Best movie of this year hands down!

Absolutely brilliant

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

Jay Craven's adaptation of Howard Frank Mosher's novel, "Disappearances", is an unusual, beautifully photographed (by Wolfgang Held, the same from the documentary "Metallica: Some Kind of Monster" - small budget is not a big issue when there's real talent and passion involved) western-style adventure that deserves to be discovered.Kris Kristofferson has his finest hour as an actor playing Quebec Bill, a schemer who resorts to whiskey-smuggling with his son, Wild Bill (Charlie McDermott, "The Village"), in order to raise money to preserve his herd as winter approaches. They cross the border into Canadian wilderness, and embark on a wild, ghostly journey. Veteran, underrated Geneviève Bujold (Oscar nominee for "Anne of the Thousand Days"; "Dead Ringers") has a an important supporting role; the amazing character actor Luis Guzmán ("Magnolia", "Boogie Nights"), Gary Farmer ("Ghost Dog") and Lothaire Bluteau ("Jesus of Montréal", "Bent") are also part of the ensemble. "Disappearances" is an original, mysterious (the magical realism and metaphors make it refreshing and intriguing like a Terrence Malick flick on a cold day) film that doesn't fit in a single genre, for it dares to take a particular course and go all the way, faithful to its core. No apologies, Mr. Craven; your mission's accomplished, and everyone who experienced it with an open mind is satisfied. For those who didn't get it, well, it's their loss. Let them anticipate the next Michael Bay, and everyone's happy in their own shoes. 8/10 (a high rating for me).

My wife and I watched a copy of "Disappearances" this evening. We both enjoyed it very much! We had both read the novel about a year ago and so were familiar with the Mosher story. This very expansive and in some ways too fanciful novel (the cloned abbot in the monastery comes to mind) was very enjoyable, but we think Craven did a fine job of translating it to the screen without having to include every aspect of the original text.All performances were well done. Especially fine was the work of Gary Farmer (Henry) and Charlie McDermott (Wild Bill). Kris Kristofferson (Quebec Bill) was better in the latter part of the film, but (and perhaps this was intentional) was more caricaturish early on. He became more of a real character later as his situation became more serious. The smaller parts by William Sanderson and Bill Raymond were also enjoyable. The parts by Genevieve Bujold and Lothaire Bluteau were more problematic, both seeming lackluster in comparison to the others. The only real disappointment was Luis Guzman, whose part as Brother Hilliare was so reduced as to be inconsequential.We feel an excellent job was done of handling what could have been expensive special effects by implying, without showing, such things as the train wreck. Too much emphasis is placed on graphic representation in today's films, when suggestion can be just as, or in some cases, more effective (as in special effects that don't work!).If we have a serious objection to the film, it is the confusion that is generated in the earlier part caused by including many varied elements of the book without some sort of unifying dialog (perhaps a voice-over by an adult version of Wild Bill would help). This problem is relieved later in the film, but by that time a portion of the audience may be lost.Our congratulations on a fine cinematic experience that deserves wide distribution.We have also seen Craven's two previous Mosher adaptations, and consider this to be his best! One more thing – kudos to the cinematographer for the beauty of the production! Outside of our own Northwest, the Vermont Kingdom County is one of the most beautiful parts of our beautiful nation.

The movie plot seems to have been constructed from a disjointed dream. There is not enough realism to hold the viewer's interest. The Vermont Farm scene was a failed opportunity to show the way farms were set up and farm families lived which would have been interesting and entertaining. There was little if no research into the whiskey bootlegging trade of the period. The costumes of the Canadians looked like something from the French Revolution, totally unbelievable. The fiddle playing was good and of the time period but Chris's motions while supposedly playing were unbelievable. The owl's appearance was a never explained mystery and the train disappearing into thin air was too much. I couldn't understand how a live trout got frozen into the ice and why two men in the wilderness without food would release the trout, a good food source.

I hit the wrong button and clicked the yes button to the above reply as being helpful. I corrected it and checked that the comments by the poster were not helpful.So the one vote that says the post was helpful is not correct. On January 19th,2006,Disappearances was accepted into The Cleveland International Film Festival.The poster I am replying to is gleeful and drooling over the keyboard bashing all involved in this movie. This movie was a result of hard work and little pay on the actors part.All of the actors put effort into the parts that they played.They should not have to endure the comments that you stated.(boys'n'the hood comment)That is a racist remark.