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47 out of 56 people found the following comment useful :-
Like Minds is a complicated contemporary thriller with a jarring twist; hauntingly beautiful and sharp as a knife., 14 August 2006

Author: elliott bledsoe (elliott.bledsoe@gmail.com) from brisbane, australia

Have you ever just clicked with someone? Ever felt they just got you, like they were inside your head? But what if that link had a sinister side? What if their knowing you was involuntary? Like Minds (2006) is the tale of one such relationship; a complicated adversarial tussle between two boys bound by history, mythology and blood. But it is not your ordinary thriller.

Alex Forbes (Eddie Redmayne) is a cocky private school boy living with the mantle of his lineage. With more than charm behind his smile, he plays being son-of-the-principal to his favour where he can, but when he is forced to share his room with a beautiful and strange boy, Nigel Colby (Tom Sturridge), Alex finds himself being slowly suffocated by a string of deaths. But when these occurrences culminate in Nigel's death, Alex is taken into custody.

Lacking hard evidence and under pressure from Alex's father, Senior Detective Martin Mckenzie (Richard Roxburgh) enlists the expertise of forensic psychologist Sally Rowe (Toni Collette) to dig up foundation to the charges. Her investigations force her into an awkward and testing psychological dialogue with Alex that continues to delve deeper into mystery and murder. But even as information comes to light, the relationships between the characters prove to be as tightly woven as the rich mythology that under pins the story.

Doused in history, religion and suspense, Like Minds is disturbingly sophisticated, visually beautiful and completely captivating. The acting of Eddie Redmayne is chillingly brilliant, but by far Tom Sturridge's is the most impressive, being haunting and calculated with a cold, unemotional stare that will sink deep into you.

Nigel Bluck's cinematography is beautiful, with a saturated and dark aesthetic that is as melancholic as the soundtrack. Both add so much to the depth of Like Minds.

Like Minds is a complicated contemporary thriller with a jarring twist; hauntingly beautiful and sharp as a knife. And it certainly will cut deep.

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41 out of 48 people found the following comment useful :-
Destined for "cult film status", 1 March 2007

Author: asgardsrei1 from Deutschland

I got this DVD without knowing a thing about it, other than the fact that the cover art looked interesting, and it was an Australian production. What i saw was perhaps the most precisely weird film I have ever watched. And 'weird' is a good thing, in a time when seemingly everything has been done, and it is so hard to achieve originality. 17 year-old Alex discovers that a new guy has been placed in his dorm room at the private school which he attends. Nigel is quiet, cold, and has a preoccupation with history and pure blood lineage. He also has an obsession with dead things. He is into taxidermy, and spends most of his time gutting and stuffing animal carcasses in his room. This drives Alex crazy, however Nigel manages to insinuate himself into Alex's life, and the relationship that develops between these two guys is one of the strangest ones i have seen portrayed in cinema. Surprisingly Miramax has purchased the rights to this film. Surprisingly because, although "Like Minds" is a fine, and very special movie, it is doubtful that it will have a commercial success in the states, as it is just too dark, murky and off-beat for most mainstream movie-goers. It is also quite morbid. However i can see this one developing a cult following among fans of strange and sinister films. The cinematography is beautiful, and the scenes with Nigel and Alex are mesmerizing. There were of course, a few scenes that were not quite as effective. Mainly the ones that focused on Toni Collette's character, as a criminal psychologist. A couple scenes made the movie look like it might turn into another average murder mystery thriller. But those moments are few and far between, as the film refuses to be predictable, or normal in any way. The story becomes more bizarre, and more fascinating as it goes forward, and a couple plot twists really blew me away. And the character of Nigel, as portrayed by Tom Sturridge, was evil and menacing, and his pale, haunted look made for perfect casting. Eddie Redmayne as Alex was no less compelling. There were some really nice touches, and a couple tributes paid to other classic films about evil. Such as the rotweiller that protects Nigel, very much like the demonic dogs who protected Damian in the classic "Omen." And a grisly murder, featuring a young woman crucified with two rowing oars crossed. A similar ritual murder that featured in William Peter Blatty's 'Exorcist III." Oddly there is no one that the audience is urged to sympathize with, as both boys are very cold and unfriendly. Another fact that makes this so different from a Hollywood production. "Like Minds" is a very strange and unique film. I imagine that many people will hate this, and others, mainly those with a fixation on the darker sides of the human soul, will find it fascinating.

