Time Out

Tedious road movie of a young Dane who travels to the US and gets involved with a strange girl (pre stardom Arquette) and a religious right-wing movement, led by Geoffrey Lewis (without the orangutang). Some European directors have managed to make interesting films in the States, e.g. Wim Wenders or Lasse Hallström, but Bang Carlsen fails on all accounts. "Time Out" is as pretentious and slow as any of his domestic films, and is only recommended for Patricia Arquette completists (but don´t expect the dynamite of Alabama in True Romance). Allan Olsen is atrociously dubbed.

I just saw this great movie about a man who travels to the US. Whereas some reviewers here says that it fails as a travel-movie, I don't think so. It does convey the mystery and beauty of America just as well as, say, David Lynch. It just does it in its own way. I have some trouble understanding why anyone would think this is a bad movie. Moreover, seen from a 2009 perspective it also gives a good impression of how the 1980s were like. I am not very familiar with the movies of Wim Wenders but I find it hard to believe that his movies should be better than "Time-Out". They are just different. Moreover, the ending of this movie is very spooky and surprising. It is, perhaps, true that the movie seems a bit tedious in the beginning before it gets started but all the time we have this feeling of being in the US which keeps giving value and meaning to the film.

I found it a bit strange that no one in Denmark knows this movie. That Allan Olsen acts alongside Patricia Arquette is hard to grasp considering the way their careers have diverged since (one is a big Hollywood star while the other isn't even a household name in native Denmark). But then the film is truly forgettable. Besides Vincent Schiavelli, who is always good, Patricia Arquette's pretty young face and the nice photography work are the only redeeming features of a film whose story is far fetched and boring.

A Danish/American road-movie (first of its kind!) with Patricia Arquette as she was about to rise to stardom. Fans won't be disappointed. The movie has its peaks and a surprising and controversial plot and ending. The problem is that the story is TOO far out. It is one of those films with a million to one chance that this might happen in real life... But OK, it isn't real life - and it's always interesting to watch a European director shooting in the US.