So often these days you find movies where the trailer was better than the movie itself. This movie is simple and honest. A good story well told and well acted. I love indie movies for this reason. It entertains without pretense and delights with small surprises. If this movie does not surprise you I would be amazed. Loved it.

I watched this on tmn on demand. They don't always have great movies but I put this on because I was bored and planning on falling asleep to it. I loved it. There's a great message to it, the script was great and the acting was amazing. I've never reviewed a movie before, but this one was just awesome. Definitely worth the watch

A movie about a fat girl having a dream becoming a cheerleader, that's not immediately the thing I had in mind while thinking about a good movie. Not really the thing I would go for normally. But if I have to be honest I was pleasantly surprised by Don't Talk To Irene. It's a movie with a lot of funny moments, aspecially the talk. Irene, played by Michelle McLeod, is fat and not goodlooking, she talks to a poster of Geena Davis as her motivational speaker. What follows is a girl that doesn't get and doesn't mind being bullied, she just wants to achieve her dream, and she will do whatever it takes. It's a nice story about people that are a bit outcasted, but that don't really mind, and do whatever they like to do. There are enough funny moments to make it a good comedy. Much better than I expected it to be.

I was really REALLY pleasantly surprised with this movie, so much so that I saw it a few times over a weekend.

"Don't Talk To Irene" is about Irene, a chubby teenage outcast stuck in a sleepy, dumpy North American town. Due to her over-protective neurotic mother, Irene has no computer, TV, or Cell-phone which makes her "the biggest loser in her town's entire teenaged history." With no friends or family to talk to, constantly ridiculed by the student body and bullied by the popular kids, Irene lives in a fantasy world where she gets daily advice from Actress Geena Davis and dreams of becoming a cheerleader.

When her bullies' latest prank lands all of them into community service at a retirement home, Irene decides to form her own unusual cheer-squad, made up of bored seniors and various other town eccentrics, in order to win a National Talent Constent to prove her school and her dismissive mom that she is a cheerleader material...

Firstly, the acting AND the casting were phenomenal! From the mean popular girl to the transgender outcast to the widower ex-boxer to the over-protective mom, all the characters had their own stories to tell. Seriously, all the characters were so unique and quirky that it was great fun watching them clash, bicker, bond AND Dance with each other.

Even though, the movie has a sharp, witty and whimsical tone (thanks to its Award winning script), it also explores a lot of profound themes such as depression, bullying, loneliness, and Prejuidice. ALL the characters were somehow broken or hurting badly, which made them so much easier to relate to. And, it was all the more powerful to see their pain ease up a little as they all get involved in Irene's crazy scheme to be on National Television. It was also quite touching to see Irene bond people for the first time in her life and grow as an individual.

I went in feeling very sorry for the lonely Irene but when the movie ended, I was like, she is so lucky to have that many amazing people in her life. I wish I could I attend to their weekly Vodka and 90s Music Dance Parties!

80s & 90s soundtrack was spot-on and I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the film's message of individuality and always following your dreams no matter how many people try to discourage you. life is not a popularity contest; it's about following your passions while connecting with other people and having fun.

If you like feel-good Indie movies like Little Miss Sunshine, Billy Elliott, Napoleon Dynamite; give this one a try!

To be honest I was a little skeptical about this movie. Whether it would be a good watch or not. It was a really nice movie with moments where you would have a good laugh. The story-line is really typical and you can sort of predict the ending. But overall it is a good watch and gives a good moral at the end.

A good watch for the weekend.

Irene wants to be a cheerleader and she'll do just about anything including licking the boys locker room floor. Irene ends up getting suspended and volunteering at the senior home next to the high school.

Irene ends up lifting the spirits of the residents by getting them to tryout for a reality show with a dance routine.

Really good story and funny cast.

Worth a watch - you will be entertained!

I was expecting dumb dialogue and older teens acting more like middle schoolers. The plot was a bit stale and used before: Youth convinces sit 'n watch tele retirees that they can be 'ornery 'n feisty and be a cheerleading team. Yeah, sure, except it was well acted with a bit raw anatomical dialogue and similar perversions(?). There is some of the usual H.S. teen based film scenarios such as bullying, and of course teachers/administrators portrayed as losers. Most part intelligent no-holds-barred dialogue amongst a disparate range of characters and their flaws.

Ok I really wasn't expecting much when I lazed on the couch late one afternoon. I was actually kind of tired but I came across this on HBO and happened to see it from the opening credits. I wasn't giving it a whole lot of thought or hope. But I soon found myself drawn in to a wonderful little story of overcoming adversity and winning in the end.

