Six Ways to Sunday

"Six Ways To Sunday" Stratosphere Entertainment cut a rousing trailer for this film. This left my expectations sky high. While a dangerous concept, expectations can also taint your feelings toward a film when it's all said and done. Henry Thomas look alike Norman Reedus stars as a Harry, a simple kid with an unusually touchy feely mother (Deborah Harry) who stumbles into the world of the mob. Becoming rich and dangerous in short amount of time, Harry begins to feel his world closing in around him. Mixing equal doses of "Goodfellas", "Psycho", and maybe "Spanking The Monkey", "Six Ways" is not an easy film to dismiss. Boasting a solid cast of diverse names (Isaac Hayes as a cop, personal fave Elina Lowensohn as the love interest), the film is an eclectic collection of themes. Incest, friendship, trust, and old friends, Director Adam Bernstein crafts a solid film that lingers longer that the average film would. That doesn't necessarily mean the entire film is successful. Adrian Brody makes a hilarious sorta-cameo is a crack smoking white homeboy. Sadly, the film doesn't really know what to do with him. The narrative blatantly falls apart in the final act and the blood is shed in great amounts, something that just isn't needed for success. Debbie Harry is a hoot as the domineering mother. She steals every scene she's in. I also really liked the glum setting of Long Island in the fall.

I see very clearly why this movie might rub people the wrong way. It's a glib, silly film. If you don't buy the concept, you ain't gonna stay with the movie. I stayed with it due to the cast, the story, Ms. Lowensohn, and the slim chance I would hear "Love, Love, Love" by the Feminine Complex(I believe the name of the group) - the song used in the trailer. It makes the film seem better than it probably is.----------- 7

This is such a great movie. Debbie Harry gives the best performance as a mother obsessed with her son. She even baths him! The film is mainly about a young boy joining the mob to earn money. He has a split personality, likes his Mom too much and falls in love but is essentially an alright guy, if not a little warped. The best scene is when he and his Mom talk about sex. A very underrated film, worth watching if only for Debbie Harry.

Six Ways To Sunday is billed as a black comedy. That it is, but it is so much more. It is fraught with great characters, situations, and relationships. It is a psychological study that plumbs the depths of a mother/son relationship that effects or determines almost everything that happens in the movie --- good and bad. The relationship is, at the very least, fascinating, but it would be unfair to say more than that. The film tells the story of young man from a depressed area who gets into a life crime. At this point I would like to recognize Mr. Reedus' portrayal of Harry, the naive, gentle, and submissive but simultaneously worldly, aggressive, and violent young man was done deftly and beautifully. A review (Box Office Magazine, I believe) stated that he had the look of Leonardo DiCaprio and the charm of Ewan McGregor --- a dynamite combination that I believe to be true. He could be Hollywood's next big star. The film also sheds light on other human relationships involving love and hate, passion and coldness, and loyalty and betrayal. The film was written and directed by Adam Bernstein. Although there was one situation that I did not find believable which did not detract from the film, Six Ways To Sunday was compelling from beginning to end. A word of caution, the film is deserving of its "R" rating due to some extreme violence and exploring an incestuous relationship. If you do not get a chance to see this film in the theaters, it is well worth renting. Good entertainment. Three plus stars!!!

This masterful creation is bound to have any viewer thinking about it for some time after the credits roll. Thinking especially about the complex character of Harry Odum played by Norman Reedus - that's complex in more than one sense of the word. Adam Bernstein does an amazing job of plotting out the character development of Harry Odum throughout the story. His is a character that undergoes much change throughout the film and there is never a point where the viewer can pinpoint to say that Harry Odum has displayed an excessively overt transformation. The transition from a young fledgling who is still bathed and nurtured by his mother to a cold blooded killer for the Mafia happens quite smoothly. Smoother than you would probably think possible until you see this film. Of course, credit for this is also due to the fabulous performance by Norman Reedus. As well, Deborah Harry gave a pleasant performance as his incestuous mother.

As you may have guessed, any film dealing with the Mafia, incest, and a complex character with a complex is not a light natured film. In fact the mood gets quite dark at times and Adam Bernstein does a lovely job of keeping this dim air present throughout. This includes everything from the depressing industrial set town that the story takes place in, to the gloomy rooms that the scenes are shot in, to the dark lighting in many of the scenes, to the fitting music, all the way to the disparaging words and attitudes of the characters. All of which will contribute to leaving an indelible impression on the viewer.

If you are a big Debbie Harry/Blondie fan, this movie is for you. I can't get over how great of an actress she is, and some of the "things" she does and says in this movie. She even has a flashback to when she was younger, and she's singing like she did in Blondie, not to mention that in one scene, the Blondie song "Sunday Girl" is playing in the background.

"Six Ways to Sunday" is about a kid, Harry Odum, who finds connections to make money by working for the mob. He lives with his mother Kate (Debbie Harry), and has a very close relationship with her. (Later in the movie, you'll see just how "close" they are!) This is a very dark comedy, great acting, great story, a great movie. Movies require you to think too.

Please watch this if you get the chance. If you don't like it, it's not that much of a waste of money. I got the DVD for $9.99, so I'm sure the video, or a rental copy, is much much cheaper. And like I said, Debbie Harry is terrific in this movie, as well as the rest of the cast. And when the film is over, and you watch the screen fade to black after the last scene as the credits roll, you'll think, "what a move."