The Parts You Lose

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Skipper G I love this movie. Thoughtful storytelling in a great location for the story to unfold. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/02/25 Full Review steve d Mary Elizabeth Winstead was lost for much of the movie, and she was the lone bright spot Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review ronald h Action fans will despise "The Parts You Lose," because there is very little action. It's a deliberately paced character study that doesn't care to knock your socks off with gunfights and chase scenes. To further alienate the action-addicted, this is a very quiet movie, because it's mostly seen through the eyes of a 10 year old boy named Wesley (Danny Murphy) who is hearing impaired (Murphy himself is hearing impaired in reality). He lives in snowy rural North Dakota with his doting mom (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and his surly, sometimes abusive dad (Scoot McNairy). Wesley's mom talks to him in sign language, which irritates his dad, who sees the kid as more of a annoyance than anything else. On his way home from school, Wesley encounters a wounded man lying in the snow. He helps him into his family's barn, which is unused in the winter. The unnamed man (Aaron Paul) was injured in a robbery and is hiding from the cops. Wesley helps the man into the barn, steals some first aid stuff and food from his parents' house, and starts visiting the man every night while they're sleeping. The two slowly become friends. They play checkers. The man teaches Wesley how to deal with a bully at school, and he regales Wesley with stories of tigers and horses. The movie raises the obvious question: Why doesn't Wesley tell his parents? Well, perhaps Wesley feels like an outsider and relates to the man, who is an outsider, too. Or maybe Wesley is unhappy at home and at school, and the stranger is his escape from reality. It doesn't matter. There would be no movie otherwise. So I just accepted it. Although there are numerous short scenes outside the barn, the main setting is inside of it. The man is waiting for a friend to pick him up and help him escape. Meanwhile, a suspicious cop is snooping around. And I'll reveal no more. A simple story like this, character rather than plot driven, requires skilled actors, and that's where this film shines. Murphy is amazing, using facial expressions and body language as substitutes for words. Winstead is sympathetic as a caring mom who clearly married the wrong guy. And Paul is complex. He's a criminal, estranged from his wife and young daughter, but he seems to understand Wesley and becomes kind of a surrogate father to him in their few days together. There is a kind of betrayal in the end, and then there's a tragedy. Introspective viewers will have a lot to appreciate here. Others will become impatient. One critic suggested that this film says nothing. I thought it said a lot—very quietly. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member A depressing and slightly demented version of ‘The Karate Kid' without the karate. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Sergio C Nothing special actually a bit boring the kid did some good acting that's all Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/03/22 Full Review jelisije j A young deaf kid finds a wanted fugitive hurt and helps him recover and a bond starts to form. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Parts You Lose

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