1 Buck

It's okay. I was excited because it's a neat concept about following a dollar. But, it is a very dark and dramatic film. Now I gotta watch something to flush the depression out.

"1 Buck" follows the path of a particular $1 bill from person to person where it finds its way back. In "A Dog's Purpose," it was done with a dog, much better and with a happier ending.

I kind of thought we would see the buck take an interesting tour of different people and places. Instead, it starts with a broken down, alcoholic cop and stays within his locality of crooks, bums and basically the kind of people you don't want to be around. So instead of the innocent buck being the main character, it's the unsympathetic cop and the other lowlifes he hangs around. The movie is dark, violent and pointless.

Now, if that sounds like a fun night at the movies for you, go for it. But the acting is mediocre at best, which drags everything down. The script meanders, and it seems as though it's trying so hard to connect that dollar that it forgets basic storytelling concepts. I simply couldn't keep up at times, and bouncing back and forth between characters who all looked similar didn't help. The whole thing was just so dark and dingy with no likable characters and was a slag to get through.

There are numerous reviews on here with 9s and 10s who believe this to be a true work of art. To each their own. But I do find it interesting that almost all of them were written in the same time period. Or maybe they have never seen a movie before and have nothing to compare it to. I considered giving this a much lower score just to bring the overall rating down but that wouldn't be fair. Instead, I grudgingly give it a 5.

This film has a great idea: following a dollar bill as it changes hands, through a cast of mostly dysfunctional gritty characters, through a tale of murder, alcohol, sex, redneck racism, and drugs in Louisiana. What's not to like?

Only a few things:

1. The script

2. The acting

3. Wiggle-cam (not enough to induce nausea, but definitely enough to be annoying, intrusive, and an affectation).

This is one of those films where it's hard to tell what's worse, the acting or the script.

I think it's a tie.

The cinematography is well crafted at times, if you can see through the wiggle-cam, but not enough to redeem the rest.

I sat through the whole thing, but it was difficult.

What I loved about this film was the rawness and real feel it brought. The actors delivered superb performances, no glamour just raw, gritty and real. You follow a group of small town residents in Louisiana and the hardships they face individually. I truly enjoyed the cinematography as well, so beautifully shot. It's dark, suspense filled ride from start to finish.

Loved the filming, the story and the characters. You'll never guess it's a first low budget movie. Well done