Any Day

"Any Day" (2015 release; 101 min.) brings the story of Vian (played by Sean Bean). As the movie opens and the opening credits roll, we see him at a party, drunk and getting into an argument with another guy. Vian, a professional boxer we later learn, ends up pummeling the guy to death (literally)and Vian is imprisoned. After the opening credits, we are informed that we are "Twelve Years Later" and Vian is released from jail. Not knowing where to go, he is turned away from his former boxing club and in desperation goes to his sister Bethley (played by Kate Walsh). She very reluctantly agrees to let him stay for two weeks at her house, as long as Vian doesn't booze. It's not long before we see Vian in the grocery store and getting to know Jolene (played by Eva Longoria), and he asks for her phone number right then and there. Along the way, Vian is also desperately looking for a job and catches a break when he gets a cooking job at a pizzeria managed by Roland (played by Tom Arnold). To tell you more would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: this movie is written and directed by Rustam Branaman, best known for his acting work in front of the camera. I can see the good intentions of this movie: tough guy with a good heart is re-entering society and really wants to do right this time around. Unfortunately, the scrip is incredibly weak and utterly predictable. There is no tension to speak of in the movie. Worse, the scenes where the emotions get high, are utterly unbelievable. As I was watching this, I felt sorry for the wasted talents of Eva Longoria. She looks utterly and completely lost in this movie. How did she end up in this mess? I admit I struggled to make it through the end of the movie but I somehow did. You don't have to suffer the same fate...

I saw this movie recently at the Silverspot Theater in Naples, FL, where a bunch of movies from the 2015 Palm Beach International Film Festival were featured. I had never heard of "Any Day" and literally took a chance on this, simply on the fact that Longoria is in this. I shouldn't have, and in all honesty, I cannot recommend this movie to anyone. Viewer beware!

Normally, I'd hesitate to review a film like Any Day. After all, I really don't recommend you watch it because the ending will most likely annoy you and let you down. But the first 80% of the film is so good and shows so much promise and I do want to see more from these folks.

Sean Bean plays Vian, an angry man who just spend 12 years in prison for beating a man to death in a fight. Now he has no place to live, no job and no prospects. His only family, his sister is afraid to allow him back in their lives--especially since she has a young son. Despite her better judgment, she does allow him to stay...provided he never drink and gets his life together. Through much of the film, Vian works hard to have a semblance of a life and you really pull for him. After all, the character is well written and Bean and the rest of the cast did a great job. Unfortunately, what follows REALLY frustrated me...with an unnecessary and unbelievable twist that most likely will leave the audience frustrated for buying into the film and pulling for the guy. I would say more, but it would give away too much of the plot.

On the plus side, the directing is wonderful--very stark but never boring and well-paced. The acting, also, is terrific as is the music--which is often haunting. But it really looks like they didn't know how to end this one. One thing for sure, they made the wrong choices and the movie left me and my wife wondering what could have been had they known where to take it. It's all a shame, as if it had been written well throughout the film, I would have given this one an A-. It DOES have a lot going for it despite it's ending and crazy plot twist.

Lead actor Sean Bean was about 55 when this film was made. He would not have been a boxer just prior to jail 12 years ago. How many white 43 year old boxers are there in L.A.? Why did they pick a 55 year old British Guy to play an American former boxer, who still has boxing in his life? Why not choose an American actor 43, who was 31 before jail? Having said that, yes of course Bean did an admirable job with his role.

I think they gave both him and his sister European names, to partially explain away his seemingly non-American quality.

Well, the reviews were pretty brutal on this one, and I understand why, but it had plenty going for it too. I have no idea what part of L.A. they used, but they managed to find a white working class area not far from open space. Where is that? White working class stories have not taken place in an L.A. setting since Karate Kid. Anyways, good photography and atmosphere.

The Indie music was moody and memorable. Looks like the main singer was born in Germany but sings Americana folk. That was refreshing.

At first I thought the kid was the worst actor on the planet, but then I sort of got why he played such a robotic innocent. He was the counter to his uncle's jaded soul. I do totally see why the kid would run into trouble and tragedy, because he had no father and was not taught to keep his guard up. He went about his day in innocence and stuff happened. Later we are to consider that a virtue.

My favorite part of the movie by far was the interaction between Tom Arnold's character and our lead. I totally believed that. There are many guys like Arnold's character. I mean average Joes who screw up a lot, never fully grew up, but have some genuine goodness in them. They usually find kindred spirits to hang out with.

Would someone like Eva Longoria's character let a guy 16 years her senior pick her up in a supermarket parking lot after desperately asking for her phone number multiple times? I know that everyone says no, but I say yes. She saw that he was family-oriented, playing with his nephew, and that he had a shyness mixed with machismo. Women go for that.

There is no mention of Jesus. But the writers slipped in some super awkward religious messages toward the end while purposely not fully explaining. I think the message was that redemption requires effort, resolve, and faith. Most of our lead's cohorts stuck by him, despite his multiple screw-ups. Ultimately, even his abusive dead father redeems things.

The story runs super slow, so be prepared for that. Bean's non-American style and awkward age that does not fit the role, will make you squirm. Throw in the even more awkward spiritual ambiguity, and I'll give you credit if you don't hate it. I did not. I actually liked it.

After watching the first hour I knew I had to watch the rest because I needed to leave a review on IMDB. As my title states, I cannot believe that the fine actors in this movie agreed to do it (Bean, Longoria, the kids mom). Every scene seemed like it was the directors first movie. It seemed like a movie I would make if you made me make a movie right now (I have no background in film making). The dialogue was so basic. Sean Bean's character just keeps asking Longoria's for her number. "Can I have your number? . . Give me your number. . " over and over lol. Sean Bean from 12 years ago in the movie looks exactly like Sean Bean in the present. No make up used to seem like they tried. He was supposed to be younger and immature when he went to jail but he looked 58 going in and 58 coming out. It was a religious themed movie so maybe that is why the actors did it. I will say the last 30 minutes I was into it. I've seen these actors perform decently in other things so chalk it up to the script and the directing. It's almost worth the watch to laugh a bit.

I spent 5 minutes of my life resetting my IMDb password to tell you that this is the most bizarre and stupidest movie I've ever seen. There is no defined tone. The protagonist is flat, flat, flat. This movie is whiter than the movie White Girls. What was going on in that house party / dance scene? just what. There is a scene transition every 30 seconds with the strangest music. The kid plays a robot playing a kid. I am so sorry for the people involved in this film. Someone did them very, very wrong. Of all the Sean Bean movies that he dies, his character survives this, but we'll see if his career does. I'm still just very confused about how this got made. Do people read scripts anymore?