White Oleander (2002)

Simply Perfect

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

Good concept, poorly executed.

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

one of films who continue in the memory of the viewer long time after its end. like the novel who inspired it. because it seems be perfect. the performances, the atmosphere, each detail, dialogues and the impression to see the making of large spider web. a film who gives only questions. powerful for the force to impose each of theme. not comfortable because the themes are very delicate and the desire of director is to explore each in precise, profound manner. the great thing is the way in which the story becomes yours. the extraordinary job of Renee Zellweger. the metamorphose of Astrid who has in Allison Lohmann a great interpreter. a dark, uncomfortable, cruel and high honest film. maybe useful. like a huge mirror.

A good movie and worth watching. The acting is outstanding. Michelle Pfeiffer does a great job portraying Ingrid Magnussen, a brilliant woman fiercely fixated on maintaining her independence and nurturing her private demons, even to the point of almost destroying her daughter, Astrid. I say "almost." To reveal what is meant by that key term would be to give away the ending. I strongly recommend the reader to see this remarkable movie. Intertwined within the film is the issue of good and evil. Astrid is played with complete conviction by Alison Lohman. Lohman, who in reality was twenty-two during the making of the movie, plays a teenager who at the beginning with her mother in LA is still basically a child. She transforms before our eyes into a beautiful young woman seeking to discover who she is. Placed in several foster homes, she must find her own way and free herself from her powerful and manipulative mother. I found their relationship crushing, but within the context, completely believable. The supporting cast is also first-rate. I rate this movie an 7 out of 10.My only criticism is the movie leaves too much to suggestion, but perhaps this was to preserve its PG-13 rating. Because it does leave too much to suggestion, several relationships are not explored satisfactorily. For example, it would have been interesting to see how Alison behaved when she loses her virginity with Ray, her first foster mother's boyfriend, and her emotions centering around it. With the recent exception of Unfaithful, American films fail to explore adequately human sexuality. Foreign films are way ahead of the American film industry in this regard, and it's really too bad. Y Tu Mamá También, Lucia y el Sexo, and Intimacy quickly come to mind. Maybe there's a lesson to be learned here.I also have a comment. Given the premise of the movie, that Ingrid Magnussen creates a poisonous concoction from Oleander leaves, stalks, and flowers by steeping them in milk, I have to question whether this would be a very effective method to kill someone. Although it is certainly true that Oleander is a rather potent poison, reading up on it, it would appear that the victim would first suffer severe abdominal cramping and nausea, and possibly vomiting. If he did vomit, he might eject enough of the material so that it wouldn't have killed him. If he didn't vomit, one might imagine him going to an ER and having his stomach pumped out. Perhaps Ingrid's boyfriend was so macho that he never would do such a thing. It just seems odd though.7/10

Astrid is only 15 years old, living in California with her free spirited mother. Things aren't as jubilant as they seem. Her mother falls in love with a man named Barry. In a rage of jealousy for dating another woman, Astrid's mother murders Barry and gets hauled off to prison. Astrid moves from one foster home to another. Along the way, she inadvertently makes a woman succumb back to alcoholism, gets sent to the hospital from a gunshot wound, witnesses a suicide, and falls in love herself. Before you decide to watch this movie, make sure you're in the right frame of mind, as it's a very depressing experience. This isn't one of those movies that will leave your head as soon as you are done watching it. It sticks with you for a long time. It's been a while since I have thought about a movie before going to sleep. This movie reminded me of my troubles with my Mother. In a very different way, of course, but it reminded that you only have one birth mother, and there is nothing you can do to change that. Each encounter with the foster parents is disturbing in different ways, the worst for me was Renee Zellweger. She was a gentle soul who was too emotionally broken for her own good. The storyline between her & Alison Lohman haunted me. Speaking of Lohman, I thought she was phenomenally good. She was so poised. Her repressed emotions made me feel for her in a big way. Her character is so likable, you just want to help her at times, even though you can't. That's how you know you give a great performance when you act like they are real. Watching her evolve throughout the film was unforgettable. Michelle Pfeiffer is just as good as Lohman is. Her beauty is hypnotizing. Her hypocritical character is alternately heartbreaking and surreal. You'll definitely feel mixed emotions when it comes to her. The final confrontation between Pfeiffer & Lohman was chilling to watch. Robin Wright is excellent, so is Cole Hauser in a more subtle way. Keep an eye out for a Melissa McCarthy cameo as a paramedicFinal Thoughts: This movie was very hard to review. I don't think i'll watch this movie again, anytime soon. It's a fantastic film, but emotionally exhausting. You expend so much energy on your emotions, while watching this movie. The score, the acting, and the story is near perfect. It's a movie you won't forget. 9.3/10

I was really amazed at the performance delivered by the actors especially alison lohman, renee zellweger and michelle pfeiffer. This is a movie which delivers the story mentioned in the novel in the best possible way. Nice direction and cinematography as well. I was especially amazed by the 2 scenes which showed the location - Ladera Heights in Los Angeles,CA. The way this location was used, the background music (sound created by sea waves), the scene at that moment .. everything was quite intriguing. I repeated that scene many times and thought before dying I should stay in a home like that for at least a week. Ms Zellweger did quite a nice job of a faithful wife devoted to her husband and really felt bad for wht happened later. Its very difficult to get a wife that devoted to her hubby and if a woman like that exists then she should choose a right partner. Pfeiffer's cold-blooded view on life was a little out of the league. But given her life story nothing else wud have been expected. Robin Wright reminded me of so called "God's people" who just read the scriptures and never follow it in their lives. Lohman did a great job acting in various circumstances was at her best through the movie. Overall I give 10 out of 10 and recommend it for people who believe that life's not fair for everyone and for those who want a Feel GOOD movie!