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'SHADOWS & LIES': Two Stars (Out of Five)

James Franco stars in this unbelievably slow and uneventful artsy indie film about a man trying to free the woman he thinks he loves from a New York City organized crime syndicate. It's written and directed by Jay Anania who was one of Franco's teachers at New York University. The film also features Josh Lucas, Martin Donovan and Julianne Nicholson. It's the perfect example of too much style over substance.

In the movie Franco plays a small time crook named William Vincent who picks people's pockets and often throws it away. He draws the attention of a local New York City drug runner (Lucas) who is impressed by his skills and apparent lack of humanity. He offers William a job and then a night with his woman, Ann (Julianne Nicholson). William falls for Ann, even though he knows nothing about her, and this of course causes complications with his new employer.

The movie is extremely slow paced and very moody. There's very little dialogue and the film is instead content with just giving the viewer long camera shots of the actor's blank faces (mostly Franco). If you're a big fan of Franco and into his looks this might be enough for you but most others will be extremely bored. The directing is kind of cool, the cinematography is beautiful and the music striking but the screenplay is so poorly written. Nothing much ever happens, we learn almost nothing about any of the characters and as a result the film seems very pointless. It starts promising, it's beautiful to look at and it's nice to see Franco taking some different projects but he's not given anything really to work with here. The movie is almost a total waste of time with nothing to offer anyone except some nice photography and some long mug shots for die-hard fans of prettyboy Franco.

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OK this movie is SO slow, if you are making a noir, you must demand excellent writing and story, not some mash up half-done gangster plot. A mopey Franco , a lot of meaningless blank stares. don't attempt things with this bad effort. "you sound like you're in a movie" was used twice, Really? I thought Lucas was a good villain, and martin Donovan held there own, but the leads had no real chemistry. Franco wasn't pulling his weight, although not totally his fault given the substandard script.

If you're into a lot of good camera shots over accordion music with odd fragmented cutaways that lend little to pushing the story forward than the movie is for you.

There will likely be a small audience for this artistic little cinematic treasure SHADOWS AND LIES, but while the audiences crowd in line for the multi-million dollar retreads of comic book heroes and potty mouth 'guy or chick flicks' it is reassuring that there are experimentalists like writer/director/editor Jay Anania and his pupil, the multi-talented James Franco who continue to push the edge of cinema and create the challenges of this jewel-like film.

Anania opens his film with a dark in medias res raw episode that quickly moves to an image of Joseph (James Franco) missing his flight to Japan because he steps out of line to retrieve a book. The plane crashes, killing everyone on board, and that opens the doors for Joseph to move to Manhattan to have a new life: he becomes William Vincent, a strange loner/drifter who has a job editing nature films for schools in a sparse storefront abode and also performs petty crimes. What gradually becomes apparent is that we maybe re-visiting what happened four years ago: William Vincent, a quiet and mysterious criminal, falls for a New York gangster's (Josh Lucas) favorite call girl Ann (Julianne Nicholson), after performing some 'deliveries' arranged by one Victor (Martin Donavan). When William's feelings are discovered Vincent is forced to flee the city, threatened with death if he should ever return. But after four years in exile (? in Japan), William secretly returns to rescue Ann from the life of derision and fear she is leading. There are quirky moments in the film where William is in the park and 'sees and talks to' two young brothers - Ty and Lewis played by Ty and Lewis Anania - who may simply be a part of William's previous existence as Joseph. But it is this very disturbing interchange of time sequences that makes the film so powerful - are we watching the now or are we watching the then, and if we are seeing the past, how does the ending make sense? Another observer states it this way: 'The story of William Vincent as he recounts the eccentric and curious path that has brought him, at mortal risk, to New York City, after four years in exile, to rescue a woman he scarcely knows, Ann, from the vague crime syndicate that first brought them together.'

Franco is disturbingly brilliant as this strange character Joseph/William and the scenes that simply sit in silence with Franco barely outlined by terrific lighting effects or interacting in spare dialogue with Ann or Victor or the Boss are visually and emotionally stunning. The cinematography by Daniel Vecchione is moody, dark and always appropriate in adding mystery to the story. John Medeski's musical score is primarily a few piano notes and the wheezing sounds of an odd organ (melodica) instrument played by a street person. It all simply works as a brilliant film. Some may label this 'film noir': it is more like experimental 'noir film noir' at every level.

