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LABOR DAY centers on 13-year-old Henry Wheeler, who struggles to be the man of his house and care for his reclusive mother Adele while confronting all the pangs of adolescence. On a back-to-school shopping trip, Henry and his mother encounter Frank Chambers, a man both intimidating and clearly in need of help, who convinces them to take him into their home and later is revealed to be an escaped convict. The seemingly scary man shows a strong domestic side and, in just a few days, develops a deep bond with both Adele and Henry. The events of this long Labor Day weekend will shape them all for the rest of their lives. (official distributor synopsis)

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Reviews (10)

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Lima 

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English Not many films today can boast such precise, focused direction. Every look of the actors, every shot, has its place. This is a long way from the "red library", as some here write. Of course, some naysayers might find it there, especially in the final climax, but there's nothing to be done about that. Kate Winslet is fantastic Josh Brolin’s charisma is enormous. ()

J*A*S*M 

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English Reitman shot this nicely and effectively, but his earlier and more cynical movies are more to my taste. This is pure melodrama to poke at your feels. Ew! ()

Malarkey 

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English I didn’t read the description of this movie. I just noticed that my reliables at this site didn’t rate it lower than four stars and so I thought that there must be something to it. I put on HBO and waited what Labor Day would bring. And from the start, it seemed very depressing and classic when it comes to a prison escapee. But I didn’t expect that it’d become such a drama full of love with a beautiful story flow, amazing actors and an ending that probably couldn’t have been any more beautiful. It’s just a shame that here and there, I didn’t really get a few things. For example, whether Adele’s son was adopted or biological. Since Reitman made the effort to tell her sad life story, he could have given us some closure as well. And there was a lot of those moments. But overall, it was a beautiful movie about a fated love that was worth waiting for. ()

gudaulin 

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English I watched Labor Day as part of a Valentine's Day event, during which a person is willing to undergo a bit of romance and score a bit in a partnership to fulfill their expectations of the holiday of lovers. This film can be simplified as "won't offend, but won't impress either." It won't offend mainly because of the presence of the central couple. Kate belongs to the elite of female character actors within her generation, and you simply believe in her as the abandoned mother. Josh Brolin could patent roles of charismatic bearded men with a tough exterior and a good heart - that's just simply him. The others play their roles as they should, and the director is capable of orchestrating it all. The problem lies in the screenplay, which does not address some things at all and only briefly touches on others. The most interesting and important aspect of the plot is the mutual discovery, building trust, and relationship between the escaped prisoner and his hostages. But that is incredibly superficial. It almost seems like Kate Winslet was just waiting for something like that and enthusiastically ended up in bed with a murderer sentenced to 18 years after a few hours. What should one think of such a character then? The psychology is simply superficial or completely unreliable. And the tacked-on romantic ending seems to come from a mediocre romance novel. Overall impression: 55%. ()

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Spiker01 

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English With Reitman, I have no experience, but apparently it stands out from everything he has done so far. I don't know why I thought it was a romantic drama, but then I was actually quite disappointed. There is actually plenty of romance in it, so I don't understand why it doesn't fit into the romantic genre according to IMDB, but be it. Personally, I would say that if it weren't for the drama, it would suit the film better. But just to avoid pigeonholing and also focus on the film itself, I have to praise Josh Brolin and especially Kate Winslet. I often say that with brilliantly played roles, I can't imagine anyone else playing it better, and I have the same feeling with Labor Day. I wasn't bored for a moment, as the film is well-directed with a well-balanced pace and sensitively chosen music that really leads to an emotional conclusion. Of course, there is that crucial scene where everything goes awry, and while it's terribly tense, I just didn't want it in this movie. Gosh, I guess I'm a hopeless romantic...75%...[13.02.2014_Cinestar_Černý most] ()

Kaka 

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English Jason Reitman is excellent at capturing the chemistry between people on screen through skillfully edited shots of the main characters and their body language. He was able to do this in his earlier films, especially in Up in The Air. Essentially, this one a very similar conversation, just set two decades earlier and with the difference that this time the main characters know exactly what they want, whereas in the previous film they had to figure it out first. Perhaps this takes away from the realism a bit and it falls into the realm of fiction (in terms of execution and storytelling), but Josh Brolin and Kate Winslet have charisma. It's a pity that the second half of the film is predictable, because the initial conversation was very enjoyable. ()

Stanislaus 

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English Labor Day offers a believably written story of two people who thought they would never find love and happiness in their lives, but fate gave them a few days together that changed both of their lives from the ground up. The film stands above all on the performances of Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin, who were brilliantly seconded by the young Gattlin Griffith. Thanks to flashbacks, we slowly uncover the sad story of the two main characters and basically have no idea how things will turn out for them until the very end – a big plus for the unpredictability of the plot. Through the character of Henry, alongside the love storyline, the film offers a coming-of-age tale and seeing the world through a child's eyes, which is not as black and white as it might seem. Although the film has a slower pace at first, it doesn't get boring, and in the last third the atmosphere could almost be cut with a knife at times. ()

Othello 

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English A whiny, drawn out, and incredibly uninspiring spectacle like something from the Sparks, where I had to spend the whole time thinking about my vacation starting the next day so I wouldn't eat my arm out of boredom. It embodies virtually every aspect of cinematic evil – guilt, fatalism, mistrust breaking into love, becoming a man, soft lights – and it's got practically zero budget. Better to read the book instead. A different one, that is. ()

claudel 

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English I had unwarranted prejudices towards this movie after watching the trailer and during the opening credits. I take it all back. It is one of the most pleasant films I have seen recently and a big surprise for me personally. It is indeed a very big romantic dramedy, but it is not pushy or forced. I didn't even guess the expected ending, which needlessly disgusted me in my head during those credits. Josh Brolin and Kate Winslet are good in it, you can believe every word, every look, and gesture. I also really liked the young Gattlin Griffith. The only negative thing remains the absence of my favorite song "Wings" by Birdy, which I diligently waited for until the last letter of the credits. So I'll just go play it on youtube. ()

kaylin 

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English A fairly interesting story, but in my opinion, somewhat brought down by the perhaps overly calm acting. Kate literally radiates emotions, but Josh Brolin's character could have been even more ambiguous, even tougher. In the end, it's quite an interesting romance, but it still drags a bit to really pull you in and hit you with the ending. ()