Une Bringue d'enfer

A very underrated and under-seen film - thanks to the clods at Amblin (presumably because no one in the cast resembled an alien). Great acting, writing, and directing (from Kevin Reynolds). One of the only films Costner has ever acted in where he didn't resemble a stick of wood. I love this movie through and through. The sky diving scene (which is apparently what the film is built around, Reynolds' student film 'Proof') is fantastically funny from beginning to end. Marvin J. McIntyre is a true hero. GREAT soundtrack from beginning to end. The opening credits alone are worth the price of the rental. And the climax scene at Waggner's wedding is one of the most romantic and sensitive wedding scenes ever committed to film.

Don't miss it.

Quite simply the best film I've ever seen and as someone mentioned earlier, the `perfect' film. I've never known a film to captivate me to such a degree, and by the time Kevin Costner holds aloft his farewell beer at the end, you feel as though you're saying goodbye to a lifelong friend. There are so many scenes throughout which seem so uncannily familiar that its almost eerie, yet so comforting to watch. In those final few minutes, you're treated to some of the most beautiful scores that you could possibly wish to hear, a handshake that could tell a thousand words, and a stunning landscape which is the final destination for a group of friends who make the perfect combination. This will always be more than just a film to me. It's a key to unlock all those wondrous emotions that you once experienced many moons ago.

There is something so magical about this film and how it captures a fleeting moment in every young man's life. It's sentimental in the best way, harking back to lost youth and that transitional moment into adult responsibility. Kevin Costner has never been more charming (indeed I don't think he has ever tried) and director Kevin Reynolds imbuse this with such a touching sensibility and bravura filming style it really pulls at my heart. I discovered it on TV a decade ago and have always treasured the copy I managed to make of it. Why not available on DVD? Every other piece of s**t is. Wonderful. Not for everyone, not perfect but wonderful. The final frame I even used as a background on my PC for a while and the credits song...perfect. "Have a nice life."

"There's nothing wrong with going nowhere, son. It's a privilege of youth": I think this quote may best summarize "Fandango", which gives much to think about, also in comparison to what is considered the first of all road pictures, "Easy rider". The myth and the out of time fashion of these road trips along US highways, still today pulsing with sense of liberty, is an element of attraction for the public of every time, mainly if accompanied by some good and emotionally powerful music. "Easy rider" was set in the 60's, when the myth of liberty was at its height, it was the celebration of the hippie era, of an ideology and watching it after 40 years, conveys a sense of tenderness towards the ingenuity of these bikers going nowhere, believing in freedom from all constrictions but unconscious of what they were really looking for. "Fandango" is set in 1971 but shot in 1985, US and universal history have taught a lot of things, and what is evident there, mainly in contrast with "Easy rider", is the deep consciousness of these mates, they perfectly know what they are looking for, they want to escape from what is hanging over their future lives, knowing that the myth of life on the road has lost all credibility. It is more a celebration of youth, of an age when you think that friendship and fun will last for ever, but you know that time must come to an end, and you need to do something, in this case an unforgettable road-trip, in order to postpone that end and escape from the forthcoming adulthood. Fandango, although extremely funny, almost irreverent, in situations and dialogues, leaves traces of deep nostalgia, and melancholia, pervaded as it is by such fear about life, in terms of responsibility, burdens, troubles. The skydiving adventure meant as the most extreme searching for life, and a desperate way to exorcise the coming of adulthood, is the most effective moment of the movie. Fandango shows some clichés, which however are part of this kind of movies, it is deeply American in the passionate way it celebrates life, freedom and the feeling of being "born to be wild", through a strong visual impact. However, it is undoubtedly entertaining, moving, thought-provoking, and emotionally engaging: really worth seeing, at least only for the wonderful locations, which frame very good performances, mainly a young and deserving Kevin Costner.

Five friends (the self-named "groovers") go on one final fandango before graduating college and going on to life, war, marriage, etc. Their destination is the Texas desert where they plan to dig up Dom, the friend they buried on the night their group was formed.

The film is a wonderful mix of poignant life lessons and slapstick hilarity. The crew consists of slacker Gardner, life-troubled kenneth, weenie extraordinaire Phil, overweight divinity student Dorman, and unconscious Lester (the fifth groover). As they wind their way through the Texas scrub on their last adventure, each of them faces the approaching life after college in his own way, reacting to his fears and the failings of his friends in the draft years of the Vietnam War.

An unknown Kevin Costner pulls off the role of Gardner Barnes with an easy perfection that would convince you there must be something of Gardner in him. He's utterly convincing as the footloose rascal on a mission to evade life.

The other performances are respectable, including that of Judd Nelson in the role of uptight ROTC cadet Phil Hicks who despises the moral ambiguity of the other characters while starving for their affection.

Though this movie is not a well-known blockbuster, it holds up well against others of the same genre. Definitely worth the price of a rental, and with the February 2005 DVD release, a good addition to your collection. Good music, good humor, and great fun.