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Movies / Upcoming / 39 Pounds of Love
39 Pounds of Love

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39 Pounds of Love (2005)

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Reviews Counted: 31

Fresh: 19

Rotten:12

Average Rating: 6/10

Consensus: 39 Pounds of Love is a heart-tugger that often crosses the line between uplifting and sappy.

Rated: Not Rated

Runtime: 70 mins

Genre: Musical & Performing Arts

Theatrical Release:Nov 23, 2005 Limited

Synopsis: 39 Pounds of Love is the inspirational and humorous non-fiction account of a remarkable man and a remarkable journey. Ami Ankilewitz was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) -- an extremely... 39 Pounds of Love is the inspirational and humorous non-fiction account of a remarkable man and a remarkable journey. Ami Ankilewitz was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) -- an extremely rare and often fatal form of muscular atrophy that severely limits his physical growth and movement yet at 34 years of age -- he continues to outlive a doctor’s prediction of life expectancy by 28 years. And counting. Ami, who weighs only 39 pounds, works in Israel as a 3D animator and creates his art despite the fact that his bodily motion is limited to a single finger on his left hand and in doing so, continues to redefine notions of a “limited” life. The film follows Ami’s journey in search of the doctor who predicted his early demise. Along his journey, Ami attempts to come to terms with another major incident from his past and to complete a lifelong dream: To finally ride a Harley Davidson. 39 Pounds of Love is an emotional roller coaster, a fascinating, humorous and truly inspirational ride through life with someone who embodies the very term, carpe diem (Seize the day). Director, Dani Menkin, first saw Ami in a Tel Aviv bar, and was instantly drawn to him and thus, began a relationship that would eventually lead to making the film. The logistics of undertaking such a journey were complicated and the risks were dangerously real. For Ami, who often requires special equipment, no detail could be overlooked or spared. A trailer was outfitted for Ami needs, and his best friend and former caretaker, Asaf, was on hand to provide physical assistance and support. And so, this seven-member crew set out on the road from Los Angeles, through the American southwest and eventually as far east as Florida in search of that doctor who had diagnosed Ami when he was born. Along the way, Ami's dream became the crew's dream as well: to document Ami’s journey, to find the doctor, to reconcile relationships, to tell his story, but above all, to give hope to others through its telling. From Ami's best friend Asaf, to his brother Oscar and mother Helena, everyone surrounding Ami, both onscreen and off was forced to come to terms with themselves, with their loves, their fears and their hopes, as they worked to keep both Ami and his dream alive. 39 Pounds of Love is an HBO/CINEMAX DOCUMENTARY FILM in association with PRIDDY BROTHERS ENTERTAINMENT and HEY JUDE PRODUCTIONS. --© Official Site [More]

Starring: Ami Ankilewitz

Starring: Ami Ankilewitz

Director: Dani Menkin

Director: Dani Menkin
Studio: Balcony Releasing

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Reviews for 39 Pounds of Love

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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Full Review Source: Metromix.com | comment Comment
06/24/08
Matt Pais
Metromix.com

If one ignores the excesses, 39 Pounds of Love becomes a road trip worth taking.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
03/01/07
Eric Monder
Film Journal International

It's not quite on the level of Enron, or even other disability-themed nominees such as Murderball. But with a subject like Ami Ankilewitz, nitpicking seems out of the question.

Full Review Source: Denver Post | comment Comment
02/24/06
Michael Booth
Denver Post
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So inherently poignant, a conservative approach would have been wise.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
01/12/06
Desson Thomson
Washington Post
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This leaves you wanting to know more about Ami, and at the same time feeling a bit cheated that they didn't give you enough.

Full Review Source: TheMovieChicks.com | comment Comment
12/14/05
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
TheMovieChicks.com

Stirring, sobering, and manipulative enough to be slightly suspect.

Full Review Source: Boston Globe | comment Comment
12/10/05
Ty Burr
Boston Globe
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An uplifting documentary.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
12/09/05
John McMurtrie
San Francisco Chronicle
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39 Pounds of Love is a heavyweight emotional champion. Although deserving such adjectives as lovely, loving and inspiring, the documentary steers clear of cloying excess.

Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | comment Comment
12/08/05
Philip Wuntch
Dallas Morning News
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None of this is intended to detract from the courage and will of Ami Ankilewitz. His life is extraordinary. But he has not been well served by the documentarians.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
12/08/05
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It's clear that Ami is no one to pity. Despite what might seem overwhelming physical handicaps, he's able to achieve and enjoy more, and relate more effectively to the people around him, than at least 90 percent of his 'normal' fellow humans.

Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune | comment Comment
12/08/05
Michael Wilmington
Chicago Tribune
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Click to read the article

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
12/06/05
TV Guide's Movie Guide

quietly powerful

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
12/05/05
Rachel Gordon
Filmcritic.com

Ami seems to be very much The Poster Boy for himself, but not for the severely disabled in general, even though this will easily, if erroneously, be read into the film.

Full Review Source: culturevulture.net | comment Comment
12/03/05
Les Wright
culturevulture.net

... a heart-tugger that, although highly inspirational, has a strongly orchestrated quality.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
12/02/05
Kevin Thomas
Los Angeles Times
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Its intimate, home-movie feel might fit better on the small screen when HBO/Cinemax slots it on the cable schedule.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
12/02/05
Sheri Linden
Hollywood Reporter
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Despite an anticlimactic finale and a flimsy storyline, there are enough endearing moments of hope and redemption here to keep 39 Pounds worth its weight.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
12/02/05
E! Online

Pound for pound, Ami is a heavyweight.

Full Review Source: Christian Science Monitor | comment Comment
12/01/05
Peter Rainer
Christian Science Monitor

Despite Menkin’s clear belief that he’s crafted a rousing true-life drama, his film plays like a cliché-ridden, painfully self-conscious Hollywood melodrama about a noble person with disabilities.

Full Review Source: L.A. Weekly | comment Comment
12/01/05
Ernest Hardy
L.A. Weekly

In moments that have nothing to do with representing the weight of love (whatever that is), the film comes alive: when Ami Ankilewitz isn't a symbol -- just a man who, for instance, loves a woman.

Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly | comment Comment
11/30/05
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Entertainment Weekly
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

As its sappy title indicates, Dani Menkin's uneven documentary about an Israeli man with severe muscular dystrophy suffers from that all-too-common affliction: the need to sentimentalize courage in the face of extreme illness.

Full Review Source: New York Daily News | comment Comment
11/28/05
Elizabeth Weitzman
New York Daily News
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