a masterful way. Even in the quiet moments you can see that suffering. Elizabeth Banks (known as Effie Trinket in "The Hunger Games" and as Lydia Mercer in "Man on a Ledge") manages to bring a difficult role to a successful conclusion. She has no problems to bring a mix of diverse emotions: pride, despair, reconciliation, loneliness and dejection. All in all a talented cast. "Little accidents" isn't a perfect film and has a tendency to become cheesy. It's only sadness you witness and some used themes aren't very original. After a while I got the feeling that it surely was overly packed with gloomy events. But in retrospect you can only admit that this is just part of everyday life. However, the lived through renditions and worked out characters ensure that this gloomy and dark film still makes a good impression. In other words, a wonderful film that shows how disaster can strike mercilessly. More reviews here : http://opinion-as-a-moviefreak.blogspot.be

I thought this was going to be a very different movie, as in a really boring, lame, and one that I should skip. However, I liked that there was a murder in it. The summary didn't say anything about that. When that kid fell and cracked his head on the rock, my head jerked back and my eyes were wide. That was...shocking. And the other subplots, such as the coal mine accident, and the personal tragedies of many of the characters were very well done. I like that they took the time to develop the characters. It is kind of slow, so if you're expecting a fast-paced movie, this isn't it.Even though they did - as I said - develop the characters, there was no development for the relationship between Amos and Diana. 55 mins into the movie, they're in the parking lot at night and she starts touching his hand and then they hug. I don't remember any sort of past relationship those two had. That just seemed forced. Then they have sex, and that seemed even more forced. There was just...no build up. Maybe I missed something earlier in the movie.I thought the movie ended on a whimper.I gave this movie a 6-star rating. It wasn't great, but if you wanna see good acting with an OK storyline, I'd suggest you watch it. This movie was not so much about the actual mining accident as it was about the personal problems with the one survivor, as well as a grieving mother, and the killer of her son. I doubt I'd watch it again.