Hitchcoc I just watched a news story of a group of four teenagers, two boys and two girls, kidnapping and assaulting a boy with special needs. They are so delighted with themselves that they film it an put it on Facebook. We have a culture that enjoys going after those the least able to defend themselves. The character of Nell, based on a real person, is a woman who was raised in the woods and has developed a language all her own. It was a hybrid of two influences as she grew up. Of course, this brings in authorities who want to have her committed. One is a doctor who has no respect for her humanity and who wants to have her handy to study. Fortunately, someone intervenes and begins to "break the code" of the language she uses. How this happens is really interesting. Jodi Foster as the title character does a fine job, once again showing the versatility of her acting.

stormwings This movie is 18 now, there are reviews from zero to 10, so here is mine: Albert Einstein said "Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited..." „Nell" shows that kind of knowledge which is behind the „veil of Isis" and that's because some aware people got together to make this visible.It seems that we still need „stories" to reach this, but stories are only a start and never a conclusion.„Thou are beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah" - this world is full of grace if you begin trying to say it to anyone, because all you say is to yourself.„Who's Tirzah?" Jerry Lovell asked, swimming, laughing... It always makes me shine.Alicia Foster's face at the very end shows all we need to know - during about 16 seconds. The most beautiful thing a camera ever could have been taken for; the light was made for.

sddavis63 The subject matter is fascinating. Nell (Jodie Foster) is a young woman raised by her mother in a setting completely cut off from civilization. She knows nothing of the outside world and has had little if any interaction with other people throughout her life, to the point at which she's developed her own language. Discovered by a grocery store delivery boy when her mother died, she comes under the care and tutelage of Drs. Lovell and Olson (Liam Neesom and Natasha Richardson) who have to decide whether or not she should be taken from her isolated environment and introduced to the "real" world.The dilemma is very powerful. What right does anyone else have to decide for Nell how her life should be lived, especially when she's clearly capable of living on her own in the environment to which she's accustomed? Why should she be subject to court orders about her fate or to living in psychiatric hospitals when there's obviously nothing really wrong with her except that she's living a life that no one in the outside world can understand? Those are tough questions. The movie does a great job of developing the relationship between Nell and Lovell (and then also Olson) in a sensitive way, as both begin to care for Nell and want to be protective of her and her rights to choose. Jodie Foster was - I thought - surprisingly good in this role. She usually plays a stronger type, and - at least as the movie opens - Nell was a very vulnerable figure. I didn't know if Foster would work in such a role, but she pulled it off perfectly.I would criticize this film only for the overly happy ending. Beginning with Nell appearing in court, this took on a too "syrupy" fell in my opinion; everything in the end was far too happy to be believable - in my opinion anyway. But aside from that I thought this was a very well done movie and a very interesting story. (7/10)

Dragoneyed363 Nell is one of those movies that captivated me in so many ways for so many reasons. It is powerful, poetic and astonishingly beautiful with a beautiful message and an overwhelming use of angelic material that makes my heart ache from how wonderful the attributes that this film tries to get across to it's audience are. The story is a bit familiar, yet they add so much pizazz that it makes it seem fresh and brand new.It really does handle all the subject matter so well and it is exquisitely executed. The directing and writing were amazing, and I thought the performances in particular were absolutely brilliant. Jodie Foster gave such character, life and believability to Nell that I don't think anyone else could have gave any better; she is truly spectacular and deserved that Oscar nomination, maybe even the win. The characters are well done and really likable for the performances and screenplay behind them so you actually care for them, which is what more movies need to try and do; make you care for the characters.Like I said, Nell is dramatic to the point where it's painful, in a good way, sort of, to watch this woman's innocent, undisturbed life play out and unfold, and you wish for anything that you can just make everyone see her point of view and you really hope everything pulls through for this brilliant character in the end. Nell definitely makes us wonder who are the real monsters of this world. The cinematography is excellent also and I found myself completely caught up in how awe-inspiring everything in the movie is at times, whether it's the cinematography, characters or story, which the story is absolutely gripping and fascinating, if you have not caught that by now.Nell seems to be a really overlooked film because most people do not see it for it's full potential of delight and cleverness. It has a few fans, but I never hear any talk of how wonderful it is from anyone. I thought it was excellent, and an astonishing watch, no, adventure, that I would love to live out again sometime soon.