Grady Harp

This is a movie that is beautiful with photography and that is the only positive thing I can say about it.

This film could have been great with the cast it has. James Franco does a great job of the brooding, James Dean like character. Josh Lucas as the dark, controlling bad guy is very good. Freckled Julianne Nelson is beautiful as the femme fatale, but the director seems to be attempting to imitate a good french movie but just fails.

If you like minutes long scenes of an actor's face, a room, an actor walking, you might enjoy this film. If it was condensed to a half hour drama, it might be great. Otherwise, it is not worth the time.

Okay, first of all, I gotta say that I don't think the rating of this movie is very fair.

The rhythm of the movie is slow, so if you're not the type of person who could sit still for two hours and adore the visualization of a slow film, just let it go.

After the ending, I began thinking how the movie had no purpose at all and that it wasn't sending out a message. And then I thought, maybe it wasn't supposed to. Maybe it was just trying to show a small part of a depressed, not-finding-a-meaning-in-life guy's life. And even so, it still lacked something, it was a little lost, like there wasn't much thought behind the story. It wasn't very well figured out, neither were the characters.

But the good news is, it gets you thinking. The photography is beautiful, and so is the acting. James Franco does a great job in this one, every expression on his face has a meaning behind it, the tone of his voice, how the characters linger before saying something, that is All very good. Not so many great lines though, it's mostly body language.

After all, I think it's worth watching. There are many beautiful scenes that you wouldn't want to miss, regardless of the not-so-good story.

Disappointment.

Great casting, no story for a long piece. Really long, tried to be something more, but the length was overwhelming. Fell asleep for 15 min and didn't lose anything as I continued to watch..... Could have been made into short film, a much shorter film. Franco brooding, sans dialogs pieces, didn't go.he does this well. Looking pasty and attractive..

The music at points was obtrusive and disgracing. Visually it was pretty to watch, the coloring, beautiful exterior shots, but not for this long.The movie left me with nothing....

"When you need me to do something, you ask, I assume this is how this works." After a man called "William" (Franco) get caught lifting a stranger's cell phone, he gets recruited by the local mob boss (Lucas). While being asked to do simple little jobs "William" meets a beautiful woman, and his life changes. Going in I was expecting more of a gangster movie then this. Most of the movie consists of "William" walking around to voice over. This is a very, very slow moving movie, that in a few places seems to go nowhere. It is not a bad movie, but it has the feel of a foreign/art house type movie, and most people are not into this type of thing. If you are looking for an absolutely independent movie with big actors this is what you are looking for. If you want a great gangster movie full of action, this is not it. I would call it a little like "Public Enemies" without all the action sequences. Not that bad, not that good. I give it a C.

Would I watch again? - I don't think I will

Actually, one of the worst movies I've seen in years. Empty dialogs, some long silence scenes trying to imitate french movies (whithout success), no deepness, no sensitivity, bad performances and an awful plot. Not even budget to buy a new dress for the lead actress? She wears the same little black dress the whole movie, even when four years has passed... Franco is a nice guy but very much spoiled in this movie. And the bad guy (Josh Lucas) is sooo good mannered. OMG! Nice photography, though. And NY always deserves good shots! Have anyone seen "Tetro" by Coppola?. OK, this is worst, which is quite difficult.... Good to recommend to any of your enemies. Regards.

I give this a solid 7 out of 10 due to the fact that it was, in my eyes, a very original film full of emotion and body-language.

A must see art film.

James Franco shines in this subtle film that puts you through different moral standing that will make you ask, "why would he do that?", just as the characters in the story are asking Franco's character. Shot with a "real-world" aspect this plot lays in front of you waiting to be uncovered just as the end will lay in your thoughts.

If you have ever felt out of place or different in this crazy world take a look through this genuine character's eyes.

This movie is different. It does have some recognizable names in it and it might sound intriguing. But it might also bore you to death. Saying this was moving at a snails pace would be an exaggeration. Some people might call this "Artsy", some will call it waste of time. It's tough to say what corner you'll be belonging to.

