Tender Loving Care (1996 Video) User Reviews

Effective early experiment

[walker-23 · 29 October 2000]

I have just viewed this movie, after about three sessions (the quizzes and tours of the Overtons' residence take up quite a bit of time, and as they also break the flow, are convenient points to leave the story for later viewing). You cannot just pop the disk in and expect to be done in two hours. It is true that the acting is less than stellar, and the interactive nature of the plot means that the scene transitions can be jarring and sometimes lack flow when the software selects the scene according to the personality questions you've answered. Additionally, there are the typical gaffs you see in grade "B" movie making, such as when the camera revolves around Michael in a phone booth and you see the crew reflected in the glass. All this I can overlook, however, as I think this is a very laudable attempt at coming to grips with a new genre. For me, the emotional impact of the story was definitely heightened by its attempt at identifying, then pushing, my emotional buttons, even in such a ham-handed, primitive way. Of course, the more honest you are with the many questions, the more satisfying is the end result. The highly personal nature of the questions suggests that it is best to view this alone, at first. It would be interesting viewing for couples who are comfortable communicating with each other, but caution is recommended. As this genre becomes more sophisticated (assuming of course the fickle public buys into it), becoming more incisive, I think it will have a larger effect on society than violence in the media, maybe even the television itself. If it succedes in reaching into your guts and shoving that stuff in your face, who knows how different people will react when confronted by that level of truth?

Very well put together

[loza-1 · 7/10 · 3 September 2005]

I did not know that this had been made into a video game. There is a DVD out where it plays as a straight feature film. That seems to stand very well on its own.

You start to watch the film, and it seems to be an ordinary couple with a baby. A good looking nurse arrives to look after the child. Then as you are fed more information, it turns out that the baby is actually six years old and was killed in a car crash. The mother thinks the child is still alive, although the father seems to have a grip on reality. It then turns out that the doctor (John Hurt) who has recommended the nurse is actually a psychiatrist, and that this nurse is not a paediatric nurse but a psychiatric nurse. She has come to look after the mother. But the father is not as sane as we originally thought. And then it turns out that the nurse is barking mad too. It's all very cleverly done. I liked it.

Creepy

[august1904 · 10/10 · 4 November 2002]

For those of you who may be confused, this isn't a movie per se, it's more of a video game. You are shown clips of the story, afterwhich you are asked a series of questions and are given a chance to search around the house in which the action takes place, finding clues and sometimes interacting with the characters. That said, it is very very easy to get yourself totally immersed in Tender Loving Care. The acting at times is less than par, but despite this the characters seem very deep. The "game" aspect makes it take a while to finish the whole thing, but it is very worth it at the end when you are presented with a complete psychoanalysis based on your answers to questions and your searches through the house. I've played it through more than once, it is well worth the time.

Excellent Movie

[Timthy44126 · 10/10 · 24 April 2006]

This is one of the best and most original films I've seen in a long time. To be honest, I don't think I've seen a drama that could keep me interested for so long. I was hooked immediately. I wanted to know what would happen and where the movie would go the entire time. It wasn't like one of those dramas you see on TV--this was one ultimate thriller! Filmmakers should make more dramas like this; a struggle of power and sexuality is something men would actually watch. I appreciated this movie and I really felt that the movie, much like the book, was something that would entice many people who can't stand the drama and sitcoms people are force-fed on television.

And the PC game was a real testament to the originality and thoughtfulness of the makers. The game allowed the player to decide on an ending and take some fun psychological tests in them. I especially liked it because I got two different endings and I enjoyed the way it left me hanging off, wanting more, but in a way, answering all I wanted to know. You really have to see it.

Be warned, feminists won't like the movie; the theme is very distrustful of women overall.

One of the best interactive movies I've ever seen.

[RoK-2 · 31 October 1998]

This movie is actually a computer cd-rom game. But that doesn't make it bad, actually it's the other way around. The actors are great and is really handling this new kind of acting very well. At the beginning it felt a little strange when the actors stared right through the camera and looked at you, but it gave a better impression of being in the movie. The questions given in the movie can be a little stupid sometimes and I never knew what they really where there for. Anyway this is a great movie and it can't be missed, see it and play it.

bad film - fun DVD

[psixta · 5 March 2006]

I have to disagree...

The movie is very lame... but almost in a good/funny way. It's the questions that make this interactive DVD fun. In between movie segments you're asked questions about your feelings toward the events that took place and also psychological questions about yourself. In the end you get an evaluation of your your mental health.. which is more like a cosmo quiz unfortunately..

The story is badly written and predictable. The actors a overacting and a saw a microphone in the frame once or twice..

Still for a couple off bucks it's a nice DVD to watch (and play)