Manglehorn

I had the chance to see this at the Toronto International Film Festival in early September and came away disappointed.

The movie is founded on a great premise and I was eager to see where it went. Playing a brooding, lonely old man obsessed with a past relationship seems like a good fit for the veteran Pacino. A sole proprietor key cutter was the perfect choice of profession for such a character. Giving Pacino full screen time was a good choice, as I can't recall a scene that didn't feature Pacino.

However, inconsistency in the Manglehorn character seems to overwhelm a good acting performance. Manglehorn seems at times senile or rude, and at other times the clever, likable character with good advice. It doesn't help that a good explanation for his obsession with a past relationship is lacking.

There are some solid random scenes and conversations, including Manglehorn's discussion with a child or the entertaining Korine telling stories of little league. These worthwhile scenes are surrounded by just as many scenes that fall flat and make you lose interest. Too often scenes are present as filler or make you feel like a better climax is due. Manglehorn's interactions with his son, played well by Chris Messina, feel like they belong in a different story arc.

I believe that Green has the ability to make a great, subtle film if it all comes together. In Manglehorn, the script Pacino is given and the characters he is surrounded with take him no where in particular, which is fine if you are entertained or enlightened throughout the film's duration. That's not the case here. Though the foundation was there, the payoff isn't worth the attention paid.

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.

David Gordon Green's 'Manglehorn' is a strange film, about an unlikely protagonist, whose journey, despite some greatness, is half-baked. Fortunately, the protagonist is played by Thespian Al Pacino, who, with a strong Holly Hunter, leads this uneven tale.

'Manglehorn' Synopsis: Left heartbroken by the woman he loved and lost many years ago, Manglehorn, an eccentric small-town locksmith, tries to start his life over again with the help of a new friend.

'Manglehorn' is about loneliness & regrets. A.J. Manglehorn is a heartbroken, depressed old man, who finds hope in the form of a new friend. And some of it works. Its actually quite a decent watch, but the Writing lags at times. It gets loose & moves a bit too slowly.

Paul Logan's Screenplay isn't without merit, it definitely has a story to tell, but it lags. The protagonist's interactions with his fellow people, aren't always engaging. The best bits are when Manglehorn & his new friend are together. And yet, in totality, the result is uneven. David Gordon Green's Direction is alright. He's done better before. Cinematography is perfect. Editing is ably done.

Performance-Wise: Pacino is magic, yet again! As A.J. Manglehorn, The Acting Epitome, ignites the screen with an effortless, heartfelt performance. Holly Hunter is wonderful. Her scenes with Pacino are the highpoint of this enterprise. Its a delight to watch them.

On the whole, 'Manglehorn' is partly good, partly bland. Nonetheless, Watch it for the acting.

"You look great. Like a racehorse." A. J. Manglehorn (Al Pacino)

The above quote is a mixed compliment given to a lovely lady, Dawn (Holly Hunter), on a disastrous date. Manglehorn, a aging locksmith, can't seem to connect with his son, his ex love, really everyone but his cat, who has ingested one of his keys. Manglehorn as film is a drama about the challenges of an old man who just hasn't gotten it right.

The years he has mourned over the loss of his great love, Clara, because he foolishly let her go, seem countless. Each day he writes a letter to her, each day one returns unopened. His life has been reduced to a mess of regrets, a prison if you will from which he does not have the key. Opening others' locked doors is magic, not so with his own life.

Although Manglehorn is the solitary center of the film, those around him are prey to his bitter loneliness. Most lamentable is the way he dismisses the lovely bank clerk, Dawn, with rambling recollections of his lost love—not cool on the first date and not Seinfeldian funny. Just pathetic.

The performances make this small film worth seeing; it's as if the actors rose to Pacino's occasion, knowing the only way to emerge from this film is through good acting with one of film's greatest actors.

Director Joe Gordon Green has a flawless eye for the little details that tell much. In the case of the film's symbols such as the boat and the beehive, maybe too heavy. Yet as a literature lover, I appreciate the many obvious metaphors as a satisfactory attempt by first-time screenwriter Paul Logan to give gravity to an oft-told tale of an aging, lonely man.

For the audience, the film is a complex reminder of the need to approach old age with a light heart and an open one.

Out of all the roles Al Pacino has gotten in his career, that of A.J. Manglehorn must be his most unusual one to date. This might put people off (as I suspect is the case, given the mixed reviews), but you know what? I think it's one of his best performances. Life is never easy, especially when there's a big obstacle slowing you down from trying to get through it. Something that you keep thinking about, can't STOP thinking about, maybe don't even want to. And this is the case for Manglehorn. No matter how hopeless it is, how meaningless it is to keep pondering about it, he keeps writing letters to Clara, the long-lost love of his life. His contact with people is very limited and the only true friend he has is his cat. He's working as a locksmith, but doesn't feel like he contributes much to society. His sorta pal keeps talking about his new salon, which he doesn't care about. He doesn't see his son very often either.

He keeps being isolated because he doesn't see much meaning in life as Clara doesn't respond to his letters.

This was a very fine, down-to-earth little character study about a man with low self confidence and tough luck. And it was beautiful. The conversations flowed well and felt natural, the cinematography made great use of imagery to illustrate feelings and most of all did Al Pacino blow me away completely. It was to the point that he didn't even play a character, he was... anyone. Anyone you could happen to know. There are plenty of people out there like Manglehorn and this actor gave such a figure not only flesh and bones, but also intestines.

You'd have to be a fool to skip out on such a simple, yet special and poignant film.