For Ellen (2012)
Average Rating: 6.2/10
Reviews Counted: 35
Fresh: 23 | Rotten: 12
No consensus yet.
Average Rating: 6.2/10
Critic Reviews: 15
Fresh: 9 | Rotten: 6
No consensus yet.
liked it
Average Rating: 3.3/5
User Ratings: 2,092
My Rating
Movie Info
Aspiring rock star Joby Taylor (Paul Dano) has wanted nothing more than to "make it", having flirted with fame but never crossed over into true success. In the midst of a low period in his life, he agrees to sign divorce papers with his estranged wife (Margarita Levieva) in order to see money from the sale of their home, only to discover that by signing the papers, he will forfeit all custody of his six-year-old daughter, Ellen (Shaylena Mandigo). With a good-natured lawyer (Jon Heder) unable to
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Cast
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Paul Dano
Joby Taylor, John Taylo... -
Jon Heder
Fred Butler -
Jena Malone
Susan -
Margarita Levieva
Claire Taylor -
Shaylena Mandigo
Ellen Taylor -
Julian Gamble
Mr. Hamilton -
Dakota Johnson
Cindy -
Peter Roberts
Tow-Truck Guy -
William Roberts
Tow-Truck Guy -
Ronald Walter Mandigo
Bowling Alley Extra, Cl... -
Mara Pelifan
Mrs. Butler -
Michael Almond
Bar Extra -
Gabrielle Bergeron
Bar Extra -
Bonnie Lucia
Bar Extra -
Robert "R.J." Jordan
Bar Extra -
Shannon Jordan
Bar Extra -
Alycia Kassian
Bar Extra, Bowling Alle... -
Andrew Kassian
Bar Extra, Bowling Alle... -
Heather Anne Schwendner
Bar Extra -
David Zwyghuizen
Bar Extra -
Paul Dano, Sr.
Bowling Alley Extra -
Lauren Cribb Gropp
Bowling Alley Extra -
Doug Kassian
Bowling Alley Extra -
Lucy Kassian
Bowling Alley Extra -
Alexandra Nicole Lett
Bowling Alley Extra -
Crystal Nicole Nevin
Bowling Alley Extra -
P.J. Pollack
Bowling Alley Extra -
Alex Mauriello
Lisa
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All Critics (35) | Top Critics (15) | Fresh (23) | Rotten (12)
It's uncomfortably funny, achingly true - and the work of an absolutely genuine artist.
Top Critic"For Ellen" is a small but exquisite film, beautifully observed and impeccably executed.
his quiet indie drama distinguishes itself most when writer-director So Yong Kim gets the rocker alone with his daughter for a brief visit that will probably be their last.
This performance, unlike anything Paul Dano has ever done, must have required some courage.
"For Ellen" tries one's patience, but what works, works for keeps.
Its anemic plot is almost nonexistent, and there's not enough substance to support Kim's languid style, resulting in a too-relaxed, 93-minute feature ...
This low-key but shrewdly observed US indie movie from Korean-American writer-director So Yong Kim pointedly opens with a man at a crossroads, unsure of which direction to take. Decision made, he soon afterwards skids into a snowdrift.
Mumblecore stuff with touching, truthful moments ...
It's almost as though we're working toward an inverted, non-humorous riposte to John Goodman's line in The Big Lebowski: Say what you like about nihilism, at least it's an ethos.
One of those mopey independent dramas that drifts through a mere hint of a plot, this film is worth a look for its unusual setting and a superb central performance from Paul Dano (last seen in Looper).
Paul Dano makes So Yong Kim's story of a deadbeat rocker with marriage problems his own.
It's a challenging watch - Yong Kim allows plenty of time for the scenes to breathe - but it's genuinely touching, ending on a note that says all too much about the nature of the ultimate commitment-phobe.
A tender and engaging drama with a handful of touching scenes and a stellar performance from Paul Dano ...
Awkward, spartan storytelling from Korean director So Yong Kim that captures the tender heart of family bonds.
Although little is explicitly stated, the characters' back-story is effectively communicated - yet it's difficult to truly care.
Writer-director So Yong Kim's mastery of tone and elements turns For Ellen into a thing of tender, forlorn beauty.
[A] glacially paced indie from Treeless Mountain director So Yong Kim, a Sundance special whose muted emotions take a while to access.
To make a short story long ...
Mandingo's so good, it's a shame that Dano is his typically mannered self.
It is the sensitively crafted, difficult struggle of father and daughter to connect, that forms the tender and awkward anchor of this tale. And that is the real romance here, a delicately nuanced unusual love story that is the heart of this movie.
Audience Reviews for For Ellen
Paul Danno is amazing as always. He really does give one of his better performances. The weight of the film is all on his performance for he is alone most of the time. All of the other actors play minor roles. It's not a film I would probably see again though. It's depressing."
Super Reviewer
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- John Taylor: We wanted to make it so bad.
- Ellen Taylor: Have you made it?
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- John Taylor: You don't talk to me that way!
- John Taylor: Hello?
Discussion Forum
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Latest News on For Ellen
September 7, 2012:
Critics Consensus: The Words Doesn't Know What To SayThis week at the movies, we?ve got a literary fraud (The Words, starring Bradley Cooper and Zoë...
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Director/writer So Yong Kim is director who clearly relies on actors and their performances. Basically the story has loads of potential to become something important but it ends up being flat and even pointless. The story about a selfish young father who does not care anyone or anything else than himself and his rockstar fantasy is asking a lot from us in the audience. Should we care about this man or if he gets his second chance? I myself did not.
While Paul Dano has showed some exceptional talent as an actor in a films like There Will Be Blood and The Good Heart, this is a first film where he is clearly miscast. There are moments when his intentions to create intense portrait of a fragile and damaged soul goes wildly over the top and the end result feels too forced to be nothing special. There is also crucial moments in this film where So Yong Kim aims for pure melodrama but the feelings are just not there.
Oddly the whole film feels aimless, hollow and too muted. This is supposed to be story that touches your heart but i find it to be a disappointment when it comes to emotions. Technically it is an well made work and actually has a nice photography with beautiful and simple milieu. Too bad that Kim never finds a real story worth to tell from here and talk about unsatisfying ending. This is a missed opprtunity.