User reviews

I just finished watching this movie, having watched it because I was intrigued by the title -- sometimes titles just hook me right off the bat and make me want to see if the movie lives up to the expectations the title created -- and I enjoy watching Kate Bosworth ever since the Young Americans TV series in the Summer of 2000.

Also, having been to Ischia many years ago, I hoped it would remind me of my sojourn.

From the trailer, I was expecting a gentle romance in a faraway picturesque island between two people who have found each other.

Wrong.

Instead we have a travelogue featuring a woman looking for fun who finds it by having a fling with with a bored college kid. Granted, he is good-looking but she could have picked just about any other kid off the street considering how little chemistry there is between the two. We're not even entirely certain what prompts her to do this considering how much her husband -- in his own way -- loves her, and she must him. I don't think the movie can even be considered romantic fluff because there isn't any fluff. Romantic or otherwise. Or sensuality. We aren't even made to care what happens.

During the movie I wondered to myself what Woody Allen would have done with this.

I was disappointed with the waste of such a good title.

Troubled couple arrive in Naples and settle in. He to play viola for concerts, she to work on WWII novel / memoir. Gorgeous settings of isle of Ischia, offset by serious, depressing tone of a husband and wife who can no longer communicate with each other. She meets a 19 year old, still very boyish, reckless and full of youthful energy. He comes off as initially annoying, and I cannot say he grew on me, but I did get accustomed to him. The plot meanders around as the young wife (Kate Bosworth - quite good here) broods much of the time. Much of her story is internal, thinking and rethinking, about her situation and possibilities. All the time, she is listening to recordings of her grandmother, recalling her own youth. "Chick flick" might resonate more with female viewers.

I am not going to comment on this movie beyond asking why on earth did the director choose two actors who mumbled their way through much of their lines. And then direct the third actor who wasn't a mumbler at least to whisper a key line. Can anyone tell me what he said to her when they were hiding behind the car? Can anybody tell me what she said to him in another whispered speech when he sat down at their table the next day, not to mention why she would whisper something to him like that in front of her husband. This is not the only movie where I have experienced this problem which seems to be increasing due to the "hand- held" camera plague which is a parallel phenomenon to this mumbling plague, but this one was so egregious at key moments. Sorry, I didn't get any further . . couldn't bear it . . . Annoying!! I was dying to have Claire Bloom make a physical rather than just verbal appearance and bring some maturity to both the movie and the characters. Nice scenery.

I expected something else from the trailer, true.

But I still love this movie. It's so brutally honest. So simple. It's a movie about life and love. The kind ones that actually happen, not some Hollywood bullshit. How lines between people are messy and you can't see where they start and where they end. How some people have a huge influence on us. It's a movie about a woman finding herself. It's raw, but it's real. You have to find beauty in simplicity to really appreciate it. Some people are here just to show us that there is more of this world than what we have. Everything we thought we knew so well and sure about, now we doubt. The things you never thought you needed a second thought, yet you will. Nothing, ever, is sure. We do not see the lines between us, other people and things and that's why it's so hard to break from society and do something else. To have strength to leave something that meant so much to us, to have the strength to admmit that it doesn't no more.

I enjoyed it very much.

I was tempted to give this a 10, because it does what it does very well, and ... I loved it. I'm giving it a 9, mainly because it's not just about me, and (judging from the other reviews it's gotten) it takes a certain kind of person--and definitely a certain mood--to appreciate what this movie has to offer. On a different night, I wouldn't have had the patience to sit through it, and that's partly because I can't slow myself down often enough, but it's also partly because the movie doesn't do quite as much as it could to draw the viewer in. You need to be in a relaxed, introspective state of mind, I think, but if/when you are, you might find this as rewarding as I did.

I don't want to say a whole lot about the plot, the characters, or the issues that they try to deal with. Part of what I like most about this movie is the way it reveals these things, so I think it's best to not know many details going in. But I will say that there seem to be some important lessons about life and relationships that could be taken away from this, and the messages come across in a natural, unforced way. This is pretty rare.

Reviewers have pointed out that Bosworth does a fine job here, and I completely agree, but the rest of the cast also deserves plenty of praise. Most of what's going on in this movie is pretty subtle, and lesser actors/actresses would have tried to overdo things--and a lesser director would've let them. Even minor missteps in acting or directing can be quite a turn-off for me, but I don't recall any such thing in this case. The locations and camera work didn't hurt either. I was immersed from start to finish.

