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06/24/08
39 Pounds of Love (2005)
61 %
Reviews Counted: 31 Fresh: 19 Rotten:12 Average Rating: 6/10
Consensus:
39 Pounds of Love is a heart-tugger that often crosses the line between uplifting and sappy.
Runtime: 70 mins
Synopsis: 39 Pounds of Love is the inspirational and humorous non-fiction account of a remarkable man and a remarkable journey. Ami Ankilewitz was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) -- an extremely rare and often fatal form of muscular atrophy that severely limits his physical growth and... [More]
Genre: Education/General Interest
Starring: Ami Ankilewitz
Director: Dani Menkin
Reviews
If one ignores the excesses, 39 Pounds of Love becomes a road trip worth taking.
03/01/07
It's not quite on the level of Enron, or even other disability-themed nominees such as Murderball. But with a subject like Ami Ankilewitz, nitpicking seems out of the question.
02/24/06
So inherently poignant, a conservative approach would have been wise.
01/12/06
This leaves you wanting to know more about Ami, and at the same time feeling a bit cheated that they didn't give you enough.
12/14/05
39 Pounds of Love is a heavyweight emotional champion. Although deserving such adjectives as lovely, loving and inspiring, the documentary steers clear of cloying excess.
12/08/05
None of this is intended to detract from the courage and will of Ami Ankilewitz. His life is extraordinary. But he has not been well served by the documentarians.
12/08/05
Top Critic
It's clear that Ami is no one to pity. Despite what might seem overwhelming physical handicaps, he's able to achieve and enjoy more, and relate more effectively to the people around him, than at least 90 percent of his 'normal' fellow humans.
12/08/05
Ami seems to be very much The Poster Boy for himself, but not for the severely disabled in general, even though this will easily, if erroneously, be read into the film.
12/03/05
... a heart-tugger that, although highly inspirational, has a strongly orchestrated quality.
12/02/05
Top Critic
Its intimate, home-movie feel might fit better on the small screen when HBO/Cinemax slots it on the cable schedule.
12/02/05
Top Critic
Despite an anticlimactic finale and a flimsy storyline, there are enough endearing moments of hope and redemption here to keep 39 Pounds worth its weight.
12/02/05
Despite Menkin’s clear belief that he’s crafted a rousing true-life drama, his film plays like a cliché-ridden, painfully self-conscious Hollywood melodrama about a noble person with disabilities.
12/01/05
In moments that have nothing to do with representing the weight of love (whatever that is), the film comes alive: when Ami Ankilewitz isn't a symbol -- just a man who, for instance, loves a woman.
11/30/05
As its sappy title indicates, Dani Menkin's uneven documentary about an Israeli man with severe muscular dystrophy suffers from that all-too-common affliction: the need to sentimentalize courage in the face of extreme illness.
11/28/05
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