Slow Burn

...how many reviewers are unfamiliar with GREED, an engrossing and fascinating film that many critics list in their all-time top ten. This film is a blatant tribute to that film and the book it's based on. Among the many clues are the setting, the characters' names (Marcus, Trina, McTeague, Frank Norris (!!)), the theme, and probably many more things that I've missed. To all who are reading this, please immediately make plans to see GREED by Erich Von Stroheim, the Man You Love to Hate, and the butler from SUNSET BOULEVARD! To be a serious movie-watcher and not to have seen it, is like being interested in drama and having never read Shakespeare.

Beautiful scenery, including Minnie Driver, but not much else. She remains striking while all the other males in the cast have their skin fall off due to the climate. This movie is clearly a ripoff of the classic "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre", merely substituting diamonds for gold dust. I never could understand the relationships between the characters. Why did she not bolt at the first opportunity, or sleep with one of them? (Either answer would have made more sense than the plot line.)There wan't anyone to root FOR. A hero or heroine would have been nice!

Underrated indy film. Solid story and fascinating characters. Many elements obviously borrowed from forgotten Frank Norris classic, McTeague, first published in 1899. The Norris novel was the basis for 1925 silent classic Greed, directed by Erich von Stroheim. Greed is generally considered one of the best films ever though the nine hour original and witnesses are long gone. With respect to Slow Burn, I enjoyed watching one aspect of human nature, namely greed, play out under the blazing sun.

=== NO SPOILERS ==> Don't ya love movies that blatantly warn you how bad they are by their title? Here's a prime example. Oh... My... GAWD! It goes on, and on, and on, AND NOTHING HAPPENS! You feel like you're the one lost out in the desert. I only watched this for Spader and Driver. Spader is almost unrecognizable which is the only interesting thing about this movie. Unbelievably, this thing cost (according to IMDB) $10 million to make? So the backers got feel the burn as well.

This little budget film concerns a a couple of American young (Chris Mulkey and Benedetti) with a little girl named Trina are searching for a familiar heritage what were lost in a Mexican steam desert when their grandmother died . But the Trina's parents are mysteriously deceased and she (Minnie Driver) , one time grown , goes on the search a box of missing diamonds against the advice of Frank (Stuart Wilson), an old parents friend . Meanwhile, Trina looks around , the treasure has already been found by two escaped convicts (James Spader, Josh Brolin) and take Trina hostage and steal her car . When the car is crashed , Trina attempts to dupe both cons against one another and so she can catch the valuable stash of diamonds . Then they're forced to struggle for stay alive , with no water, in a desperate quest for survival.

This is a predictable adventure involving valuable diamond smuggling , it is an intriguing story that contains lust , ambition and betrayal . Packs suspense , thrills , ending twists and a little bit of action . Recounts the life survival story of a trio along a remote desert . But the director doesn't focuses totally on desperate quest for survival , choosing instead to focus on all aspects about ambition , lust and greed and including a brief psychological studio . The motion picture was middlingly directed by Christian Ford in his first and only one movie . He's usually writer for TV Sci-Fi movies (Star Trek : Deep space nine , Category 7: The end of the world , Final days of Planet Earth) and comedy (Kazaan). Rating : Average though entertaining .