TestChimp49

Incredible cast wasted in this tiresome indie comedy that wears its quirks like lead balloons. Pseudo clever dialog and over the top characters combine with heavy handed symbolism making this one a tough slog for even the most undiscriminating fan of independent film. Precious and pompous, it's one of the worst examples in recent memory of the kind of trite self important spew that exists in the fevered imaginations of hundreds of interchangeable film school grads and Wes Anderson wannabes. After too many of these you'll find yourself screaming back to the multiplex and begging for a Hollywood blockbuster to erase the memory.

Don't Mess With My Sister was a pleasant surprise. Those expecting the vicarious, somewhat questionable thrills of the director's I Spit On Your Grave will surely be disappointed, but those that appreciate a true auteur style will be amply rewarded. It's a shame that mostly brain-dead gorehound fans of Grave are the only ones that see this film. It's got style and mood, and the acting is great considering the low budget. To me it had the same feel of early Scorcese. I think the marketing of the film as some violent revenge drama is to blame. Don't let that put you off from seeing this film. Basically it's a wonderful character study and simple story of working class Italians in 70's New York. A couple of days in the life of an average Joe that go horribly wrong. Think After Hours or Mean Streets on a much smaller scale. I really liked the ambiguity of this film. It's no epic, but rather a nice little existential fragment of a movie.