Manglehorn

Eccentric Indie Director Green along with two Superb Actors, Al Pacino and Holly Hunter, deliver an almost Lost Art, the Character Study. Left to Low-Budget experimenters and Performers looking for an outlet Out of the Mainstream, this type of Film is becoming "Film Festival Fodder" and that is where the Genre finds the most Sympathetic Audience.

Not Multiplex favorites and Mainstream Appeal is Lacking, it is this type that Rely on Reality and have been called "Slice of Life". The Film is filled with Offbeat Imagery and Dialog that seems Flat at First but Resonates nonetheless. Witness Manglehorn's Story about a Nun and some Children on a boat to explain His Atheism.

Holly Hunter is simply Stellar in what amounts to a Supporting Role and Her Emotion is Heartbreaking and very Real. Two other People in Manglehorn's Life are included as Representative of why Pacino says in a half-hearted Throwaway Throwback Touchtone..."The World is Yours" (meaning I want nothing to do with it)...is His Son and a former Kid He coached in Little League.

Both are Obnoxious and Manglehorn finds Them Barely Tolerable and Symbolic of People in General. That may be why when Holly Hunter says on Their First Date..."I'm a people person...I love life", Pacino Snaps and regresses to a Senior Moment of Disconnect.

Overall, a Film for Refined Taste and Fans of Reality based Cinema with an Artistic Flare. Pacino and Hunter give Noteworthy Performances and the Movie is Rich with flavor.

Greetings again from the darkness. For those of us who grew up with 1970's cinema, it's been painful to watch Al Pacino's career over the last two decades … with only a couple of exceptions. We have longed for the actor who became Michael Corleone, and cringed with each outing that seemed to parody his Oscar winning performance in A Scent of a Woman (1983). Along comes the latest from director David Gordon Green and with it a reappearance of that actor so worshipped by John Travolta's character in Saturday Night Fever.

A.J. Manglehorn is an elderly locksmith who lives each day under his self-designed cloud of despair. His droopy eyes, droopy shoulders and droopy social skills are eclipsed only by his love for Fanny the cat, and his daily letters to Clara – the long lost love of his life. The only other signs of life in Mr. Manglehorn are displayed when he is telling a customer that it's time to wash their car, when he is hanging out with his granddaughter, or when he is exchanging Friday flirtations with bank teller Dawn (a sparkling Holly Hunter).

Director David Gordon Green is best known for comedies such as Pineapple Express (2008), The Sitter (2011), and TV's "Eastbound & Down", and while this one (filmed in Austin, Texas) has some awkward and offbeat comedic moments, it would have to be categorized as a drama. Symbolism is everywhere as Manglehorn keeps his emotions "locked" away from his snooty yuppie son (Chris Messina) and retreats into his imaginary relationship with Clara, rather than embracing Dawn's brave come-on.

There are a couple of extraordinary scenes … Pacino and Messina talking around, rather than about, their relationship and the type of men they are; and the excruciatingly awkward and heart-breaking first date between Pacino and Hunter. The forlorn Manglehorn remains behind the locked door and allows the shadow of his dream girl to cast a pall, despite having a real life dream girl sitting across the table.

Pacino recaptures his mastery of the close-up. Such emotion from so little apparent movement is the work of a once great master who proves he still has it. Some may be put off by the lack of big action, but these are people living life and trying to make the best of it. There is a line from the movie, "When you choose this life, there is no one". It's a line that tells us so much about Manglehorn's daily approach. Whether he finds the right key matters to us for one reason … Pacino makes us care.

Manglehorn is an art piece with capricious writing. Al Pacino's role as Manglehorn is lavish. Pacino graces the film with his present, saving the movie from becoming forgettable. The supporting characters are very generic, as they weren't given quality material to work with. The supporting characters serve as background noise to the conundrum that is Manglehorn. Despite this, the supporting cast does a great job portraying these characters. The cinematography of this film is rich, matching the poetic tone of Manglehorn's love letters. The film's biggest flaw is it's writing. Manglehorn is written as a character who no one can fully understand or entirely relate to. The character contradicts himself on all fronts. Some of the supporting characters are entirely irrelevant and pointless. Manglehorn is portrayed as a "great man", when in reality he's stubborn and incredibly hateful. The story following Manglehorn is nonsensical and the central conflict resolves itself in a lazy manner. Overall, Manglehorn is a poorly written film with strong acting and graceful cinematography.

David Gordon Green gave us 'Pineapple Express' but he also graced us with 'Prince Avalanche' and let's not forget he got Cage back to his best in 'Joe'. So can he do the same for Al Pacino, in a role specifically written for him, well yes and no. For anyone who has winced at Pacino's career of late I will say that this is one of his better roles but he essentially playing himself, a locksmith called Manglehorn who can't escape his past which won't allow him to live in the present. He spends his days with keys and his night with his cat Fanny and a whole heap of unhealthy memories. Friday he religiously goes to the bank where he meets Dawn (played brilliantly by Holly Hunter)and they start a strange friendship but will it be enough to pull Manglehorn into the now? The story is simple enough and has some truly great moments but there are also a few weird dream sequences that I'm not sure worked as well as they could. The cinematography is great and along with the soundtrack, acting and direction the story of Manglehorn is watchable if not a little long and quite slow paced. Expect a few laughs but it's really a more sombre affair about ageing, memories and living and one that will make you think about life, love and mortality. So 'Pineapple Express' it isn't you have been warned.

Manglehorn was warmly received at Austin's SXSW Film Festival. It isn't Al Pacino's best work. Of course, he is no longer the Pacino of Dog Day Afternoon, Godfather, Serpico, Scarface, Scent of a Woman and Heat, but he is still better than most. The script is solid, but not extraordinary. The film is mostly a one-man show. However, I honestly believe I would enjoy watching a film about Al Pacino watching paint dry. Pacino is just a pleasure to watch even now as an aging legend his intense screen presence remains. He is remarkable to watch when he is changing a light bulb or feeding a cat. In this film he plays an elderly locksmith who has been wounded by a long lost love and is trying to learn how to trust again. His on-again off-again attempt to build a relationship with Holly Hunter and to reconnect with his estranged son – played by Chris Messina - is certainly enjoyable. Underneath his tough interior there seems to be a heart of gold that is often only shared with beloved cat. He has so often played larger than life characters, but here he has taken on a much more ordinary and blue collar identity. The charisma is still there, but so much more of the character's emotions are internalized. We are left to wonder about all the events that have led up to who he has become. Recommended for all fans of good drama and of one of the greatest actors of our time.