Reviews

I think everyone is used to watching Hollywood cannibalize itself. It's so predictable, it's amazing that no one out there seems to catch on. Isn't one definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over and always expecting different results? From 27 different Law And Orders to remaking the basic plot of "Halloween" 1000 times over, Hollywood will always find a way to ruin a good thing. Always. It's surprising, however, to see a documentary be such a blatant rip off of another (much better) movie. You'd think with the essentially limitless ideas one can come up with for a documentary, a filmmaker wouldn't have to (or want to) make a blueprint copy of another movie. Yet this movie is pretty much the exact same movie as American Movie. That is, except for the fact that you only catch lightning in the bottle once, and that came in the form of Mark Bourchardt. How those folks found this guy in Wisconsin that wanted to make a horror movie and actually decided to document it is amazing. Muleskinner Blues is pretty much a lame attempt to copy it, right down to the "movie premiere" with the local townsfolk looking on. Rent American Movie instead, for one of the funniest, and most ORIGINAL, documentaries you'll ever see.

I won't repeat everything already said plot wise. Matt Damon is excellent, and Joan Allen and Brian Cox give outstanding support. It makes all the difference when you shoot ON LOCATION, not the streets of LA. There is a scene in a Munich apartment for example: It could have been shot anywhere by lazy filmmakers. But the cars on the street are European, the outside of the building is European, the inside of the apartment is European....you get my drift. The Berlin hotel is, well, a BERLIN HOTEL. It really makes all the difference. 2 minor flaws: I agree there is too much hand held camera work that moves around WAY too much. It kind of dilutes the fight scenes. And the relationship of the Russian husband and wife to the other Russian gangsters is a little hazy. Otherwise, this kind of film really shows how sad the whole Bond franchise has become. THIS is how international spy films should be done! Can't wait for the third one.

I find it interesting that a previous review said "...you don't know whats going to happen next...". In fact, you know EXACTLY what's going to happen next because it's shown in the first 5 minutes. "Getting there" is pretty interesting and fairly gruesome. One thing I didn't like was that there are 4 characters, and none of them is the least bit likeable. In fact, they're all pretty hateable. The last shot of the movie is fantastic and took me by suprise. I'd recommend this film for some good acting and a pretty unusual plotline.