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23 out of 29 people found the following comment useful :-
A Dark, Finely Wrought Mystery of the Highest Caliber!, 17 August 2007

Author: gradyharp from United States

For some strange reason the very fine Australian/British film LIKE MINDS underwent a name change and hit the US market as MURDEROUS INTENT. The original title is so much more apropos of the story: the alternate title tends to make the audience pass over 'just another death film' category that prevents this excellent little film from appealing to a wide audience. Writer/Director Gregory J. Reed and his talented cast and production staff deserve better as this is a stunning psychological drama well worth seeing.

The setting is an all boys' prep school and among the students is Alex (a very fine young Eddie Redmayne) who happens to be the son of the headmaster (Patrick Malahide) and is a brilliant scholar - if somewhat of a troublemaker at the same time. Into this setting arrives a new student Nigel (an equally fine young Tom Sturridge) who is a darkly quiet, malevolent, bright lad preoccupied with history and necrophilia. The two boys are placed together as roommates, much to Alex's objections, and gradually secrets are unraveled that show how the two boys become, via gestalt, a sum of evil greater than its parts. Alex is horrified and yet fascinated with the ritual-influenced deaths that begin to occur and when Nigel himself is murdered, Alex is the blamed.

Enter the police: McKenzie (Richard Roxburgh) arrests and charges Alex with murder, but requires substantiation from a forensic psychologist Sally (the always superb Toni Collette). Sally interviews Alex, observes his behavior and manages to get inside his mind, learn about the historical data that has directed the evil from her astute questioning sessions with Alex, and begins to follow her own intuition about the case. There are twists and turns, flashbacks to incidents, investigation details, and discoveries bordering on the occult that spin this dark yarn like a helix of fear. The ending will surprise the viewer.

The script is superb, the acting is top notch, the production design is accomplished and the musical score by Carlo Giacco is simply brilliant. This is a fine art film, graced by the quality of superior acting set by Collette, and is a tense drama that will keep an audience thinking and involved to the final credits. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp

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28 out of 41 people found the following comment useful :-
Thrilling departure for Oz film, 13 August 2006

Author: talkfest

Like minds is a film that I have seen at Melbourne International Film Festival. It is a refreshing departure from the current bulk of Oz films. It swept me away into it's unique world for it's entire length and it may actually do some decent box office! It kept me guessing and thinking right to the end, in fact my friends and I kept talking about it at Brekki the next morning. It felt to us like it seemed to harp back to some of the wonderful thinking Oz films of the 70's.

It was a refreshing surprise to see a new Australian film maker unashamed to put production value to effective use to complement the drama in every way. It lets craftsmanship take flight to maximize the impact of the drama.

Half way through when the action pace ramps up, I found I really had to focus on who was manipulating whom. Both in the forward and back story. I was even more engrossed.

It was wonderful to see Toni Collette and Richard Roxburgh playing supporting leads. No doubt that was used for a lot of leverage in getting the film made. Toni lets those wonderful ranges of emotion wash across her face in a subtle and strong performance.

Unusual programming for a film festival, not your typical film festival film I don't think.

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10 out of 13 people found the following comment useful :-
Nice Surprise, 24 December 2007

Author: julioecolon from United States

I passed this film up on several trips to Blockbuster because I disliked the title and didn't care much for the photo on the DVD box. But, Blockbuster showcases so much crap, and I had basically exhausted all of my viewing choices when I finally settled on this DVD. To my great surprise, this is a fascinating movie, with just enough twists and turns to keep the viewer interested. Toni Colette is wonderful and believable in the role of a forensic psychologist tasked with interviewing a murder suspect. Her job: to weave together the fragments of his harrowing narrative in order to ascertain his culpability, which the impetuous arresting officer (he has testosterone seeping out of his pores) is eager to have confirmed. The film is brilliant because it pitches together a smart forensic psychologist who eventually has to pull her dusty textbooks off the shelf to read up on Gestalt, with a young man of remarkable, quiet brilliance and the cunning of a fox at the chicken coop. Well worth viewing.

