Linbeymusol Wonderful character development!

Ensofter Overrated and overhyped

SparkMore n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.

Darin One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

gifford86 Slow dancing to a '40s love tune, slow driving to a cemetery 25 years later. A stranger appears at the Shiva, tenderly offering condolences. Pearl's buttoned-down life precludes a relationship with this man. But he persists, with his warm Italian accent, to break down the barriers. Flowers, dinner for her whole family and his, an air-conditioner, a kiss shared while wading in a children's pool, lying beside her in bed to see if they "fit", all culminate in standing before a hippie-Jewish rabbi and a hippie-Catholic priest and saying "I do." In between, others in their lives have their share of problems. Little Sweetpea makes like Superman and tries to dare the Fates, relying on his dead grandfather to save him. Daughter number one, having lost a son, tries on a multitude of roles to survive. Daughter Bibi who hates her nickname, fights her fat battle and her mother battle. Grandma and friend fight each other but end up singing, "Moon Over Miami" together. It's a "happily ever after" movie. In real life there are no guarantees, but "Used People" shows us that, just, maybe, we can make our own happiness.

mdm-11 An all-star cast delivers wonderful performances in this "overlooked treasure" of a comedy drama. The main story deals with a family's loss of their patriarch, who 20 years earlier was prepared to silently exit his family's life because he saw no hope for his marriage to a dominating wife. At the funeral a man enters the picture, insisting on speaking to the widow. He reveals the secret that during that fateful evening 20 years earlier, he had convinced the now deceased husband to save his marriage by "dancing with his wife". The man watched the couple from the street as they danced in their kitchen. He was hopelessly in love with the image of this woman who had just fallen in love again with her husband. Better late than never, he now percistantly builds a relationship and eventually marries the woman.There are many subplots to the story. One tells of the boy who feels the "presence" of his dead grandfather, and is certain that he is now invincible. This leads to several incidents where the boy tempts fate by putting his life in danger. His mother, herself dealing with the recent death of a younger child, escapes into a fantasy world by dressing up as Marilyn Monroe or "Mrs. Robinson". There is also a sub-plot discussing how elderly view their prospects of growing more dependent on others and eventually dying. The film's main setting is NYC 1969. There are several beautiful references to the time, i. e. the Moon landing and the Mets winning the World Series. -- You gotta watch this movie carefully in order not to miss a beat, but you will enjoy it. The final scene drives it home. 5 stars for this one!

niel How bad could a movie be with such a cast? Well, used people is very bad! For one thing the charactors are all charicatures. Not that good actors can't play charactors that are not like themselves, they can. But such acting talent could not overcome stereotypes of New York Jews. Not only are their accents terrible but the dialog is awful too.

donmac72 The writer and director were not satisfied with a straight forward story, and stretched for effect a little too obviously. The subplots do not comfortably weave into the main story thread of the film. However, there are some very fine attempts to pull things together in telling scenes. I recommend Used People to viewers weary of car chases, ear splitting sound tracks and teen age angst. You won't regret spending some time with almost real people.