Manny and Lo are a two-person crime-wave - on the lam and headed for trouble. Their next target: alonely, frumpy spinster (Mary Kay Place). It seems that the juvenile version of Themla and Louise are in need of a full-time babysitter, and they're not above kidnapping one! Critics have been captured and enraptured by MANNY & LO, calling it "the most original and unexpected family values film of the year (Jay Carr, THE BOSTON GLOBE)." Step into the stationwagon and join a couple of adorable parole-violators and their kooky hostage for the wildest ride of the year.
D**O
A Sweet And Unconventional Family Film
Manny and Lo is an endearing independent film that at it's core is also an unconventional "family" film where two orphaned girls on the lam from the foster system named Amanda and Laurel or Manny and Lo who are wonderfully played by the very young Scarlett Johansson and Aleksa Palladino respectively decide to "borrow" a family's vacation home after being weary from their many travels on their mother's old car, sleeping where ever they deem fit, even model homes. The girls then decide to kidnap a lonely baby supply shop clerk named Elaine played by Mary Kay Place after Lo discovers she's unexpectedly pregnant. Elaine at first tries to escape her constraints, but it soon becomes apparent that she's warming up to the girls ensuring they eat healthy meals etc. and after a while quits trying to escape, even willing to protect them as well when the owner of the house shows up out of the blue, there the hostage takes her own hostage... Manny is warmed by this rare display of loyalty on Elaine's part, but when Lo finds out she is quite freaked as she was considering making Elaine her baby's adoptive mother. Things seem to go bleak from there, but fortunately it all works out for the best and maybe just maybe all three will find the happiness, fulfillment and family they need and want in life. The DVD is seemingly out of print and has only trailers as special features, but nonetheless I was glad to find it at a great price courtesy of Noram International Partners Inc. where the service has been excellent.
C**S
Orphaned Sisters Kidnap Themselves a Mother.
Two sisters escape from foster homes and live vagabond lives after the death of their mother. The older girl has a habit of meeting teenage boys at playgrounds and under bleachers. She puts off admitting that she has become pregnant just as long as she can. The sisters find it natural to kidnap a woman who clerks at a maternity shop, thinking they have found someone whose expertise they need. Wrong on that point, they [u]do[/u] have a person with a capacity for giving care that works to their advantage. She, in turn, benefits because she has a need to be needed. By the time a baby boy is born on a blanket beside a car in the woods, they have merged into something like a family. Some fun, and a demonstration of the best of possibilities when people need people. MVP of the story is 11-year-old Scarlett Johansson, at the beginning of her career, as the younger sister. Sometimes serving as narrator, she is actually the most level-headed of the three main characters.
V**Y
Loved it!
One of her earlier works, it's the beginning of her raw talent!
A**I
Dumb.
Zip. Zero. Nada.
C**D
A Rare Gem
Manny & Lo is one of those rare films that almost everyone overlooks, but those who are lucky enough to find it on TV or take the chance at renting it are pleasantly surprised.The movie features young Scarlett Johansson, and Mary Kay Place, who perform wonderfully together to create charming on screen chemistry. The story is somewhat serious in nature, dealing with the life of runaway foster girl sisters, Manny & Lo, and their travels, but the storytelling is done in a somewhat humorous, uplifting tone that makes the film so likable.Anyone who likes deep-thought movies that make you contemplate life while you watch them, will probably enjoy this movie. It's probably my favorite movie of all time.
T**T
Indie film at its best
I looked for this movie a long time. I finally found it, purchased it and enjoyed it thoroughly. The title characters are sisters who have no parents and are doing what it takes to survive. Manny is the younger sister who tries to see the good in things. Lo is the older sister who is pregnant and is in denial. I don't want to give the movie away, but anyone who enjoys a good Indie film will enjoy this film. Scarlett Johansson deliveries a heart-warming performance as Manny, while Aleksa Palladino gives a credible performance as the tough, street-smart Lo, and Mary Kay Place is excellent as a lonely nurse who the girls come in contact with.
A**S
ScarJo shines in excellent early film.
I absolutely love this. It is a rare find: young ScarJo in an unusual movie that plays like an indie film. Runaways Manny & Lo abduct a midwife & hide out in a cabin to await Lo's giving birth. The unlikely trio bend each others' lives into a better focus in this offbeat comedy that keeps us all feeling good in spite of the absurdity of its path. Spoiler alert: young ScarJo is just like the veteran version!
R**I
not
it's bad influence on kids showing things like shop lifting etc. etc etcbought it for Scarlett Johansson but didn't realize what kind of movie this is
A**E
Ich konnte den Film nicht sehen ,weil er in Deutland gesperrt ist .
Ich musste meinen Ausweis vorzeigen , der Film ist Jugendfrei, mit Scarlett Johansson. Was soll das alles. Richtig schlecht.
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