Irene is the classic overweight unattractive star of the movie wonderfully played by Michelle McLeod. Yes she is picked on, laughed at and bullied. Her mother (Anastasia Phillips) doesn't help either. But Irene has spunk and what she really wants is to join the cheerleader squad. Well given her weight and looks that's not about to happen and a perfect bully (Aviva Mongillo) tricks Irene into an idiot act and Irene in retaliation decks her. That gets her, Avivo and her boyfriend into trouble with the principal's office and they are all suspended and must spend two weeks community service at a retirement home. And it is from here that the film gets fun. Rather than mope Irene sets out to wake up the seniors, wonderfully played by Bruce Gray, Joan Gregson amongst others, by getting them up and dancing and convincing them that they can do it. Irene is guided by her spirit Geena Davis who constantly reminds Irene that she can do it. Naturally in creating her dance troupe there is some pushback from the manager of the seniors home played with perfect bitchiness by Scott Thompson as only he can do. Irene pulls in some others including the guy working as a cook who claimed that when you get out of prison working at a retirement home is the best you can do. As well a friend from high school who looked and acted like Scott Thompson from his Kid's in the Hall days wonderfully playing a "screaming queen.

It all comes together with a wonderful piece of dance set to Milli Vanilli's Blame it on the Rain and Irene wins in the end. Yes it is mushy and sentimental but it is done so wonderfully you don't care. No, it is not fall down hilarious but it has its moments of nice chuckles. And it is so heart warming you overlook its many flaws. And it is all set against the backdrop of Hamilton, Ontario. Yes it's a Canadian film. And it is a wonderful little film.

This is a fun movie with a light, breezy script. It's easy to watch and doesn't appear to have any deep, dark socio-political statement. If you're looking for nice way to pass an evening, then this is the film for you. To top it off it's almost 100% Canadian made. Enjoy!

Easy storyline, good performance from the character. if ruth have part as much as irene it would be more good i think. haha

if you need some movie to start your day in a good way, this may be one of them.

I gotta say, this wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be. No, it was way, way worse. Now, you can look me in the eye and tell me that How To Get Girls was far worse (all I can say though is that film was just a waste of time and effort, as well as David Koechner's talent), but THIS was just a whole hour of PCA shoved down my throat.

The film revolves around the titular character, Irene, a morbidly obese nerdy teenager who dreams of becoming a cheerleader. When going to school, she meets a blonde girl who goes out of her way by getting said character (and herself) into trouble, landing both of them, as well as some dude, into a retirement home for, I guess, community service.

I could go into as much detail as I need to; honestly though, I'm not going to. When I first watched the trailer, I didn't expect much, except for maybe a lighthearted drama. What I got though, that's another story. Basically, the whole thing felt like two ideas meshed into one. This has been labled as a comedy, yet most (if not all) of the jokes fall dead flat. With that said, I hardly ever laughed once.

Lastly, I assumed that the blonde girl would (sooner or later) form a somewhat friendship with the titular character. But no, she's just there to be the stereotypical blonde c*nt until the very end; she's basically a plot-device.

All in all, this overrated excuse for a comedy makes both HTGG (as well as Welcome To The Dollhouse) look like Revenge of the Nerds, and I'm giving it a solid D -.

This was a delight to watch, through and through. I am obsessed with the lead actress! She was awesome. Definitely a feel good tale.

This movie could have been much more predictable but some great writing pulled it up! I found myself howling at some of the Retiree repartee! While this movie probably was done by a newer director, it kept my attention and certainly generated laughs through some unrealistic scenarios. You have to look at the entire thing as a fantasy - especially with the Greens Davis narrative. While it can't be held up as Oscar worthy, I guarantee that some of the funniest lines will have you laughing days from now. Also, mad props to lead actress Michelle McLeod for so unselfconsciously playing Irene and making someone who at first came across as homely and pathetic into a totally lovable character by movie's end. A FUN WATCH!!

It was a cute, funny, and quirky movie! It's a feel good movie that you'll surprisingly end up loving.

LOVED IT! loved everything about this movie. A great story, great writing and the actors were incredible. Had me crying tears at the end. So well done.

What a great message, if you are a girl and you are bulled (with words and actions) just punch the bully (another girl) in the face!!! That's why I gave it 3 stars only. What happened to "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names can never hurt me"? Why do they applaud physical aggression? Children can't throw a snowball in winter but they can punch a bully and everyone's happy about it??? Other than that this movie was OK and funny even though totally unrealistic.

This movie made me wish I had her perseverance and would stand up for what I believed in and felt no matter what people thought of her she did it and I loved it a funny good feeling movie to sit back and chill with

It is an enjoyable and feel good movie. The main character is likeable and the movie never gets too dark. The ending isn't sorry predictable but it leaves you feeling good.

From early on in the movie it becomes clear that the plot is going to be quite predictable. The weird, obnoxious girl who dreams of becoming a cheerleader? Yeah, everybody immediately should know how this is going to turn out. The humour throughout the movie is mostly quite well done, with some low points being the forced jokes that pop up whenever Sarah and Robbie talk to each other. At the end of the day this isn't a very memorable movie to me.