Squatters (2014)

I found it telling that the criminals pad was more spectacular than the 1%'er fat cats, no doubt that was intentional, maybe crime does pay after all. In contrast to most other reviews the only thing I found preposterous was the ending and the police not checking out the house when they come around. definitely would not have been something cursory in the Palisades, given the taxes those people must pay. Other than these things it was quite OK, obviously not Oscar material. it was interesting to live vicariously thru the squatters enjoying the house (but annoyingly not fully) for the duration. a bit like hitting the mall in the dawn of the dead. the sons pad in Venice though not glamorous was also nothing to sneeze at, but that's fat cats for you, they make sure the next generation of fat cats are well set up.

I ask whoever may read this to please read the Larry Silverstein review titled 'Preposterous'. This writer is far more level headed in his review than I could ever hope to be.Everyone, EVERYONE, in this movie is just plain creepy. Even the story is creepy! We are suppose to believe two drugged out street urchins suddenly clean themselves up and are so pretty - no. The first giveaway was the pure white straight teeth and the fake smudges of fake dirt. And the rich folks clothes fit them perfectly! No! And the girl who in one scene is so drugged out she going to let herself be 'used' by 4 thugs. Then she watches a family video found in the fancy house and suddenly she has transformed into a meek virginal debutante who is ready to sacrifice her life for the 'nice rich family'. No! And then the rich families son falls in love with her and just happens to find her in the movie theatre - just silly.Even the underground drug lord was more like a comic book character. Honestly did Martin Weisz actually view the finished movie? I think not. And Richard Dreyfuss must be 'in need' to do that role as the ever-so-cool dad because he seemed ambivalent in every word he tried to speak.Bad movie, too long.

Was too fakey right from the start. Most dumpster diving streeters look nothing like our Hollywood made up with make up, eye candy actors. The ripping off of a small deli scenes were Holly stereotyping; the grungy look was too wardrobe department shopping; the dirty faces/bodies looked like what a make up artist would create with a brush and the same medium gray water based paint - brush painting in all the right places. More laughable than real. The matrix slow motion effects were as cheap as the very fake punches being thrown in one scene. The owners' reactions to home invasion and serious theft - "What's for dinner!" Son in owner's family predictably and unimaginatively falls for our now magically transformed theft girl (Cinderella after a bath and stolen clothes.) and like all love stories (well, Hollywood love stories) he never truly leaves her. Roughly equivalent to daytime tele soap opera production if that is one's entertainment interest.

In Venice, California, Kelley Tanner (Gabriela Wilde) and Jonas Trumball (Thomas Dekker) are homeless teenagers that live on the beach and spend the day using drugs, drinking booze and shoplifting to survive. One day, Jonas overhears a conversation in a parking area between a woman named Evelyn (Lolita Davidovich) and her housekeeper, and Evelyn tells that she will travel for one month with her husband David (Richard Dreyfuss) and she gives the alarm code to her servant. Jonas sees the chance to rob the house and brings Kelley that is drugged with him. Kelley is needy of family love since she was a foster girl that left her foster house to live on the streets, and she spend the days watching to home videos and getting evolved with Evelyn, David, their son Michael (Luke Grimes), who has a poster of "The Kid" in his room, and their deceased daughter Stephanie. But Jonas is interested in robbing as much as possible to start a new life in Mexico. He meets a dangerous criminal to deal the jewelry and the Porsches of the family. But the family returns and Kelley and Jonas need to flee from the house. When Kelley is wandering on the streets, she stumbles with a movie theater that is showing Charles Chaplin's "The Kid". She buys a ticket and realizes that she is alone in the theater; out of the blue, Charles enters in the theater and sits near her. Soon they drink coffee together and Michael dates Kelley and falls in love with her. Kelly does not disclose her past to Michael but soon she is haunted by what she did. "Squatters" is a movie with a flawed, but pleasant story of love and redemption. Gabriela Wilde has a sweet face but her characters changes too much after a bath, from a drugged to an almost innocent teenager. The story works well until the rushed romance between Michael and Kelley. The plot should have extended their love to make sense the conclusion, with Kelley's redemption and acceptance of Michael and his family. Despite the unbelievable conclusion, the movie deserves a chance to be watched. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): "Desabrigados" ("Unsheltered")