I adore and respect the opening scene. All stories need to start somewhere, and this one started with style, in a setting that most of us have frequented...a Denny's Restaurant basically.
Throughout the film, we are made acutely aware of the precious value of food, a bed, coffee, cigarettes, cable movies, and companionship, for someone who has been deprived these things before. Most of us probably take them for granted,unless we have been down-and-out like one of the film's protagonists.
But think about how relieved you feel on a long road trip, when you stop at a motel, and partake of these things, after being trapped in your car for hours. They satiate us and bring a sense of domestic tranquility.
I needed more character development. Sorry, to those who loved this film. I get the fact that it was a portrayal of "outsider" life and the casino-bubble, but I still needed to know a bit more about how these people became who they are. The plot device of not knowing why the hell Hall is being a caretaker, worked for a while, but eventually I became annoyed with guessing.
The final explanation was anti-climatic and cheap. Come on, you can do better than that.
Hoffman stole the show with his very brief cameo. Jackson was his usual profane loudmouth stereotype. Hall and Reilly did not have to stretch much, but they were still quite adept at portraying unspoken sadness. I'm not a fan of Paltrow, but she conveyed the torn nature of her character quite well.
One other reviewer mentioned the fact that sometimes the characters don't know what to say, but that made it realistic. I totally agree. Real people rarely speak like movie characters. But in this one, the characters did speak like real people. Great job with that.
There were enough good aspects to this film, to make it worth seeing. But it is a labor to watch after a while, because not much happens, and not much is said. If you like art films, you will probably like this one. It reminded me of the work of Jim Jarmusch.