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9 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
Surprise! A good movie for once., 15 February 2008

Author: Paul Lefebvre from London Canada

A friend of mine in France suggested I watch this movie seeing as I enjoyed Sturridge's (Nigel) performance in "A Waste of Shame" and was pleasantly surprised considering all the duds I've seen lately.

What I thought started out to be one of those moody, atmospheric boarding-school inter-relationship art-house melodramas turned into a well-done, well-photographed and well-written and for sure well-acted engrossing movie -- far from being dull as some others have commented -- with just enough little plot twists without going over the top and leaving the audience totally confused. Sometimes these told-in-flashback movies don't turn out too well because there's oftentimes not enough information supplied during the rest of the movie to support the big surprise at the end: you feel cheated and tricked because you didn't see it coming. Not so here. If you pay attention and watch closely, you're not at all surprised by the closing scene on the train, and think it was inevitable.

The chemistry between the two leads, Alex and Nigel, is a treat in itself to witness, more so because the developing relationship builds slowly instead of Nigel winning Alex over to his train of thought right off the bat: you're never sure if Nigel won.

Watch this movie, you'll enjoy it. Believe me, it's far from dull.

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12 out of 18 people found the following comment useful :-
I saw it twice (and was equally engaged at second viewing)!, 22 August 2006

Author: pdgfd1 from NSW

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

'Like Minds' : Viewed (twice) at MIFF.

I've only taken the time to comment here at IMDb upon what I think were our 'Best' and 'Worst' of MIFF. 'Screen Partner' and I agreed (will wonders never cease) that this film gets our highest rating (9 out of 10, I always leave room at the top for the future).

"Screen Partner' and I really appreciated the following from this first-feature Director and his collaborators:

Being treated as an intelligent audience : Hooray for a writer that doesn't rely on irritating spurious leads for impact. Yes, there are 'surprises' but we are not lead around by the nose only to have that annoying "tricked you" moment at the denouement.

A new aspect of suspense drama: Indeed, well may one ask the question "What were sociopaths like as young-uns?" Topic for discussion afterward - we like that!

Skillful casting of all the characters, especially the 'lads': Eddie Redmayne will by now have a reputation elsewhere, but he's a real 'find'. Yes, we've seen some of these schoolboy 'types' before, but not one in this group is cast, or directed, as caricature. In the adult corner - Patrick Malahide gives us everything we could desire from his role as the Headmaster. Tension, a mixture of the surface and the guarded, a fine performance. I was less impressed with Toni Collette and Richard Roxburgh, not because of what they were given, but for what they decided to give us. TC seemed, in my eyes, only to succeed in 'being' irritated or lacklustre (I wish she'd learn to underplay/intensify - as opposed to bored/shrill - but then I was one of those who loathed her performance in Japanese Story - so you may well disagree). RR... his performance lacked subtlety, it was all there for him to do use, but he overdid it. The contrast with the really excellent performance given by PM, whose character was under far more pressure than Roxburgh's, illustrates my point. Fortunately for the film's sake, some of those I've spoken with since viewing absolutely disagreed with me in this regard.

Talented 'Eyes' And 'Ears' all round: Cinematography and editing choices excellent, especially so considering that a serious proportion of the available funds were probably absorbed by 'name' actors and locations. Similarly, quirky and absorbing original music and crisp sound editing formed another 'character' in the thick of things, underscoring and emphasizing whilst avoiding overstatement. Great to finally watch 'local' product that considers 'polish' a priority from the get-go.

Commercial: I know, I know, commercial success isn't everything, but we think this one, properly supported could be a very successful 'date movie' - plenty of weirdness, frights, and human scenery for 15+ (it was rated 18+ in Melbourne, don't think it needs it), thought-provoking and engaging for the rest of us. By the way - where is the publicity for 'Like Minds'? We've heard plenty about the less than average current crop of Oz films, e.g. 2:37 etc).

And yes, I saw it twice, a close-to-perfect film for midnight in a Melbourne Winter to finish- off our viewing week!

A hearty welcome to the world of feature films Gregory J Read - we'll be keeping and eye out (four actually) for your future exploits, we know we definitely won't be wasting our time!

