Barefoot (2014)

Wait a second. When did 'mentally ill' mean 'neonatally intelligent manic pixie dream girl'?!? I registered just to comment on the ridiculousness of this movie. It solely relies on the attractiveness of its lead actors. It is rushed, unrealistic, cliché. Can you say overdone estranged father-son dynamic?!?! Despite being feel-goody, this movie is just too stupid to take sincerely. Even a little bit. I am very sorry I picked this off of Netflix. And shame on y'all for trying to say it's 'artsy'."I think she's just suffering from PTSD"?!?! Seriously...? IMDb thinks I need to add more lines to this review. Honestly there is nothing else about this movie worth saying.

Fmovies: Jay Wheeler (Scott Speedman) lives up to his name as a wheeler-dealer. A son of wealthy New Orleans stock, he has chosen to run up gambling debts and pursue other nefarious actions. This lands him in jail, where he is sentenced to community service at a mental hospital. While mopping the floors, he saves a pretty patient, Daisy (Evan Rachel Wood) from being assaulted by a male resident of the same ward. Not long after this, his gambling totals are so large that the casinos are after him. His only recourse is to go back home for his brother's wedding, where he will ask his father for a "business loan". But, needing to look the part of a successful gentleman, Jay decides he needs a lady on his arm. All of the pole dancers of his acquaintance turn him down so he gets the brilliant idea to bring DAISY, after she follows him out the door one night. Is he serious? Yes, she's highly functional but may have killed her mother, also a disturbed individual. With instructions to tell everyone she is a nurse, can Daisy and Jay pull this ruse off? Not likely, and soon other escapades follow. Meanwhile, the hospital's head shrink (JK Simmons) is throwing fit after fit. Is there a future for this strange couple? This remake of a German film has a great concept and a winning performance from Wood to elevate its eventual loss of energy. What fun to have a "crazy" woman pose as a gal pal at a high society wedding! Speedman does fine work, too, as do Treat Williams, Simmons, Kate Burton and more. As the scenery goes from California to Louisiana to Texas and back again, fans of varied venues will be happy, too. Yes, the flick slows down and loses focus in the second half but still will resonate with a certain kind of offbeat film lover. So, if that's you, get shoes on and go get Barefoot.

Barefoot is a heartwarming and feel good rom-com with a twist. it ain't just another love story, but digs just a little bit deeper into themes of mental health, and the power of love to change one's course of this life. While my first encounter with the story came with the German Barfuss movie back in 2005, and while I still much prefer the German version (the soundtrack alone was a star in itself in that version) to this one, I was very satisfied with what Barefoot managed to achieve. I love the actors, both Scott Speedman and especially Evan Rachel Wood, gave a very strong and convincing performances. After watching the movie I felt elevated and heart-warmed, and for this lingering feel good sensation I give this movie 9 out of 10, and recommend it to any one looking for a good rom-com not following the standard rom-com formula all the way.

Barefoot fmovies. Some reviews on here criticise that the male protagonist learns that you can just continue behaving badly until it pays off. I think those reviewers miss the point rather spectacularly. They're demanding the formula they've come to expect - no doubt if the movie WAS as perfectly formulaic as they expect they'd almost certainly criticise this too.

Personally, I felt that the male character DOES progress so the criticism is unwarranted on both levels.

Personally, I loved this movie. Woods acting is wonderful and she portrays the naive female lead expertly. All the characters were believable.

It's a lovely rom-com with less than perfect characters and which doesn't force morality down your throat... for this reason alone I consider barefoot refreshing.

Don't look too deeply. This is a movie that wants to be fun and adventurous and a little bit dangerous. If you're in the right mood, you don't need much more than that. Sure it's ridiculous and implausible and poorly edited, and Scott Speedman only has two gears, and the writing is a little off, and the central relationship is a little creepy on several different levels. No matter. This is one of those movies that is touched by the magic of the movies -- maybe not enough to make it great or even good as a movie, but it has a relentless sparkle-eyed charm that makes it pleasant and irrationally satisfying as an experience.

You cannot be more down to earth than having no shoes and socks on. Barefoot is being risky, because you're expose yourself to getting hurt (a lot). But it also means you feel things on a different level, you probably enjoy things more than others, since you are more connected to things and letting them in.

Evan Rachel Woods is terrific in playing the innocent, quirky character in this one. And she kind of steals the show, though Scott Speedman is our central character, who's the one learning life lessons and not the other way around. Even though this is predictable, you root for things to happen and cannot help but feel elevated at times or being sad with the characters too. The connection is there, if you allow it to happen