I also loved the dialogue. Here, too, what I appreciated was that it wasn't overdone, nor was it too subtle. The people on screen talked pretty much like you'd expect them to. (I never found myself thinking, "That character would never put things that way.") Nothing seemed artificial.

So, I guess I could sum things up by saying this is a patient, enjoyable, and flawlessly executed study of certain issues many of us are going to run up against at some point in our lives. I honestly think that many reviewers just don't get it.

i often wondered how a lousy and deadbeat screenplay would be realized and okay-ed by the production people(the investors) to go ahead, and this film is right on the money and a living example of what i've just said. from the very beginning of the brain-dead film. the man and the woman both did a horrible acting, holding books in their hands, but their eyes never moved between lines. they were just holding the books without any believable acting. then the incident when they were wrongly brought to an address and the woman found her wallet was missing. well, if it was the man who's paying the taxi fee, she got no reason to roam in her purse. then the unreasonable response of the taxi driver was also over re-acted. and when she found that she lost her purse, again, she didn't react as the average people who just found out that they had lost their credit cards, their cash and whatsoever. it's just like either it happened very often or she couldn't care less, there was no normal anxiety, agitation, upset emotions showed in her body language, facial expressions and her voice. she was so calm and so unbelievably cool. her stupid acting was never corrected by the stupid and blind director. then scene after scene, every sentence of the stupid dialog just kept floating up one after another, and the poor acting of the female main character and everybody involved in this stupid and bore-to-death film simply never improved and never corrected. i was like watching a bunch of dead fish in a fish tank all afloat on top of the water, no nothing, just a big Nada!

I'm 'SICK-&-TIRED' of Hollywood doing their best to make men look bad, while portraying women as wholesome & trust-worthy!! I can think of more than a dozen films, &, I'm SURE there's many more, which portray women in a positive light (i.e. 'justified'/condoning their indiscretions/betrayals, with the LAME excuse of being lonely or from some kind of 'victim-mentality'. WHY..., does Hollywood want peeps to condone female infidelity yet they want us to be angry & un-forgiving if a male strays...??? What's with the double-standards??? Ohhh, yeah...; it's called the "P***y-pass" ("I'm a girl, so, I can do whatever I want & get away with it, because, I have a internal reproductive organs"). Seriously...??? W-T-H?!? I challenge ANYone to name 1 film which purports to exonerate a male when/if he has strayed.

Also, many years ago I realized another commonly used ploy to sell movies. Yeah, I know; it's meant to "garner sympathy" for the female character (annnd, I've lost my ability to care....). It's the part in SO many movies where, often for inane reasons, a female is up-set (insert petty reasons here). It's the scene I call: "here's the part, where we feel sorry for the girl".

Hey Hollywood!! Hows about making a movie (for once) where we can empathize with (or sympathize for) the male character (e.g.: after his un-faithful tramp becomes fully aware of the pain she's caused)?? Oh yeah--right. That doesn't 'sell' because, men aren't supposed to 'feel' anything. We're just supposed to DIE in wars, or, from saving the "fair maiden" (macho crap!) in your horrendously formulaic, NON-realistic films. Pathetic!!!

I could write a book on your double-standards....

I loved this movie. And although it put me in a very melancholy mood, which I didn't want on a sunny Sunday afternoon, I loved every minute of it. The score is so incredibly beautiful yet rather simple (my favorite type of score). The other music and the end credit song created such a special vibe.

And, of course, the setting was stunning. The script, the actors, the story - i loved it all.

I don't understand while other reviews are so negative. Maybe people are looking for an idiotic typical romantic flick? If so, this is definitely not what they will get with this one.

This film had so much potential but went nowhere with an emotionless lead and shallow supporting cast.

There is little to appreciate in this tale of a self-centered married woman taking selfish decisions and doing nothing to make anyone's life any better, including her own.

Overall makes for a very unlikeable film and a couple of hours of my own life I have lost looking at it.

