I'll Be There with You (2006)

Simply A Masterpiece

hyped garbage

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

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.

I have to admit that my expectations were low. The lesser-known movies on Amazon Prime can be notoriously bad. But I have not enjoyed a low budget movie as much as "I'll Be There With You" in a long time. As with many movies made by Japanese and Korean directors, the editing was excellent. The script flowed well was nicely paced. No. I had never heard of any of the actors other than the bloated Daniel Baldwin, who could not have been better type-cast as the lecherous host. I will confess that the first third of the movie, while reasonably entertaining, was leading me to believe that there would be little to keep the viewer interested. But the "turn" toward more a more serious plot line was smooth and the story never looked back from there on. Not to be too critical of those who have trashed this flick, but Kitamura blended in the violence and tragedy with the syrupy romance in a manner similar to many above-average Asian movies. The poorly done violence was simply a reflection of the low budget. Even the title seemed to reflect the director's Japanese roots. IBTWY brought to mind "Domino", but included more plot twists and smoother transitions. It deserves at least a "B".

Beginning with the now clichéd 'based on true events' bs and showing most of the main characters dead at a crime scene before going two days earlier for the film to properly start. A group of people from various walks of life are at a party when they decide to take a trip to San Diego where they stay at a ranch owned by Constantine (Daniel Baldwin). But before the night is up things will take a much darker turn.Marketed as a horror movie, in actuality this badly acted film is more honestly a drama akin to the likes of one would see on the Lifetime station on any given day. The direction is pretty much a mess and the motivations of any of the characters rang hollow to me. I found myself checking my watch on multiple occasions hoping and wishing that the movie would just end. Daniel Baldwin has been in worse films before (I still break out in cold sweats merely thinking about "Vegas Vampires") but this one is still pretty awful.Eye Candy: Adarsha Benjamin gets topless, as does Elisabeth Donaldson (but in her case it's far from sexy due to the circumstances)My Grade: DDVD Extras: We get a 36 minute Making-of & a photo slide show

I'll Be There with You: 3 out of 10: This movie is a mess. It threatens to become an interesting mess; but alas, it is in reality just a mess.The first clue something is wrong, is this movie’s supposed genre. Apparently, it is a horror movie. I’ll Be There With You is no more a horror movie than Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was. It has horrific elements certainly, but it is more of a drama and a relationship drama at that. Whether director Akihiro Kitamura meant to make a horror film or the marketing department at Celebrity Video Distribution simply choose to label it as a horror film is unknown.Now what director Kitamura meant by this film is somewhat of a mystery; it is all over the place. There is a relationship drama, bar pick-ups, date rape, non-date rape, strange computer graphics from someone’s Commodore Amiga, escaped criminals killing, Japanese nerd comic relief, and Daniel Baldwin.Indeed a bloated Daniel Baldwin gives the best performance of the film. That alone should be condemning with faint praise. In fairness, the ladies in the cast (Adarsha Benjamin, Michelle Lawrence and Elisabeth Donaldson) are decent if somewhat unpolished, but the male lead Akihiro Kitamura is a black hole of charisma. Kituamura’s tearful denouement is cinematic pain defined. (I would blame the director but they are the same guy.) With its lack of focus and bizarre computer generated sequels I’ll Be There With You reminds me of that mess Demonlover. But with a lower budget and less talent on both sides of the camera I’ll Be There With You’s mess is even less enjoyable.There are a couple of good movies in here somewhere. Unfortunately, this is not one of them.

WOW!! Congratulations Dotan I knew you would make it in Hollywood can't wait to see you again on the big screen!!! Oh, I have to write ten lines. They(yes you people in Hollywood who ever you are) should make more films this way where they don't spend 200 million dollars to make Fantasyquest with big huge names that are boring to watch. This movie had actors from all backgrounds and walks of life and was a really great representation of life in America where many cultures, ethnicities and religions all strive and fight for the same thing, a chance at a great life with love, happiness and equality. Which makes the end of this film a classic American tale!!!Congratulations to Aki Kitimara, I notice he is a Japanese born native directing his first film in English - not to many Americans can even identify Japanese much less write and direct a film in it.