The story appears simple on the surface, but is revealed, especially after multiple viewings, as more multi-layered and textured than Cassavetes at his best. Ostensibly it concerns a 14-year old Catholic girl, Wynne (Agutter) growing up in this post-modern wasteland, who develops a crush on her much older adoptive brother (Marshall)- a crush which perversely deepens and grows into infatuation once she starts to believe he is the local sex killer. This is in itself an idea that makes you sit up and jolt, but as the narrative develops, it continues not necessarily along a linear path but in several confusing and fascinating directions: the family's history, (detailed effectively in chilling flashback during an improvised seance) is a chequered one, and has suffered at least one major relocation and upheaval in the last ten years. At the crux, however, it's the depiction of socialal changes that make I Start Counting so fascinating and elevate its language far beyond the confines of the standard horror film. The major subtext- that teenage girls were maturing more quickly than before, and developing full sexual and romantic appetites (even if in thought rather than deed) but were not possessed of enough discretion to make the right choices- was a step forward for a genre in which its young females had previously been portrayed as bimbo victims (Cover Girl Killer and The Night Caller spring to mind), but not one that all viewers would necessarily agree with. But most striking of all, and possibly the most enduring image which the viewer will take away with them, is of the masterful symbolism with which director Greene invests every shot. Every inch of the Kinch family's world- their house, their walls, their TV, Agutters underwear, bedroom furniture and toys, Sutcliffe's clothes, Marshalls van, the local Catholic church, their town centre, their record shop) - is painted a bright, scintillating white- a white which, by inference, is slowly becoming smudged and corrupted with the dirt of the outside world. White also symbolises, of course, purity and innocence (two qualities Catholic schoolgirls are supposed to hold dear), and it is into this world of innocence that the ever-present red bus (a symbol of violation and penetration), conducted by the lecherous yet similarly juvenile Simon Ward, makes regular journeys. The allegory is further expanded in one scene where Agutter believes she sees the Christ figure in church weeping blood: by the time we acknowledge it, its gone, but the seed has already been planted. Rarely in a genre production has the use of colour and background been so important or effective in creating a uniformity of mood. I Start Counting is as near-perfect an end to a decade as one could hope for, and exactly the kind of film people should be making now- which is, of course, exactly why they never will. A genre essential. by D.R.
影片呈现的家庭关系与情感与本人的现实生活有好些相似性 与瀑布相比似乎更加现实更能击中人心
SARS背景下的一个家庭故事…比较细腻的日常，虽然平淡但也有动人的点。
即便如此，妈妈还是爱你。好爱好爱。
2.家长里短困扰着片中人，也困扰着现实中的人们，从本片中体会到的感觉从生活中也能体会到，所以并不太能产生观众愿意看下去的感觉
一个不算新鲜的主题，不管是非典，乳腺癌，“美国女孩”还是家庭，其实都是关于家庭关系错位的成长故事，明线是女孩的青春期，暗线则回归家庭
一届金马怎么会有这么巧的同题作文，也很喜欢这一部。两个泪目的情节，怎么也套不上的马鞍（能代入自己），和小女孩向妈妈示好用的是“可以帮我掏耳朵吗”（太真实的细节）。希望林嘉欣多出来拍电影！
有一些压抑和不认同 仿佛是人为的 好在演员可爱啊
越来越觉得生小孩跟开盲盒差不多，开到这种倒霉孩子的确会被气到得乳腺癌。
女儿芳婷最恨母亲之处，不是母亲一厢情愿地把还在进行文化认同阶段的她带到美国，而后又不由分说地被现实击败，把她拽回母语之地任由适应，而是母亲不肯好好活着，母亲就要死了，恨一个人总比爱一个人容易。
润物细无声却各自汹涌般的精彩，仿佛又一部「爸妈不在家」。
和《瀑布》讲实话不太一样，这片子是个单纯的家庭题材。主打怀旧牌（润美国、音乐、拨号上网、体罚、非典）的同时，电影在家庭争吵的细节上做的还不错，后半段的核心悬疑（到底阳性不阳性）设置的也是及格的。主要差在电影感的东西极少，另外要论家长里短的争吵，老一辈大陆电视剧拍的也很多，相比之下这部电影完全没有特别的地方…可看可不看吧。
女儿怀念向往曾经的生活，以为等在原地的是代表自由美好的小马 其实妈妈才是一直温顺等待家庭 疾病套上辔头的白马吧…说不上具体好在哪，足够真所以足够动人 “我的白马儿你慢些跑啊，这一次没有我带你回家。”
影片开头你看到了大量的东亚文化控诉（借以美台环境对比之名），展现了标准的东亚家庭亲子之痛，叠加代际文化等因素，最关键的演讲稿的出现，琢磨着扔个大炸弹，结果掏耳朵虚晃一枪以为喷的是男权（讲真的，这片子里爸爸就是牛马），其实核心还是亲情之爱，但确实是很台湾的方式了。最后呈现了以小见大的台湾家庭情景小品。
拍攝手法很清新。但我好喜歡這個劇本。好喜歡。
移民 文化 家庭 亲密关系
要负担起一个生命的责任，还要面对自身的恐惧、疲倦、自我怀疑，真的好重好重。
梁方仪的角色像《牯岭街》小明和《一一》中婷婷的混合体。
即使当初不回来也不会比现在开心太多，得不到的永远最好，回不去的才是故乡。片中听到周杰伦，片尾听到陈绮贞，在2022看2003，是情景再现，也是正在经历。
关于成长阵痛、中美文化身份认同、中式家庭关系之中矛盾与爱的无解，剧作处理其实有些浅了。整部想讲的事情杨德昌在《青梅竹马》已给出了答案：美国也不是万灵丹，跟结婚一样，只是短暂的希望，让你以为一切可以重新开始的一种幻觉。
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