Reviews

Tough to come up with a title for this since "What A Mess" was already taken. This movie set the world record for most wasted talent and you cannot blame anyone but John Turturo since he both wrote and directed it. I would explain the plot but I have no idea what the plot was or the point of the whole exercise. I will say this, there is some good music in the film from James Brown, Harvey and the Moonglows, Janis Joplin and Dusty Springfield so there are a few enjoyable moments, but if that does not interest you do not waste your time. It is very likely that you will look at the cast and say to yourself "I really like so and so, I think I'll take a chance." Don't do it.

I am in total sympathy with the politics expressed (with all of the subtlety of a backed up sewer line) but this is the most boring movie since "My Dinner With Andre." Though Salma Hayek is as magnificent as ever (to look at) it could not raise the rating above the mandatory minimum. Say what you will about Harvey Weinstein, I have never seen his name associated with such dreck (unless you count "Vampire Academy" which I don't because I have never seen it.)

If the human actors had been up to maintaining the standard set by Tuareg and Kelsey the result might have been different. However, considering the absolutely cliché ridden plot if plot it was, there really was little hope to begin with. When you add in the fact that the director was also the writer the die was cast. Michael Caine is relatively well known for working for a paycheck without regard to any specific standard but watching him try and speak with a Texas accent is positively excruciating. Robert Duvall has mad many remarkable movies along the way. This is too but not in a good way. His character is without redeeming social value. It is an abomination and yet he is so much better than Haley Joe Osment that I would expect Haley Joe to have given up acting after this debacle. There is nothing whatever that can be seen as positive about this mess unless it resulted in the retirement of all associated with it, but I know Kyra Sedgwick is still working. Maybe she finances the projects herself.

For the life of me I can't understand all of the "greatest westerns of all time" arguments. I am a big fan of Larry McMurtry and Hud (Horseman Pass By) and The Last Picture Show are both big favorites of mine. What is really interesting to me is that while the two feature films don't really have a lot happening they never ever drag. As for LD, very little happens and I for one am always aware of that fact. If it weren't for the acting of a few of the principles I would have rated it a 2 or 3. Jones and Duvall are as reliable as ever, as are Chris Cooper, Diane Lane, Barry Corbin and the Mexican actors. The problem lies with the plot and the characterization. The characters have zero identifiable motivation for almost everything they do. (Glenn Headly and Frederic Forrest are particularly guilty.) The twelve hours here might have been merited had there been a story to develop, but there was none.

There are so many lines in this movie (or a variation thereof) that I have heard before that I wanted to scream. However there also is a great deal of originality and very little predictability and for that I am grateful. The performances are uniformly excellent which comes as no surprise considering the caliber of the actors. Another nitpick: An actor has the same (uncommon) last name as some of the characters. Am I alone in my dislike of this little factoid? Another nitpick: One of the characters is named Norman Cousins without any apparent reason for the author to have chosen this name. It's as if he has never heard of Cousins, the author. It must be a chore making up names but isn't creativity supposed to be one of the hallmarks of good writing?