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All I Want Customer Reviews (1 - 3 of 21 Reviews)

Uhhh...
Ok, I took my chances on buying this movie without seeing it first because I am an Elijah Wood fan and was interested to see him in a role that's not Frodo. He played off his awkward character quite well, but it was almost painful to watch because I was embarrassed for the kid. Actually, most of the characters were awkward. Maybe that was the intention, but there were some VERY strange moments that I didn't expect. I just expected more from the movie, and after watching it, it seemed empty.

Frodo finally gets some
This is a pretty poor romantic comedy/coming of age film, with all the conventions that you would expect: broken home, overly sensitive boy, wise older woman friend, rampant fantasies, etc etc. I really didn't find anything about it very interesting, with the exception of how his relationship with his mom evolves. But the silliness and frivolous ticks throughout the film never worked for me. All in all, I felt like it was a waste of time.

Not recommended.

Comfortable But Unoriginal Teen Movie (Though Frodo Was 21)
Also known as inexplicable 'Try Seventten,' 'All I Want' stars Elijah Wood, Franka Potente ('Run Lola Run'), Mandy Moore ('Walk to Remember'), and Elizabeth Perkins. The film, as you know, seems to have been directly sent to video, in spite of the presence of Frodo, and if you see the film, you soon realize there are good reasons behind that.

The story is just a standard one, about a seventeen-year-old boy Jones (Wood), coming from Texas (where he lived with his mom always drinking), and without reasons he drops out from the college on the first day. Jones instead takes up a room, where he meets unique characters, photographer Franka Potente, and actress-wannabe Mandy Moore.

Romance ensues, but not in the way we expect. Actually, Ms. Moore's role is not as big as you suppose, and (as you see for yourself in the opening 30 minutes) it's Ms. Potente that steals the heart of Jones, and the film itself. But how could an immature 17-year-old boy with a bad habit of daydreaming be the love of this elder, tough, and independent woman with a fragile heart?

The story itself is promising, and the film is not totally bad, like 'Gigli' or something. 'All I Want' is (at least) trying to be a comfortable romance with love story, and possibly healthy amount of humor. Endure the awfully slow and contrived opening 30 minutes, and you will pretty enjoy yourself.

But the film is flawed at many points. First of all, Elijah Wood (b. 1981) never looks seventeen, even with his wide eyes. To make matters worse, his acting here is too bland. Incredible as it sounds, but I couldn't tell whether it's Wood's character or Wood himself that looks very boring on the screen.

The poor direction doesn't help, either. The boy's frequent 'fantasy' is strictly amateur hour, each shot annoyingly lacking the quality of real fantasy. His family history back in Texas sorrounding Elizabeth Perkins's character is nothing original, let alone amusing or touching.

Perhaps 'All I Want' can be best enjoyed as love story of Franka Potente, who alone can brings life to this oft-told story that looks assembled from better movies about teens and teenage angst, like John Hughes back in the 80s. Watch her, or old Hughes for that matter.

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