La región inmóvil

This movie is a bit hard to explain, as it often jump back and forwards in time and tbh even after finishing it I think many (including myself) will struggle a bit to figure out what the movie was actually about.

But sometimes the destination is not what's important but the journey there is as they say, and the movie for the more-part entertains with mostly quirky abstract dialogue that could only exist in a movie (or a novel of which this movie is based on), often with a very dry sense of humor.

The first half is pretty stellar, the second half halters a bit gets a bit uneven and there are a lot of loose ties that remain untied even after the credits start rolling.

But it was still worth watching and it's nice to see Zoeey Deschanel in something new and the rest of the cast does fine as well.

Life after death? Or rather drifting around after it? Does the movie deliver answers to some questions it has or rather the viewer will have? Probably not might be the right answer. The performances are great all around. Especially with the weird dialog that takes place throughout the movie.

So if you are into weird, not easily explained (if at all) things happening and watching them unfold, dialog that either is on the nose or very subtle and not telling at all, you may have found the right movie for you. Towards the end there may a bit more action than some would like, but the true ending is "making up" for that ... if you don't like that though, than it will break the movie for you. You should see it coming though, not just because what I used as summary line ...

A really wonderful book by Tom Drury, converted into an aimless, confusing mess. Anton Yelchin's Pierre seems aimless and lost throughout, and Zooey Deschanel's character lacks the vigor of the book. The best character was Shane.

I compare this movie to Fargo tv series because both have a similar premise, of an innocent man/couple caught up in local level organised crime. That aspect of the movie is very clever. It's very indie though, with lots of folksy modern tunes underpinning the rather laconic action sequences and drama. It's also a rather cool and careful love affair, and even one of the criminals has a bit of a similar affair, underlining what looks like an intended irony. As such it's intelligently put together, a well-written script and story inspired by a novel. If you look to the special features 'making of' on the dvd, you'll see various cast and crew struggling with how to describe it. Noir is mentioned a couple of times. Perhaps that's worth noting, as this is a sufficiently unusual piece to hold some pride in itself. I'd describe it as picturesque, and that would apply to the careful (but not sweeping) cinematography as well. There's an important spiritual side, which could have been treated with a little less slap dash. To explain, certain ideas are presented as fait accompli, and, to my mind, should have been given more spooky for the audience to willingly run with it. Granted though, don't turn to this one if looking for an action film to thrill. Look to it if you like young love, good writing and interesting character study. Great actors here, and well worth a look on a Saturday afternoon.

This film tells the story of a young man who is in love with a victim of arson. He finds a bag of cash, and his life becomes complicated because the crooks who own the cash come after him in the quiet small town.

The plot summary sounds interesting on paper, but unfortunately the film is not at all interesting. It feels like a bunch of incomplete jigsaw pieces being forced together. I don't quite care for any of the characters, even Zooey Deschanel's character who is a victim of arson. There's no thrill suspense even when crooks hunt Pierre down. Events in the film are muted, and the film is pretty uneventful and non happening. There's no connection between the characters themselves or with the viewers. What is the point of the story? I find it boring and forgettable.