pontificator
I found it telling that the criminals pad was more spectacular than the 1%'er fat cats, no doubt that was intentional, maybe crime does pay after all. In contrast to most other reviews the only thing I found preposterous was the ending and the police not checking out the house when they come around. definitely would not have been something cursory in the Palisades, given the taxes those people must pay. Other than these things it was quite OK, obviously not Oscar material. it was interesting to live vicariously thru the squatters enjoying the house (but annoyingly not fully) for the duration. a bit like hitting the mall in the dawn of the dead. the sons pad in Venice though not glamorous was also nothing to sneeze at, but that's fat cats for you, they make sure the next generation of fat cats are well set up.
alfresco-gs
I thought this was fantastic I love Luke along with her they make sparks. Dreamy and very pleasant and fun. Music is great to and the plot is OK….. Perfect viewing. Watched it twice now actually cause I think he is just awesome! To write 10 lines review though is actually quite hard. Sit down with a cup of tea and your partner on an evening in….Actually not with tea ………wine is always better. I got into the plot right from the start. The scene of them partying on the beach was fantastic and following that obviously the best one is when she rejects him and then shows up and they instantly went for it. The movie has it all its fun, romantic, funny, sad & tragic would have preferred a full on sex scene but hey…..what is also very captivating is the relationship between Michael and his father. All in all I highly recommend and I have scored it a full blown 10/10. Thank you and enjoy!
MartinHafer
The first portion of Squatters didn't impress me very much. After all, it simply consists of bad people doing bad things. And, I was worried that the film would simply glorify rotten behavior or have the baddies die in a hail of bullets. However, don't worry—the film gets better—a lot better! And, it doesn't succumb to the usual clichés.When the film begins, Jonas and Kelley (Thomas Dekker and Gabriella Wilde) are homeless. They survive by rooting through dumpsters for food and shoplifting. And, when they aren't doing this, they sleep outdoors and do drugs. Their life isn't very satisfying or complete, that's for sure. However, through some dumb luck, while Jonas is out looking for something to steal, he manages to overhear a woman talking to her maid about their family going on vacation. And, because the woman thinks the two of them are along, she tells the maid the combination to the burglar alarm system! Jonas follows the lady woman home and it looks like he's got it maid…the woman is rich! Later, after the family has left for their trip, Jonas brings Kelley to the house for a little vacation…and to steal everything he can get! For a while, the pair see what it's like to live like rich folks—and they treat themselves to the family's clothes and sports car as well as a great dinner—all paid for by the people on vacation. However, while they stay there, Kelley finds herself looking through videos of the family. And, the more she watches them, the more connected with these people she feels. And, over time, she starts to care for these people she's never met and who they've been robbing. Jonas, on the other hand, just sees it as a chance to make a HUGE killing—and plans on selling everything he can. While this may not seem like that interesting a film, it's the second half that really works well…when the family returns. I could say a lot more about this, but frankly it would spoil the film. Suffice to say it's worth the wait.This is a very interesting film because Richard Dreyfus and Lolita Davidovich play very small parts in support of Dekker and Wilde. Considering that Dreyfus is an Oscar-winning actor and probably doesn't need the money, you can only assume he liked the script or director of they were holding his family hostage to make him appear in the film (I would REALLY like to know)! Regardless, the pair were a really nice addition to what otherwise might just look like an indie picture. Dreyfus is, as always, terrific and Davidovich is timelessly beautiful. They also make GREAT supporting characters. Imagine…a Hollywood film in which rich people are nice and haven't earned their fortunes by being jerks! They are just sweet folks—as is their son in the film (played by Luke Grimes). In fact, although I am definitely straight, I found myself falling in love with Grimes' character—he was just so decent and sweet! With such great support, the film cannot help but work. And, let's not forget Dekker and, especially, Wilde—they are just terrific.Overall, this is a surprisingly good film that is best seen instead of described. Be forewarned, however, that this is rated R and has a bit of nudity and violence (especially at the end). Now this is NOT to say it's gratuitous—as many nude scenes are done with great taste and are not intended to titillate but forward the plot. Well done all around and, unusual for me, there really isn't anything I didn't like about the film!
