Good concept, poorly executed.

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

The Ideal (2011)must be as close to an outright copy of The Shining as it could be without getting sued for making it.It also appears to have had a production budget of $1, or perhaps "around three fiddy."I almost stopped watching it six times during the first 20 minutes, but something kept pulling me deeper into the film. It's utterly without pretension. For example, the pretty, but dressed down, heroine has very attractive and very large breasts. Wisely, the filmmakers portray them in a naturalistic manner; they don't keep shoving them in your face. Not that there's anything wrong with that. All of the characters have a goofy kind of charm, and this ingenuous production may sneak up on you too, if you give it a chance. I'm glad I did.The film does introduce a central theme distinct from that of The Shining, involving an esoteric "interpretation" of time seen through the lens of Nazi Germany, Nietszche, and Kafka. I found this aspect to be quite interesting. I wish I had been given the chance to watch this film in Philosophy 104 instead of having to wade through desultory and truncated text books that were probably also published on a budget of $1.This movie is definitely not for those in a hurry. It takes time to get into this, but if you do keep watching the atmosphere becomes more and more creepy. The plot arc is just different enough from The Shining that I wondered how it was going to end. IMDb users give it a gaudy 3.8, but I give it a 6.5 and a thumbs up.

It can cause drowsiness and lapses in consciousness. If you struggle with insomnia, watch The Ideal and be prepared for some serious snoozing. Rarely does a film create such a deep and unbroken monotonous boredom leading downward to an unavoidable state of comatose catatonia. It seemed as though even the actors themselves were drifting into intractable stupors from having to act in this hypnotic bit of sedative celluloid. I gave it one star as a film. I would give it 10 stars as one of the most effective sleeping aids I've ever encountered. Not to mention that Alex looked more like a 30 year-old CPA than he did a believable high school student. And how in the world was the actor who portrayed his father billed as? Loser farting father? Man alive!

To start with what i liked about this movie is that it was a unique story. I would imagine its hard to come up with a plot that hasn't been already done or similar to something that's already out there. The Ideal is neither. Also to learn that it was written by a student who was a junior at the high school it was filmed, Rivka Rappoport, also intrigued me. The imagination and vision of a young mind put to film. This is where the director Wes Tomasz Ciesla comes to play. He does an excellent job with the character development and changes that happens from the introduction of the characters to the end of the movie. Especially the relationship between student Alexander Dessler and his teacher Mr.Zenidro. This movie is hopefully the first of many films for the cast and crew. I look forward to see what Wes and Rivka's next project might be.

The Ideal is a hauntingly marvelous film. With obvious inspiration from iconic films such as "The Shining," this film doesn't fail to capture the audience's interest and attention throughout the entirety of the film. The suspense is wonderfully accompanied by a hauntingly beautiful, original soundtrack that does not go unnoticed. The eerie feel of film is not only attributed to suspenseful soundtrack and plot, but beautifully juxtaposed with outstanding imagery of the intricate and well crafted, rustic architecture of the high school where the film takes place. The building resembles an old fashioned castle both inside and out, and its structure is a crucial component to the film that is expertly captured through the cinematography. The performances given by supporting actors Todd Murphy, John Dean, and leading role Dennis Brito will leave you satisfyingly spooked and wanting more. The Ideal successfully brings forth a reality of an extremely intolerant world driven by madness and does this by blurring the lines of past and present.