Cents (2016) User Reviews

Great movie for kids

[stef-imdb · 8/10 · 1 November 2016]

Enjoyable movie for kids and adults. Very smart and accessible, and really nails some of the drama between young teens, challenges of relationships, and difficulties of raising a bored yet bright child.

It has a universal appeal to all younger viewers, but of note, all the main characters are women, and this works marvelously, from the outcast genius that wants to be accepted, to the makeup-wearing cool kids, to the single mom with her own set of challenges. This isn't to say it's a feel-good movie trying to make a political statement, but rather, it lets those characters be those characters and be believable. They have challenges like they would in real life, and every viewer will find someone to identify with at some level.

What makes this a good movie for kids is that one will always consider the choices made on screen, and wonder if those were prudent and the results of one's actions. While it's young teens playing it out, it applies to all the basic sensibilities to other life decisions, young or old.

(Disclaimer: I watched and enjoyed this movie several times, but I also worked on it as crew. I'm NOT paid for this review.)

decent plot brought down by bad acting and cliché overload

[demianturner · 2/10 · 20 November 2016]

I was quite disappointed with this film and felt that it was a waste of time. Normally I would not watch such things but IMDb gave it an 8.1 which raised my expectations. It turns out this was purely because so few people had reviewed it, i.e. less than 10.

The acting was quite poor across the board with many cardboard performances. The central role of Sammy played by Julia Flores, however, was OK, although both my wife and I found it hard to believe this was supposed to be a 12 year old. The other actors, i.e. her mom - you wanted to like them but the awkward deliveries were enough to make you cringe.

I think it would be accurate to say the film feels like it was made by a 12-year-old, so if you're that age possibly you would like the film more than I did. But anyone older will notice the tired clichés, i.e., yet another film with instant messages displayed on the screen (was Sherlock the first to do this?), a blackboard covered with equations, etc. A lot of visual cues, i.e. jars of pennies, where repeated again and again and again - it was like the director was concerned someone in the audience might not get the message.

The film would be more appropriate as an after-school special on TV, at least this way you could change the channel or do your homework instead and become a real "calculus genius".