Sympathy for Delicious (2010)

...about society, faith, healing industry. great work of a good actor who proofs his director skills, for first time. a film about the other. the appareances, the interests, the fame, the show, the compromises, the gift and its price. at first sigh, one of the most inspired Christian films. in fact, a beautiful pledge for a careful [erspective about life. a curagious film. and, in same measure, an useful one.

Mark Ruffalo's directional debut seemed good enough for me. Of course this movie doesn't pretend to be an extra-realistic, serious drama with a deep-deep context, despite of it the movie is full of the important ideas and real-life dilemmas. Personally I considered Ruffalo's work as an entire metaphor about individual choices, forming our lives, we make every time, the ability and power to believe. about arisen greed and envy that both anyway crash the way based on the right decision. Dj's gift and miracles come into his life are challenging him, pushing on his all weak sides, but made him review his life entirely. The main two characters - neither priest nor ex-DJ are categorical ones, both being complicated persons. The end also has symbolical shape with a note for the best, however being not happy. The only film's demerits i saw were about events, moving too fast, and the image of the gift had been shown in a too much expressional way. But otherwise "Sympathy for Delicious" is an interesting movie to see and it gives some stuff you can think about after viewing.

==Urgent update Jan 6, 2014. I just saw copies of this movie, brand new, for sale at the Dollar Store. Yes $1! Don't even finish reading this review, just go buy this movie. OK, back to the original review==I thank my lucky stars I didn't see the trailer beforehand because it would've ruined the beauty of watching this creative story unfold. If you've already seen the trailer, do your best to rinse it out of your skull (it's not exactly accurate anyway).Rather than tell you about the plot, I'm going to tell you some behind-the-scenes info which should enhance your enjoyment. "Sympathy for Delicious" took 10 years to make. It was written by its lead actor Christopher Thornton who, like the character he plays, is paralyzed from the waist down in real life due to an accident. So the passion he delivers on screen is 100% genuine, and that's why this film works. Nothing is contrived. Even the story, surreal as it is, comes directly from the heart of a man who has been through the ordeal.His counterpart is played by director Mark Ruffalo, Thornton's longtime friend in real life. The dynamic is stellar. On screen as well as in real life, they share a sort of sibling love-hate relationship. This makes their dramatic scenes 100% authentic. When the characters get into arguments, you can feel that they've left the script behind and are emoting straight from the heart. Not since F. Murray Abraham's performance in "Amadeus" have I seen such raw, honest passion.The film touches heavily on themes of religion, but it is neither preachy nor bashy. Devout Christians as well as Atheists should enjoy this movie just the same. Thornton plays a faithless character with a lot of understandable resentment toward God (again bringing to mind the excellent film "Amadeus"). Ruffalo plays a Catholic priest who himself has profound issues. Though polar opposites, the 2 characters are oddly parallel.What makes this film jaw-dropping is the way the story weaves a clever parable of "the rock star & the priest". After you see the film maybe you'll agree that it's a very fitting analogy.Juliette Lewis is perfect in her role, and her scenes with Thornton are at times funny, at times sentimental, at times powerful, and each time memorable. Orlando Bloom, though prominently featured in the promos for this film, plays a somewhat minor role. But he's still larger than life every time he graces the screen. As far as acting goes, we get Oscar-worthy performances all around.This is not your average rock'n'roll film; it's much more. It packs a lot of philosophy and requires your full attention, so be sure to watch it with a clear head. It's so original I can't think of many films to compare it to. But it reminds me of the excellent film "Into Temptation" (about a priest who's trying to stop a prostitute's suicide) and the Mexican masterpiece "Piedras Verdes" (about a girl on a soul-searching journey thru the desert). It touches on some of the same profound themes found in "Amadeus" and "The Green Mile".I give this film 9 stars which is about the highest I ever give a film. Honourable mention for the first & only time I've heard the line "I'LL SEE YOU IN HELL" used effectively (apologies to Arnold Schwarzenegger)!

Wow, I was blown away watching the directorial debut by Mark Ruffalo, written by and starring Christopher Thornton, in a role that will definitely land him some Oscar recognition. I walked into the movie not really knowing what to expect, but was immediately thrown into a dramatic and intense depiction of the life of a young man who is both disabled and disgruntled at life, and the many trials and tests he goes through on the road down to hell and then redemption. Mark Ruffalo also acts as a priest who tries to help Thornton (Delicious) but can only do so much. The movie steers you in a direction you would never guess, and leaves you breathless and fully satisfied. Juliette Lewis, Orlando Bloom, and Laura Linney are some of the supporting cast who all do well in their respective roles, but Thornton is the one who really takes the cake, and Mark Ruffalo directs himself to perfection. I can not recommend this movie enough, I don't know when or if ever it will get a cinematic release, but keep your eye on this title and make sure not to miss it when it does come out.