Posted on: March 30, 2008 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Things We Lost In The Fire / 2008 Dreamworks / 118 Minutes / http://www.thingswelostinthefire.com / http://www.dreamworks.com /

This Image-award nominated film showcases the talents of Halle Berry and Benicio Del Toro in this film that showcases that out of grief, some form of happiness can be created. The film itself is about Berry’s character and eir family taking in a friend of Berry’s deceased husband, as both groups look to bring some closure to that part of their life. Ultimately, some form of normality is restored and viewers are left with some sense that everything may just be okay with the new family. The time line in which the movie is constructed is fragmented, in that the director decides to tell the story through a number of references back to an earlier time.

While individuals will not be too terribly confused with this construct, viewers will have to pay a level of attention that is somewhat higher than they would normally with a film in this style. The story is compelling to the point that I personally wonder why it was not higher on the year-end charts of movie reviewers. The characters in “Things We Lost In The Fire” are human, and it just feels so much more real than similar fare that has been released in the last few years. The DVD edition of Things We Lost In The Fire came out at the beginning of this month, and features a number of bonuses that will give individuals a little bit more in the way of education into the motives and desires of all that are linked to the film.

The sheer number of features that are present on the versions of this film are not high; individuals can conceivably count the discussion about the film and the deleted footage as two distinct things – but each piece extra that viewers are given will be enough to really go and make this movie all the more life-changing. Things We Lost In The Fire is the film that could arguably be the best film by all involved, whether it be Halle Berry, Benicio Del Tour, or even Susanne Bier (known previously for eir “After The Wedding”). The film does not try to step around the nitty gritty reality of life, so the intensities of action that take place here may shock viewers, Come into the film with an open mind and chances are good that you will leave extremely pleased.

Rating: 7.0/10

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