Reviews

First the good news: This period comedy set around the time of the passage of the anti-gay Prop 8 legislation has a largely fine ensemble of actors, especially the always interesting "Shortbus" veteran Peter Stickles, but they're saddled with a meandering script that, at just under two hours, is easily 30-45 minutes too long.

Far more damaging is the casting of Matthew Montgomery in the leading comic role of a hapless nerd. I've never understood how this low-energy, charisma-free actor keeps getting work in gay indies, and here it's equally obvious that he couldn't find the joke in a scene if his life depended on it. He's the character we're supposed to be pulling for, yet Montgomery's clumsy, clueless performance is an unfunny disaster that renders the main love story nonsensical. Why do so many interesting, engaging, funny people in this movie like this guy who just sucks the joy out of a scene every time he enters it? It's a puzzlement. I'm going to be giving a pass to any future Montgomery vehicles, that's for sure.

Janet McTeer's multi-faceted performance makes this otherwise predictable character study a must-see for serious acting buffs. As a native Southerner, I have suffered through more hideous attempts at Southern accents than I care to remember, but McTeer nails the accent right down to the complicated vowel sounds and makes it seem utterly natural. The story runs out of gas in the final third, and the "Winnebago ex machina" element comes out of left field, but why quibble? McTeer is absolutely phenomenal, bringing far more complexity to the role than is written on the page.

Despite a surprisingly weak screenplay (even with Tom Stoppard's polishing), Tim Burton's latest is still a triumph through sheer visual panache. This is easily the most sensuously beautiful movie I have seen in a very long time. Certainly the Tree of the Dead is a haunting image, although the Horseman himself becomes less scary as the movie progresses simply because we see so much of him that he becomes more mundane. The "surprise" ending is tipped by an obvious bit of casting, but overall this movie is still a vibrant experience, and I can't wait to see those lush images again. The DVD should be a knockout!