The Unsaid (2001)

This is a surprising movie that sneaks up on the viewer in many ways--starting off with a bang and never lapsing into self-indulgence or violence for it's own sake; Andy Garcia, who produced the film, obviously cares about his part and surrounded himself with actors who felt likewise, the entire cast convincing in a combination of teen problem film crossed with a psychological thriller. It is also a film about family problems, and I found it never trivial and frequently a nail-biter.I'd never heard of this film, and would stress, with others who have written about it, that if you're thinking about watching it, you avoid written material about the plot: the surprises are half the fun!

THE UNSAID was made in 2001, was released direct to DVD in 2003.After reading the synopsis & that Andy Garcia besides starring was also the executive producer,I was planning to criticise the fact it had no theatrical release in the USA.After viewing this tonight,it is easy to see why it did not have a theatrical run in US theatres.The movie seems more like made Lifetime TV. Nearly all concerned have extensive television credits, except for Andy Garcia.Tom Mcloughlin directed nicely, BUT the story & screenplay did him & the film in.It starts off interestingly for about the first half,seems like it might be OK.THEN predictability & boredom sets in. The ending is almost laughable.This is a pity tho, as cast does very good work. Andy Garcia gives an excellent performance.Vincent Kartheiser was only 21 when he made this & definitely has talent. I have not seen any of his many TV roles,I hope he makes other films & becomes a major player. I do not know any of the actresses in this drama,BUT they all are quite good.The production credits are quite good.If the script was better it would have been a much better film.Take a chance you may like it better than I.Ratings: **1/2 (out of 4) 73 points (out of 100) IMDb 6 (out of 10)

The title of the film is a perfect depiction of what the story is about: "The Unsaid" is a journey full of agony and tension, into the deep-buried and untold secrets lurking in the hearts of Tommy Caffey (Kartheiser) and his therapist, Dr. Michael Hunter (Garcia).Dr. Hunter, who has not completely recovered from the shock of his son's Kyle (Blumas) suicide, is persuaded by a former student of his, Dr. Wagner (Polo), to take the case of a seemingly normal adolescent, Tommy. The young boy, who in the past suffered a deeply traumatic experience by watching his father kill his mother, initially gets along well with his new therapist; moreover, Dr. Hunter himself seems to draw comfort from the boy's presence, as he reminds him of his lost son. However, things gradually become more complicated, as Tommy and Shelly (Cordellini), the daughter of Dr. Hunter, meet and become fond of each other; moreover, Tommy's case is not as simple as it first seemed...The film portrays three troubled characters: Kyle, Tommy, and Hunter himself. The performances by the respective actors, namely Blumas, Kartheiser, and Garcia, are simply superb. Although one might expect such A-level acting by a star of Andy Garcia's caliber, it is positively surprising and very heartening to watch young actors doing such a good job. Cordellini is also very convincing as Hunter's detached and confused daughter, while the rest of the cast remains on a generally satisfactory level.McLoughlin's direction is balanced and well-executed, building up the tension when he should, but without resorting to needless exaggerations."The Unsaid" is overall a solid film that studies the secrets buried inside the human soul. 7/10.

I just read all the comments. Some loved it. Some were bored with it. Some were, in my opinion, just trying to be supercritic. Here's the thing though. Having worked in the business of Social Work and Counseling, and having experienced the real world of some of these very real problems. . . I would like to simply add the comment that I thought the movie was so real it hurt. I thought the script was very realistic. It never went for the possible "extras" to hype it up. They could easily have let the former professor and his former student have an affair, they didn't. They could easily have played up the manipulation of the boy against the psychologist, they didn't. In all that it's downplayed, the realistic speaking type of performance, we were allowed to see the wretched grief, and anger, and blocked memories that do come out with horror and a bang. It was REAL. It was superb. It was better than that. From script, to acting, to film shots, to editing, from directing, and producing, from casting so perfectly a real woman who looked like a real mother, and even the psychologist's special lecture to the students at the beginning. It was all so real. So real it hurt.