I came across this film one evening after listening to the soundtrack (I won't name it as it gives away spoilers if you know the content of the song), and was intrigued by the few clips and trailers I could find online - it was the most beautiful film. The island of Ischia is a quaint, crumbling backdrop for a very elegant and believable love affair, immediately providing a sense of escape and tranquility for the viewer as they get to know Jane and how she sees the world. The relationships in this film are incredible - sewing hints of doubt and mistrust in carefully considered dialogue and Kate Bosworth's very serious expressions. Jane's husband is delightfully executed as the most boring, standoffish man ever to be in a film, which works perfectly to show how an affair with a younger man would seem like an easy escape for Jane. Jamie Blackley also shines as the younger love interest, his gimmicks, boyish attitude and slight arrogance bouncing off Jane's pensiveness and grief to produce a very sweet romantic encounter. None of the acting feels forced or unrealistic.

It is hard to believe the whole film takes place in less than a week, as the raw emotions that change so often throughout the film could easily take place over a relationship of several months. The intensity is balanced with hazy montages as Jane and Caleb explore the island, and the whole thing reminded me of old Italian films as well as pieces like Roman Holiday. However, if you are after a light-hearted holiday romance, this is not that film. I think, as other reviews have mentioned, you have to be in a certain frame of mind to fully appreciate all aspects of this film, as beautiful though it is, I understand how some people might find it dull or too focused.

I've given it a 9 as although it is one of my favourite films, I know it was originally released at film festivals in black and white, and then colour for public release. I feel it would work even better in black and white - does anyone know if it is possible to get the b/w version?

She used her husband and cheated on her, and left ... She was nothing but a selfish, confused girl without any goal in life..

The story goes no where the plot development is stupid and irrational. Except kate Bosworth this movie isnt worth 1 star.

First of all there are two major things I liked about this movie very much. First is the way some scenes were shot and the gorgeous places. Second, is the remarkable and wise granny advises, I have already loved the phrase:

'You know the truth when you find it. It'll come to you like something you've known before rather than something you're learning for the first time.'

But the down sides are just too many to underestimate. First of all the end of a film, in my opinion, must me surprising, or at least a little more deeper than that. It all happens so quick and even unbelievable. I have to admit that I thought this film is like Adore but it failed my expectations.

Overall I'm disappointed but you may like it, go have a try.

I liked how the movie introduced the main characters and their relations. It was successful in portraying a that feels suffocating environment, where two people are holding on to a sinking boat. Unfortunately, the movie lacked to show the intensity at the final moments choosing a safe conclusion for the protagonist. According to my rating strategy: The basic idea of the movie was fine but it could have left more of an impact, so I give it 1/2 on story. Apart from Kate Bosworth ,the other actors were really not able to portray the true emotions so, 0/1 on cast. The movie did however had less plot holes and pretty much summed up the story in its own way, receiving 2/2 on task fulfillment. I did enjoy the movie but skipped a little towards the end so I would give 1/2 on my satisfaction. It receives zero for not having that wow factor. Finally, this movie attempted to have a shaky camera vibe, and still shots which felt new and kind of cool so 1/2 on directing, cinematography and soundtrack.

I think; And While We Were Here is a brilliant piece of cinema. One must get past the male/ female bias agenda. Re;some comments. Has anybody not been in such a boring relationship like Leonard and Jane's? I have seen many relationships like theirs; and they are still together. Their mistakes; losing her wallet, Stubbing his toe, their lovemaking are all very incite full observations of LIFE; when you are so bored with each other. Though; like many married people some stay together for life. I thought Caleb and Jane first kiss in the lane way was very intimate and arousing also; I disagree with some comments. In real life Jane would have stayed with Leonard and kept having interesting lovers on the side. Just; my warped view, here. I have met many Leonard's; most women stay with them. I can never understand this? Leonard's pain is palpable on the train in the last scene. This is great directing and great writing and acting. I would say that Kat Coiro is one great philosopher; writer and director and actor I see; as well! and attractive to boot. My Goodness; Such a talent; woh And the answer to;And While We Were Here? Is; to keep working towards understanding ourselves while we are here.

Intelligent, we'll-acted drama set in and around Naples. Makes its point unhurriedly. Only criticism is that plot had only one way to go. Oh, and the sepia colour of the print - obviously to align with the mood of the characters but it's a pity that it dulled the stunning setting.

Nothing matters but chemistry. Kate Bosworth falls in love with a teenage and drowns in her feelings. She looks like teenage herself, she looks fantastic.