But you will be able to tell, where your feeling about the movie lie, after a couple of minutes. Though you might not always be able to tell what the characters feel at any given minute. There was a very irritating scene with James Franco, where he is being asked things (mostly about his emotional state). It almost looks like he's about to crack up and laugh. Not something that seems fitting considering the situation he's in. That might be over analyzing, but watching this movie will bring this sort of thinking out of you

Watch this for the beauty of the movie and the fact that it views like a book. You get the opportunity to think.

Others find it slow but it is one of those movies that convinces you the pace of life should be a little bit slower to make you think before you speak. Faster dialog is hardly believable anyways and this film has the pace of reality--where people take a minute to think before speaking.

And I've never seen Franco be convincing--turns out intellectual pondering characters is his forte. Go figure.

The shots are lovely but also if you can get past the somewhat loud nature of the narrating (both in volume and the sense that sometimes its trying too hard), it has a calming sense.

This beautiful looking art film is...well, it just is. It is brooding and a sedimentary sedative. An anti mainstream tributary with a grandiose vision of non ness.

A portrait portrayal of big city criminals with a modern soulless insignificant existence and an existential shallowness.

So many movies and television are shot and edited with an amphetamine-like atmosphere speeding along at an addictive, adrenaline fueled pace. This is the antidote. An opposite, opium-like seduction.

Calming the audience with a warm wave of emptiness. There is space to wonder and more space to ponder and even more space between the space, lulling the viewer into a comatose comfort with a creative turn that says, wait a minute...wait...wait...not so pleasant dreams...it seems.

This film is a tragedy in its truest sense: tragedy in dramaturgy is sometimes defined as "potential not realized". With this great cast and crew, this director & producers should be shot for making the film stock worth so much more before it was shot.

James Franco is too good an actor to be used, misused and abused in a film like this. His teacher should not have cashed the favor on this film.

The only thing that is more boring, than the boring life of the main character, is the film itself. Telling the story of a boring character does not have to be boring. This film does not know the difference.

The ultimate irony lies in the fact that Franco plays a "film editor" -- this film if edited correctly could perhaps make an interesting 15 minute thriller -- and I am being generous.

Seriously. I love indie films, but this plays more like an inept Z-grade, straight-to-video fail of an "erotic thriller" of the type you'd find filling the shelves of your local video store in the early 90's. I gave it a watch because of the cast and I can't tell you how many times I wanted to turn it off. So glad I didn't have to pay to watch it on Amazon Prime. If you like the following, this is the movie for you!

1) droning voice-over narration by an emotionless character 2) shots that linger on minutia for small eternities for no discernible reason 3) boring, unsexy sex scenes that just feel embarrassing and exploitative 4) dumb plots that make very little sense and go nowhere 5) downbeat endings that resolve nothing

You've been warned. I'm still trying to wash this trash out of my head. It would've been instantly forgettable if I didn't feel so insulted by it. With most indies, you can feel the passion of the filmmakers. It's not easy making a movie so most of the time, you understand what drove the writer and/or director to do whatever it took to get their movie made. This thing feels like a film school thesis gone very wrong. There's no passion behind it. You don't feel any connection to any of the characters. Nor do you feel an artist's drive to tell a story that means something to them. Mostly, you'll probably just feel bewildered.

Plot-wise, it literally makes no sense that the unnamed mob boss offers up his moll, Ann as a gift to this William dude that he's trying to recruit and when William declines to sleep with her the first time they meet, suddenly the mob boss changes his tune and warns William to stay away from Ann. And of course, out of nowhere, William decides he can't stay away from her. There is absolutely no recognizable chemistry between William & Ann at that first meeting, but William is supposed to be totally smitten with her and ready to put both of their lives in danger to... what? Save her? She doesn't want saving. The second time they're together, she sits with him for an endless viewing of his dumb nature films. They never touch. They never kiss. They barely exchange a word. He gives her a kimono, and I guess that's love baby! At least in his weird, emotionless world.

We get to watch William slowly, pointlessly eat about five meals in this movie. We get to watch him amble around the streets doing nothing. We get to watch him sit around his empty storefront looking morose. Why? We never learn a damn thing about this cat. And God, those stupid nature films and their narration! Oh so symbolic! Of... what?

This is really one of the flattest movies I've ever seen. I'm not being facetious when I say it has no reason to exist. It has nothing of value to offer. It only gets 2/10 from me because I love Julianne Nicholson. You know how people sometimes say they could watch their favorite actor read the phone book? Well, I just did. And I wish I hadn't.

