The People Garden (2016)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

The acting in this movie is really good.

When Sweetpea travels to Japan to break up with her rock star boyfriend, she discovers he has gone missing in a mysterious forest. The People Garden is unfortunately the worst kind of indie film especially the perfomances seemed really boring and no offense? but Pamela Anderson is no good actor material either especially for this kind of movie or genre. The overall storyline was even worse and it literally went nowhere from start to finish i'm afraid either. Just a film that was not interesting, entertaining or simply good enough as it is. (0/10)

If you're expecting a straight up mystery thriller or horror film you'll be disappointed. However, if you keep an open mind you will be rewarded with a poignant & romantic story about moving on.Failing actress Sweetpea (Dree Hemingway) travels to a music video shoot in rural Japan to break up with her neglectful rock star boyfriend (Francois Arnaud). Arriving at the remote location, she discovers he's gone missing. Is he just trying to avoid her? OR is there something more malevolent behind his disappearance? Looking like a Project Runway Jake Gittes, Sweetpea teams up with local forest warden Mak (Jai West), who has his own hidden agenda, to find her lost love. As the story meanders around the creepy forest, Sweetpea slowly realizes solving her boyfriend's missing persons case isn't the point. She's a typically self-obsessed young woman who can't see the forest from the trees. All the clues are there yet she remains oblivious to their meaning. Is she just protecting herself from the hard truth?This is a finely crafted, assuredly directed film where all the small parts elegantly come together. The acting is great all around, with the elegant Hemingway and understated Jai West being true discoveries. There's also a delightful cameo by Pamela Anderson, who plays with and against type as an aging supermodel who may know more than she lets on. Technical credits are solid with the production design complementing the austere cinematography. Kate Bush's "Running up that Hill" lends an effective coda to the proceedings.Definitely worth a look if you get a chance.

This is a very cool film but not very mainstream, not very American. It has this kind of European pacing and odd humor. It's suspenseful, but not a thriller. You just sort of feel like something is a little off all along the way. The film makes no attempt to keep the "big ending" from the viewers, but I don't think that's the point. Instead it creates tension by creating more subtle mysteries of the heart. There are these incredible scenes with older Japanese men who live and work in the forest that the main character is in. Those men are so lovely and real, really grounding the surreal world. The unease is palpable because you see what's coming and can't stop it. But it does this very curious things of not making you want to stop it either. Which, given the subject, is a bit of a trip. Dree Hemingway is compelling, perfectly portrays this character that is both distant and empathetic. In the end the film sort of washes over you like this surreal dream but its not obtuse. It's about lost love and keeping secrets and the way we view and present our life to others. I was motivated to watch it again (with friends) to figure out a few things and I got even more details. A true recommendation for those who just want an oddly sweet and perfectly dark melancholy film to spend an evening with (but please note it's not like The Forest - in any way)Also loved all the music choices!

The People Garden is a movie with a strange, dark vibe. The atmosphere is spooky and it keeps you guessing until the end. Hovever it would be just another solid, Lynch-inspired mystery drama, without the truly excellent performance by Pamela Anderson. She really makes a difference here: still super beautiful and sexy (look for the beautiful nude scene *Thank You, Pam!*) she appears like a dark, mysterious goddess, a Fallen Muse, someone from the realm between reality a fantasy. Think "women-icons" from Felilni's masterpieces. Every scene with Pamela is magical. A must see film for all Anderson's fans, but also for the haters. She's created a complex, super interesting character in The People Garden. An Oscar-worthy performance!