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8 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :-
Interesting idea, but... no, 1 November 2007
Author: Agnelin

"Like minds" starts out from a very interesting and engaging premise, whereby we find the 17-year-old Alex charged with shooting his classmate Nigel dead. The police detective in charge of the case (Richard Roxburgh) firmly believes Alex is a psychopath, and asks psychologist Sally Rowe (Toni Collette) to interview him and try to get a confession from him. But Alex is a smart, mysterious and secretive kid, and Sally will quickly be intrigued enough to get personally involved in the case. Little by little, we'll find out there's much more to Nigel's death than the gunshot incident, since Alex will tell Sally that Nigel had, and still has, some strange and powerful form of mental influence on him.

The movie starts out well, but quickly goes downhill, and fast, up to a crashing finale. The first few sequences aside, it never manages to offer anything remotely close to suspense or thrill, even though you can tell it tries hard. The characters are only barely written, and, despite the writers' efforts, Alex and Nigel are little more than the stereotypical teen thriller weirdos with little depth to them. The movie fails at every thing it attempts to be: a psychological study of characters, an "original" thriller involving teenagers, a drama about teen angst in a hostile world... you name it. There are bits and pieces of all those subgenres, but the movie just goes nowhere, and does so at a killing slow pace.

I give this movie three stars because it has such good actors as Richard Roxburgh and Toni Collette (although neither is at their best here), because of the settings (very somber and well made; too bad the story wasn't at par with them) and because the idea was good.

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3 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
Worth a look, 29 June 2007

Author: seawalker from Birmingham, England

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Public schoolboy Nigel Colby (Tom Sturridge) is found dead. His head has been blown off. Arrogant rich kid Alex (Eddie Redmayne) is found standing over the body with a shotgun, but he denies committing murder. As Alex is a minor, criminal psychologist Sally (Toni Collette) is asked to determine whether the boy should be charged with the murder of his schoolfriend. As Alex tells his story, flashbacks reveal the truth of what happened and the shifting relationship between the two boys. Or do they? Who is insane here? Nigel? Alex? Or maybe both?

I checked the cinema listings last Friday, and bored to tears with the thought of seeing a summer blockbuster, I opted for this, primarily on the basis that it featured Toni Collette, who is never less than interesting in every film she has appeared in.

I'd never heard of "Like Minds". It has not had a major cinema release in the UK, which is a shame, because it's not a bad film, just a bit derivative. A low key mix of "Murder By Numbers" and "Primal Fear" set in an (English?) public school. It is a thriller, but it is also all about the shifting of control and domination and obsession.

Toni Collette and Richard Roxburgh are not top billed, and that is correct, because their parts are really just extended cameos. The film belongs to Eddie Redmayne and Tom Sturridge as Alex and Nigel. Both good, otherworldly performances, especially by Eddie Redmayne.

I think that "Like Minds" is worth a look.

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4 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
Clue is in the ..., 23 May 2007

Author: kosmasp

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

... title! Of course it is, but still the ending, isn't clear enough. That is something that you either loved or hated. But apart from the fact (spoilers ahead as stated) that we have Alex taking over business. The question that remains is, did he lie throughout his investigation or not? That's where the movie leave you out in the open or rather let you interpret it any which way you like. But let's take this one kill at a time ...

First of an accident happens ... at least that is what Alex tells us! But maybe this wasn't an accident? I mean he get's spit in his face by Nigel and then hits him for that, but does not do a thing, when his best friend is killed? (Nigel could have helped him, in this Alex version of what happened!) So one interpretation could be, that they planned to kill him together, so they would've had their "space" (no interruptions by anyone).

Second one, is the girl. Who killed her? If you believe Alex, it was Nigel. Alex would have a reason to kill her, if she didn't like him. But during an interrogation, the police states that she did like him. Then again, maybe Alex didn't realize that.

The parents ... that's a tricky one. If it really happened as told, then it's again the case of stupid coincidence, that just does not convince! Nigel planned this all in advance? How could he? That is just impossible ... But if they planned it together or Alex himself was the master mind behind that, why kill Nigel at the end? Especially after burying the parents? Either it is cleverer than we think it is, or it just thinks it's clever .... either way, plot holes and a high amount of suspend of disbelief are here/required!

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