50 mins IN and I'm still lost..What a waste of money talent and my time

I have to say the coloring,cinematography plus acting is awesome in this movie so i've found it very amazing . I give seven to this movie because i didn't like the ending that much and by that i don't mean that I've expected happy ending ,but the atmosphere in the end i think takes down the philosophy from the main character attitude in a strange way which is not smart(you have to see it then you'll get what i mean) music in the background match the scenes nicely reminds me of eyes wide shut at some parts and James Franco fits this type of character ,my favorite scene is the one that he look at the girl and the girl(Julianne Nicholson)is drinking she first says do u wanna drink he doesn't answer and second time when she says same thing again he drinks but the look on his face tells a lot that where it's heading,shadows and lies is short in script but clever like the title. I suggest for the ones that wants to see different movie artistic &sensitive give it a try

so thumps up...

Shadows and Lies came completely under the radar for me. I had never heard of it, heard anyone talking about it or been recommended to watch it. This is one of those films, for me, that leaves you with a profound feeling that something special has just happened. this is the kind of film that immediately after watching had me texting my friends, looking for someone to talk to about it.

Its a love story but its not the over sentimental type, at times there are scenes that i found to be the most romantic i have ever seen, but it wouldn't make you smile. its a crime story but it doesn't dwell on the details, there's no foul language, and though there is violence, it is utterly believable and not gratuitous. i found this film to be, in my eyes, perfect in every sense, perfectly balanced. with a lean dialogue stripped of any bravado, shadows and lies is extremely naturalistic. it has just enough information on the characters to help you understand them. enough kept back from view that you have room to think about them wonder after them, like or dislike them, or more importantly, like or dislike aspects of each individual's personality.

im tempted to liken this film in tone to biutiful, but thats only in the quality of the acting and the subdued palette. this film is original and stands alone. within this film, every character stands alone. the acting is top drawer. i cant even remember of there was a soundtrack. if there was, i missed it completely. if it was there im sure it did its job properly because i was immersed.

ill leave the rest to you to find out. but this is a special film and as such this is my very first IMDb review - i was moved to share my love of this film with the world.

ps - the cinematography is beautiful.

This story is a drama about a man (James Franco who plays "William") whom is going to find his life in a new identity. It is also about how he is going to loose it, that is "loosing his life". The movie is being told by "William" and we are to view it in a non-chronological sequence. That make it a bit hard to understand and the viewer has to sharpen his/hers ears. Actually it opens with a scene that is going to happen in the end. We are to be enlightened by learning a letter that William wrote to a character in the play "Ann" (whom is part of a group that's being mentioned later) She reads it and then we know, but we will be hearing Willims voice. Pay attention to this letter. William will tell what happened to him, as we listen we will be watching' scenes that undertakes his experience.

The other title "Shadows and Lies" are much better than "William Vincent" because it reflects on taking a new identity. A new identity could be a lie, it could be a shadow of the former identity too. At least that's what the man we are going to know is going through because he is becoming a shadow and a lie in terms of all who once knew him, is going to think he no longer exist, but he does, it's just a lie now. He is becoming a burton to himself, a lie, on which he cannot prevail. Then he dies.

After he misses a plane which then crashes and leaves everyone on-board dead and incinerated, he finds himself "alive" but then chooses not to go home but continue on to a new life. He doesn't explain why but he does get a new "fake" passport identity in the back-store of a Chinese restaurant. A new name to live on. He then gets a job, but no friends?, what does he do?, he is searching but he seems like a social mishap, he no longer understand the value and seems to be playing with other people. Starts to pick-pocket just for fun, he has money, doesn't need them, he steal a telephone, then throughs it in a waste-container. He is not after that! He needs some inputs/stimuli from other people. The scene where he steals a telephone leads him on to a group that shows interest in him. They think he has skills, they want to use him, make him a part of what they do. He accepts and this new relation is all the movie is about, his identity being build up and then taking apart. Very dramatic and truth-full movie, that is - yes, society has it's dark sides.

This is not a gangster movie.

The above point is so important it deserves its own paragraph. Really, this is as much about gangsters as "2001 A Space Odyssey" is about space monsters and laser battles. So if you're looking for a gangster movie then you might wanna find yourself a nice wholesome De Niro movie where he does batting practice on peoples brains.

