All the previous comments seem to have been written by members of a Tom Zuber Fan Club. Don't be fooled; the user rating (3.9 as of this writing) gives a much more accurate indication as to the quality of the film. With the exception of Paul Shields, the acting is at a high school drama class level. The script is pedestrian and what humor there is is sophomoric. This is a well-intentioned but badly executed 'homage' to the Coen Brothers style of film-making, imitation being the sincerest form of flattery. It's not terrible for a first time feature-length work, but I certainly wasn't entertained, intrigued, or otherwise interested in the least while watching "Lansdown". I found it to be a very ordinary bit of work with nothing really to recommend it. Rating: 3/10.
8 Reviews
Pretty bad, pretty, pretty bad
bobfenster17 July 2011
I wish I could say nicer things about this film as it was filmed in my town and surrounding area (the reason I watched it despite the low rating).
The acting is awful. The lead actor is a zombie through 3/4 of the film. Sure, he's depressed, but SOME emoting would have been nice. What happens with his character evolution is not very credible.
There are scenes with horribly redundant dialogue. The conversation between the hit-man and his girlfriend on the phone seemed like it would never end. Just interminable.
And since when does everyone in Central Jersey carry guns?
Don't get me started on the accents of the two non-American characters.
This is just not worth anyone's time.
The acting is awful. The lead actor is a zombie through 3/4 of the film. Sure, he's depressed, but SOME emoting would have been nice. What happens with his character evolution is not very credible.
There are scenes with horribly redundant dialogue. The conversation between the hit-man and his girlfriend on the phone seemed like it would never end. Just interminable.
And since when does everyone in Central Jersey carry guns?
Don't get me started on the accents of the two non-American characters.
This is just not worth anyone's time.
Great indy work.
jag591720 July 2002
Beautifully well done!
freyaldy5 October 2002
Lansdown is a dark and twisted portrayal of a realistic situation with humor in unexpected places. The cinematography is wonderful and the score is magnificent. The complete package will engross you in drama and surprises you with laughter. Both cast and crew are terrific.
Unsatisfying, but strangely engaging
AlonzoQuijana21 August 2006
This is a very minimalistic movie. Spare dialog. Simple sets and locations. Bare bones plot. Undeveloped characters. It left me unsatisfied and feeling a little cheated. Yet, the lack of detail was somehow engaging -- I felt as if I had to constantly fill in the blanks, especially the characters' motivations, with my own back story, like a cinematic paint-by-numbers. I have to go back to high school lit for this, but the motiveless characters reminded me of something out of Camus -- maybe the Stranger. The austerity of this film, and certainly the running jokes about golf tips, the big softball game and "my day at work," are good metaphors for the banality and meaninglessness of modern life. All in all, refreshingly different than the usual overly plotted, visually dense concoctions turned out by bigger-budget producers.
Great script; exceptional acting - the brothers Zuber have talent!
jlsjls13 October 2002
Very good film, especially for a first time effort. The dialogue was fantastic - reminiscent of Clerks / Swingers; this accented the dark comedic and very creative plot line. The casting was also perfect for the script. These guys are good, I would keep an eye on them - Jeff and Tom Zuber have promise.
the future is bright for tom zuber and company
vicariousliver2 October 2002
funny funny script and executed well. the director has a twisted eye for detail that stayed with me long after i watched the film for the first time. i got to meet the cast and crew at a film festival and it soon became quite clear that they have quite a future ahead of them. i read a review of the film that said tom zuber (the director and writer) was the true star of the piece, and i agree, but a handful of great performances turned in by the cast cannot be overlooked. a truly amazing first film by any definition.
Great story. Great performances. A triumph!
jag591716 August 2000
I had the privilege to watch this film, and I must say I was impressed. The actors were terrific. From Paul Shields (Jake Jorgensen) to Gus Kotsianas (Manny) and a special mention to my personal favorite, Marc Krinsky, who stole every scene he was in with his portrayal of Benny. Every single actor gave his/her best, and that will be one of the many reasons for this films success. Newcomer Tom Zuber wrote a very good script, and then followed through with a great directing performance. The movie is also beautiful visually, and has a good original score setting the mood throughout. Kudos as well to the set designer for the great looking sets.
Congratulations to Tom Zuber, Ryan Smith, Matthew Lendach and the rest of the cast and crew. We are sure to see many more classics come from this group.
Congratulations to Tom Zuber, Ryan Smith, Matthew Lendach and the rest of the cast and crew. We are sure to see many more classics come from this group.
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