"Bee Season" wants so much to be complex, to dig so far beneath its core attributes to root out something more complicated, that it falls apart dramatically--and alienates the audience. Pre-teen Jewish girl from Northern California, a local spelling bee champion, blames herself for the disintegration of her affluent family: her mentally and spiritually-fragile mother and older brother, and her father, a Religious Studies professor, who drives his loved ones hard to succeed. Directors Scott McGehee and David Siegel, working from Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal's adaptation of Myla Goldberg's novel, understand that the spelling bee sequences themselves are not the heart and soul of the piece--the father's quest for perfection in reaching high and holy truths is the actual focal point; however, before we can become attuned to this family's rhythm and dysfunctional dynamic, we have nothing but the spelling bee scenes to hook us. Since the contests are not composed for suspense or personal exhalation, the melodrama on the home front seems equally underwhelming (perhaps more so). The actors do what they can, but the balky, stop-and-start feel of the writing defeats them (the talented youngster, apparently a master speller, asks fundamental questions--such as "what is a mystic?"--and doesn't know what a kaleidoscope is). A handsomely-produced, but not sharply edited (nor sharply resolved) story of family responsibilities and expectations. *1/2 from ****

"Bee Season" is an engrossing little film, despite being very strange. I've wanted to see this film ever since I saw its beautiful trailer, and I have to say, the trailer is nothing like the movie (though maybe that's a good thing anyway, since it gives the public a listen to Scott Mallone's haunting song). Still, it warrants a recommendation, if you're in the mood for something a little different. Okay, something VERY different."Bee Season" tells the story of a Californian family (not the kind one would normally associate with California-this isn't Newport Beach). Saul (Richard Gere) is the patriarch, a professor who studies Jewish mysticism. Mother Miriam (Juliette Binoche) is a scientist who practices some rather unusual activities outside the home and the lab. Aaron (Max Minghella) finds new religion. And daughter Eliza (Flora Cross) finds herself at the center of attention when she wins a spelling bee.The film touches on a lot of elements; some of which I got, others I didn't. Directors Scott McGhee and David Siegel use many literary techniques to adapt Myla Goldberg's novel to the screen. Symbolism is prominent both in meaning and approach (I won't go into details to avoid giving anything away).The acting really centers around the four leads. Richard Gere has geared his time towards roles that allow him to act instead of be a "moviestar." His portrayal of Saul is excellent. He is so self-absorbed that he is blind to everyone else's needs and emotions. Gere allows him to be aloof, but ordinary on the surface, not stuck up (he believes in what he's saying). Juliette Binoche is excellent as always (I can't say anything more). Max Minghella is great as the jealous older brother, though he doesn't go for the cliché and take it out on Eliza, he goes for the source (Saul). Newcomer Flora Cross is excellent as Eliza, who has so much suddenly thrown upon her shoulders.In a way, "Bee Season" is more of a mystery than a suburban drama (though it contains heavy elements of the latter). The story elements are presented a little at a time, and the focus switches from person to person. Yet McGhee and Siegel keep everything flowing like water, and it never drags. The film draws you in and completely envelops you with its spell. Credit goes to the director for being able to do that.I recommend the film, but its not for everyone. It's for people who pay attention and appreciate intelligent drama. Flawed, but worth your time if that describes you.

It's true.. the book is always better than the movie. I thought that this movie was very disappointing to watch after having reading the book.The movie moves too fast, though I can understand because of time limit, to actually give the viewers the concepts that the book gives. A lot of details and events are cut from the book that is important to the story as a whole. The script seems undeveloped, and the actors/actresses carried out their character with mediocre performances.Saul (Richard Gere) is somewhat true to his character. The only thing he is obsessed with is to enable Eliza to communicate with God. He does this in a way that is the most true to novel.Aaron's (Max Minghella) appearance is very different from that described in the book. He is described as a pale and scrawny young man, who is incapable of getting dates and is a social outcast. His search for a new religion seems unreasonable and spontaneous in the movie, and I thought it didn't really capture his true character.Miriam's (Julliete) kleptomania is weird in both the book and the movie. Her actions in the book seems more reasonable when I knew her purposes for doing it. In the movie I thought it was a very random thing for her to do.Eliza (Flora Cross) is a young actress, and is limited to what she can do. Her acting is very mediocre at best, and does not convince me of Eliza that is in the novel.Chali, which I am surprised to see, have been transformed from a middle-aged man into a young blond girl. I can understand why they did that, but that just adds to the falseness of Aaron's character.Overall I think the movie is an average depiction of Bee Season. I can't say that they did a nice job of sticking to the plot. It's almost impossible to transform a novel into a movie with everything in the book.

This may be a movie about the various ways people search for meaning (and in a very heavy handed way search for God of all things - yuck), but the way in which it is done here is yawn inducing to say the least. Sentiments and poignant sentences are repeatedly hammered into the viewers like a Hare Krishna mantra - literally... and the pace is so pedestrian that we could see the same movie in half the time without losing anything. Im guessing the movie wants us to be put in a trance somehow and with all the long winded "Bee's", kaleidoscopic imagery etc, it might succeed - but that is not why I choose to see a movie. I would rather prefer a view of a beautiful scenery, a fantastic concert or another awe inspiring experience. Very few movies can be trance inducing and good (2001 and Once Upon A time In The West come to mind) - this just doesn't work.Yes there are some clever CGI to illustrate the "magical" powers of the child prodigy (obviously inspired by the similar scenes in "A Beautiful Mind, where Russel Crowe has visions from wherever), but what are we supposed to believe - That the child can talk to God ??? Seriously...If this is what passes for a dysfunctional family, then intellectual families such as this really don't have as many problems as they think. The mother should obviously have been to a therapist way back when her parents were killed, but other than that, they really seem like a pretty good family.