So what exactly is this movie? "In Praise of Shadows" (the film's original title before some marketing bonehead changed it to the flashier yet utterly meaningless "Shadows & Lies") is a film for shadow lovers. No, I don't mean goth chicks who sleep in coffins, although those folks are certainly invited to the party. I mean, in the tradition of the Japanese essay "In Praise of Shadows" from which this film derived its rightful title, it is for those of us who choose dark subtlety over bright glitz. As a line in the film goes: darkness allows us to focus on details that would be lost in bright light. And so, literally as well as symbolically, this is a story that's told against a dark, unknown, mysterious backdrop.

James Franco, in his best role ever, is a mysterious drifter with many similarities to Camus' "The Stranger". He is morally ambiguous, neither kind nor cruel, neither good nor bad, but simply what he is. He takes a job as a criminal henchman almost out of curiosity (or boredom) rather than any other motivation. His first day on the job he meets the boss's mistress, and that leads to... shall we say... complications.

The plot is certainly a tense one, and whoever wrote the DVD packaging (probably the same bonehead who renamed it "Shadows & Lies") had a field day ramping up our expectations for a wild thrill ride of Scorsesesque proportions. But, here I go again, this is not a gangster film.

Sure there's blood, drugs, prostitution and a bullet or two. But there's also hummingbirds, trees, prehistoric jellyfish and a frog or two. WTF, you say? Yeah, doubtlessly anyone expecting a gangster flick will say WTF. But I would sooner compare this incomparable film to the works of Japanese master Takeshi Kitano ("A Scene at the Sea", "Dolls", "Fireworks") or maybe even Kieslowsky. If you aren't familiar with those directors, don't worry; I'll try to explain...

Here director Jay Anania (NYU film professor who taught James Franco) takes a deliberately slow and very visually vivid approach. You won't find any jumpy Mtv edits or grandiose camera flourishes to upstage the raw simplicity of the moment. Neither will you find a lot of quippy one-liners or drawn out monologues to express what is sufficiently done with a facial expression. The story being told here is not a flashy, action-packed romp (although, like I said, there are some tense action scenes) but instead it's the story of how one man with no identity, no past and no future, methodically observes his world and forges a sort of identity for himself through actions that can only be described as if he were playing out a dream, one episode at a time.

And dreamlike, this definitely is. With a fractured narrative that jumps back & forth in time and often to odd, seemingly irrelevant characters, it disrupts our expectations of a straightforward story. It becomes a challenging mystery--not necessarily how the plot will play out, but who the main character is. What is his nature and what will he turn out to be? And the same is to be said of the surrounding characters: who will they turn out to be, and will they be guided by free will or predestination?

Well, it's been a long ramble but if you made it all the way through I think you'll enjoy this movie as much as I did. In closing I'd like to say it one... more... time...

Aw hell, why don't I just quote a scene from the movie.

WILLIAM: You're talking as if you're in a movie, Victor. A gangster movie.

VICTOR: Do you think you're a gangster?

WILLIAM: No!

This is not a movie about crime in New York. It is not a romance, nor an action picture. It is a slow-paced film that carefully examines the ways in which our anxiety about personal survival corrupts our values, our dreams and goals, and our intimate relationships.

Through the four central characters, the audience is shown various human subjects at different stages of moral corruption and psychic emptiness. There are clear correlations drawn between their existential vacuity and the actions that they willingly sign on to again and again, as the film progresses. . . . . and yet we are treated to a superb film here because three of these four central characters do seem to struggle with their decisions, with the choices that embroil them more deeply in tragic "destinies" that they construct for themselves.

I am going to default to the GradyHarp review that is among theses many reviews. Mostly from disappointed viewers. Grady Harp hits the ball right on all points about this Jay Anania film.

This movie is for people who delve into symbolism, contemplative scenes of quiet and delicate colors and the messages humans can project with just expression and few or no words.

William Vincent is obviously a person with a disturbing past that he believes he can change with his 'new identity'. Unfortunately he is the same person inside and no amount of paperwork can change that.

A film lover will enjoy this movie, it's music, it's colors, it's shadows, and it's story. Great dialog, camera work, and the pacing is perfect for the persons that we see!