I saw this movie when it was relatively new in theatres, and I STILL don't know what to make of it.
Is it a comedy? A drama? A character study? An excuse to keep Billy Bob Thornton in the public eye?
I may never be able to figure that out. It's not funny, it's not dramatic, and there's not a single character in this movie that I liked by about halfway through the film. They don't WANT you to like these people. They're petty and childish, and rather than mining the humor in that, they mine the agony.
If you're the Coen Brothers, you're intelligent enough to pull this off. If you're Mike Newell, everyone thinks it's a brilliant art film because they didn't understand it.
Not only do I not understand it, I don't understand Mike Newell and I don't understand who this film was supposed to be speaking to. Certainly not anyone seeking entertainment.
Is it a comedy? A drama? A character study? An excuse to keep Billy Bob Thornton in the public eye?
I may never be able to figure that out. It's not funny, it's not dramatic, and there's not a single character in this movie that I liked by about halfway through the film. They don't WANT you to like these people. They're petty and childish, and rather than mining the humor in that, they mine the agony.
If you're the Coen Brothers, you're intelligent enough to pull this off. If you're Mike Newell, everyone thinks it's a brilliant art film because they didn't understand it.
Not only do I not understand it, I don't understand Mike Newell and I don't understand who this film was supposed to be speaking to. Certainly not anyone seeking entertainment.