Susan Pemble

This is a real gem that the critics totally missed the point on. It's a real change for Bradley Cooper - I've never seen him so accessible and expressive. All of the roles are spot-on. There's clearly a lot of unscripted scenes, and they provide the real heart that is what makes the movie so rich. The story is about a soldier's healing, and recovering his integrity. The music is - of course - just stellar, which is what we expect from Cameron Crowe, and he doesn't disappoint. It's tempting to think that Beck wrote Heart Is a Drum for the movie, or Cameron wrote the movie because he heard the song, they are so tightly woven. And I can't leave out the spirit, the Hawaiian presence that is so intoxicating, enhanced so well by Jonsi & Alex's magical pieces that make you feel the mana. Magical.