Quitte ou double

This is the second movie I saw, written and directed by Edward Burns. The first I saw was "Sidewalks of New York" and I really enjoyed watching that movie. "No Looking Back" was unfortunately not as good as "Sidewalks of New York", but I still enjoyed watching the movie. The acting was good and I specially enjoyed Jon Bon Jovi, he was great. But I have one little remark: maybe Ed and Jon should have switched parts because Jon has more the look to play the rebel instead of Ed. But that's just a little remark.

I highly enjoy Ed Burns' movies. He is capable of making the perfect indies and I think he definitely have to continue making these kind of movies. His style is perfect and the way he tries to tell these stories is perfect as well! Keep up the good work, Ed! I'm really looking forward to see some of your other work!

7/10

(I must first preface this review by admitting that I am from a northeastern town similar).

After reading some of the reviews here and seeing the movie recently on IFC, I feel that this movie is a little misunderstood.

First of all, this movie was not made for everyone. By that I mean that Edward Burns is speaking to a specific segment here. This is a story of everyday life in a working class small Northeastern town. He recreates the ENTIRE environment: groups of people that graduated highschool together and never left, the gossip, the one and only social hangout, all the intrigue and interconnected people, the way they talk and interact with each other, and even the music they like to listen to (there are a couple Bruce Springsteen songs mixed into the soundtrack).

After creating this dead on environment, he tells the story. This is where a lot of people here have had problems. Burns shows the monotony of everyday life in this town. I mean, he ACTUALLY shows it on camera: people going to their jobs, talking about mundane stuff, etc. Things that other directors would have merely mentioned through dialogue or other means.

This is done for a reason: Burns is trying to put you in this town. As if you are one of those who has been trapped here. He makes an attempt to show you these things so that you'll understand the character's desires to leave.

And if you've spent any time in one of these towns, you will understand EXACTLY what he is trying to say. Sorry to say, it's a sort realistic movie. The characters are imperfect, they do dumb things. The awkwardly and badly tell lies to each other. They like normal people.

Other than that, I could have done without Bon Jovi. He showed no range of emotions (if my girlfriend stayed out with another guy until 5 a.m., I would think my voice would show a little more inflection at least).

Anyway, if you are from this area and want to "go home again", rent this movie. If you aren't and want to see what it's like, see this movie.

If you liked any major blockbuster this year, pass.

A slight disappointment from Edward Burns after the fine comedies "The Brothers McMullen" and "She's The One."

There's no faulting the performances, most of which are decent...but the story goes nowhere and neither do the characters here. The movie feels aimless and lacks energy. Burns himself plays a ne'er-do-well and manages to make him almost likable in a scruffy sort of way and Jon BonJovi isn't half bad as a regular Joe. It's just a shame that none of the characters exhibit any real growth or transformation during the picture.

Burns' comedies were somewhat aimless too, but they felt more alive that his stab at drama here. Maybe he should stick to the funny stuff he does best.

I watched this movie just recently (had video-recorded it from the TV). Very solid performances of all the actors and I was pleasantly surprised by Jon Bon Jovi. In my view, Edward Burns has given us better performances than this one, although no complaints. Blythe Danner, even though her role is short, is intense and completely into it as always. The setting, a small coastal town, was great and perfectly reflected the mood of the entire movie. As to the soundtrack: superb! But where can I get a hold of it?! The recording I have did not show the credits all the way to the end and I would especially like to know which female singer performs at least two of the songs. Springsteen is, of course, recognizable.

My biggest grievance with No Looking Back is that it doesn't have a character like the ones Mike McClone played in The Brothers McMullen and She's the One. He had a great chemistry with Ed Burns who just isn't as funny without him. Having said that, No Looking Back is a nice little slice-of-life thing. It won't change your perception of life or anything else except perhaps Lauren Holly who is quite adorable. I give it a 6 out of 10.