Duke-102

Well done non-traditional Western. Effective use of language of the time period - pre/post Civil War. Music excellent - by Viggo. Moves back and forth in time, was not really confusing since you could tell when the events occur. Takes place in the desert areas, where things move slow. Good tension and interesting telling of Vivienne's story. Shows the sadness encountered by women on the frontier and the toughness required to live there. The cruelty of men except for a "knight" played by Viggo and what immigrants faced - hoping for the best , but being hit by the reality of the struggle to survive in a new country. Thanks Viggo!

Very enjoyable film. Cheadle gives the whole film a vibrant energy, both in performance and cinematography, with use of different kinds of film and lighting. Excellent use of flashback, and you can tell whether it is in the past or present by Cheadle's effective use of lighting. The use of fictional characters moves the story along as it is not a straight bio. It focuses on a part of Davis' life with a look back at certain points, with Frances as past regret. Even if you know nothing about Davis' work, the film is effective in showing the problems any famous musician faces with trying to top oneself, and creative pressures. There is humor and Cheadle has Davis' low rasp of a voice down pat. Very interesting film.

This is absolutely one of the worst movies ever made. Terrible. Ridiculous plot, stupid "twists," bad acting, Howard's directing is contrived and banal, with hokey dialogue. Since the source material is just stupid and vapid, what do you expect? Those seeking escapist fare look for something else, anything else, this makes "17 Again" look like "Gone with the Wind." This movie fails on every level, with the pacing kept at a manic pace so that you don't have time to think about the laughable plot. A movie should be true to the world it is in; this movie is not. Only the streets of Rome give any interest and some nice Bernini sculpture takes your eyes away from this tripe bag of garbage. What a waste of money and talent. Of course it will take in some $, but don't be fooled, this movie will make you howl in disbelief.