nammage It's a quiet slow moving film; which to me: is not a minus. The character Em is bipolar, medication doesn't help her; she seems to be immune to their effects, and she struggles with her illness on a daily basis. While the film is called "em" the film is not actually centered on her, it's centered on the man that just comes into her life, and how he's able not only to deal with her illness but also in recognizing she's actually ill. I thought some of fhe sexual scenes in the beginning was a bit unnecessary. Story-wise it doesn't actually add anything. Yeah, they're in a new relationship, and they're falling in love with each other (him faster than her) but other than to show nudity, what was the overall point? Maybe I'm getting old. Those are basically the only critiques I have of the film; otherwise, I enjoyed it. Nice quiet movie.

sedektirdoff777 Ms Willen seems to suffer from a narcissism that leads her to appear self conscious. Such a self involvement causes us to feel nothing but annoyance for this lady who wears hats and twirls around in nursing homes to indicate manic highs. The least she could do was to research the matter before playing a character allegedly being under the throes of mania. As it stands, Stef Willen merely comes across as mentally challenged woman who is so addled that she doesn't correct this boyfriend when he calls her EM. If my name was Amanda I'd sure as hell think that shortened it would lead to AM. If the name was Emily this oversight could be overlooked. Add in the gratuitous sex scenes and Willen's manly shoulders and you have a real lemon on your hands. It is no wonder that this was the last acting gig given to Willen.She should stick to short films such as Long Ago-- Christy Wegener's unsung masterpiece about a self conscious lesbian(played by Stef Willen) who has a rat tail and such.

z z This story forcefully reminds you of the wonder of falling in love and the reckoning that can follow. The title character is portrayed by Stef Willen. Ms. Willen brings both vulnerability and grace to the screen. She commands your attention each time she appears. Nathan Wetherington also delivers a poignant performance as Josh. Beautiful cinematography is apparent from start to finish. Film was awarded the 2008 Seattle International Film Fesitval American Cinema Grand Jury Prize. Directed by Tony Barbieri. This film garnered producers Jim Jermanok and Harry Gregson-Williams an honor at the 2009 Brooklyn International film festival for Outstanding Achievement in Production.

williambes5593 This film is a true work of art! Predominately told with visuals it is as if you are watching a series of paintings unfold. There is a poetic minimalism to this film which is rarely seen in contemporary American cinema. "Em" is a subtle, honest and beautiful meditation on what it is like to love someone who is mentally ill. This is not your "look at my Oscar moment" type of mental illness but rather something that is deeply truthful. There is not one manipulative or false moment in this movie which is saying a lot given the subject matter. Everything about this film operates on a visual level and the acting is no exception. The two leads are unbelievable at using subtle facial expressions to convey pivotal character beats. These types of subtle performances can be easily overlooked but this is behavioral acting at its best! Almost immediately you can see the planning and artistry that went into this film. From each shot which is meticulously framed and lit to the color progression, right down to the effectively minimal score which is carefully placed. There is an incredible attention to detail in every aspect of this film. However, this is not a film for everyone as it assumes patience and sophistication on the part of the audience. Nothing is obvious or spelled out in fact we don't even know the two main characters names until about 20 minutes into the film. From frame one this film sets its own rules and strictly follows them making "Em" a unique and cohesive work of art!