2 Birds with 1 Stallone

In his feature debut as actor/ director, Bret Carr succeeds magnificently, and on a number of levels, with an inspiring, Oscar worthy performance. The finesse with which he conveys his moods and emotions is extraordinary; he enables you to `feel' his displacement, share his compassion, sense his empathy and know his anger. Quite simply, Carr makes Lou Benedetti a character you are not going to forget. The film is a classic character transformation. Raw and at the same time ethereal and genuinely moving with some unexpected moments of humor and unabashed honesty. A ten out of ten.

I just saw this film, for the 3rd astounding time, at a DGA screening. This movie was in my hands about 1 year ago and the name has been changed since then. The workprint was called "2 birds w/1 stallone". I knew something great could come out of it or the director when I saw the first cut. But I didn't know if it would be this film that has matured to a piece of art.

The workprint was actually played at fests like Austin and others, and the director has cut and cut and rescored and reshot to the point where I feel the film is close to a classic. If anyone will release it is another story. Perhaps Harvey is the only person in town who would have the balls to market this film. Because the only way to get it out there, is to make a star of the director who also plays the lead role.

Bret Carr, a Deniro/Thorntonesque actor/directer, may define his whole career with this role. He's absolutley flawless. It gets to a point where it doesn't seem like he's acting, you feel as if you're watching a documentary.

This is my favorite kind of film. We're stuck with a character who is stuck with himself. And this guy, Lou, well, you get to know him, feel what his life his like, hear his thoughts, and sometimes even agree with the thoughts. Taxi Driver is a prime example of this. Travis Bickle and Lou Benedetti are cut from the same cloth. Lou goes down a different road, and happily it is slightly more commercial and humorous, but he still is one of the most ambitious characters in movie history, he desperatley tries to connect with people but always ends up scaring them away. But he keeps going. Until he goes inside of himself in one of the most psychologically explosive scenes in film history. By the end he ends up something of a hero. A triumph for Bret Carr who stuck with this film until it worked. And like Robert Evans says, "...a master needs time with his canvas". My rating: **** out of ****

Brett Carr tells us he spent 7 years and $100,000 on making this picture which raises two important questions: Why and on what?

Carr opens the movie with a confusing narration from inside a theatre lobby and is apparently speaking as both the director and as the protagonist, Lou Benadetti. What follows is a confusing group of flashbacks as the fighter is forced to leave the ring, break up with his girl and deal with his homophobia all of which is interspersed with more flashbacks to his childhood and flashforwards to the theatre lobby.

Somehow his stuttering problem is dealt with by some kind of silly pschycological brainstorming sessions and a beating from a 16 year old. Of the 6 or 7 subplots that dominate the film only the homophobia is resolved satisfactorily.

Suffice to say, this was 2 hours of my life that I'll never get back.

I saw this movie in Austin, and was surprised at how much character and heart it had. Well made and performed by the main guy, his enthusiasm was contageous. I left the theatre wondering if I could debug my own brain, something Lou Benedetti learns to embrace throughout the movie. Been awhile since a movie introduced a new idea into my life. A four star thumbs up.

Bret Carr's film masterfully took me through the most risky of subjects. A film about a stuttering boxer who goes through self inflicted street therapy, ala fight club, in order to vanquish his impediment and traumatic memories at his fathers hands. First of all, the actor Bret Carr gives the best performance I've seen since Geoffry Rush in SHINE. Carr delivers a New York as wonderfully stylized as if it was his version of A CLOCKWORK ORANGE. The character Carr creates is a perfect rendition of an angry, uneducated Brooklyn superstar boxer who lives in a desperate attempt for Glory. Shades of Mike Tyson as Carr delivers a high pitched wine characteristic of the childhood LOU is trapped in. This is a really smart filmmaker. I come from a rough neighborhood, and LOU is a real character that you really feel for. Bret Carr also knows how to shoot. I was with a friend from boston who has gay tendencies and boy did this film p*** him off. LOU really challenges you to look inside yourself. A five star two thumbs up ten. AND boy did we laugh. Think Rocky directed by Oliver stone and starring a Mike Tyson character played by Thornton or Pacino or Hoffman. Bret Carr will win an Oscar some day if not for this role.