Beat

Beat was quite possibly one of the most disappointing ventures I've yet encountered. Seeing it on the shelves at Hollywood Video, I promptly put down my other options and grabbed it up. It's rare that a movie about the Beats comes around, and this dharma bum wasn't about to pass it up...much to my chagrin. The movie first and foremost is just downright boring. (I guess I should take this opportunity now to say that I'm a huge student of the Beat Generation. Burroughs and Kerouac are two of my biggest influences in both poetry and prose.) The acting was lackluster with the exceptions of Kilmer's Burroughs and Livingston's Ginsberg (both were bloody perfect). I can't help but feel that Beat was beaten to death in the editing room. There was potential for a great script here, but it was the creative fecal matter of Gary "The Trouble with Dick" Walkow.

One final complaint that has nothing really to do seriously with the film: Would it be too much to ask for Gary to squeeze in more than 0.1 seconds of Jack?

Although not a patch on Cronenberg's wild and fabulous "Naked Lunch" this is a pretty solid look at the year prior to Joan Burroughs death (an incident which was also the catalyst for Naked Lunch") Certainly, this is preferable to the boring "The Last Time I Committed Suicide". The director/writer mostly avoids the clichés of the "hey your so square daddio" type to concentrate on the less celebrated 'minor character' of Joan Burroughs as played by Courtney Love. Love captures dichotomy of being a strong woman trapped in a man's world well and there is a beautifully haunted quality to her performance as she goes from good time beat girl to wife of drug addicted Burroughs. keifer Sutherland as Burroughs is not great casting though; he does a good imitation of the voice but doesn't project the same charisma as Peter Weller did in the same role. And this could be the films failing- why is Joan attracted to him? The film shows none of the genius of the man nor any reason why she would tolerate his coldness, his gayness and his drug abuse whilst she is left at home with the kids and thoughts of a love affair that could have been. Still a fairly enjoyable, if minor film

The bulk of the film takes place in Mexico City with side-trips to more remote areas. The scenery outside the City is lush and lovely. The interactions among the actors reflect these locales. I found the film extremely watchable, and was fascinated with the performances. All the lead roles are clearly developed. I loved Courtney Love. She is as beautiful as a modern day Anna Magnani and never has a bad scene. Seeing Kiefer Sutherland in something so unlike his "24" role is a delight. Ron Livingston's performance is controlled and finely honed. Norman Reedus presents raw energy. The cinematography is excellent with wondrous scenes of light and color. One can almost smell the tropical foliage. This is decidedly Courtney Love's movie, since she plays Burroughs' tragic wife. The interactions of these characters, based on real-life people during that time period, is a mesmerizing glimpse into lives in emotional turmoil.

A great find for anyone who finds themselves enjoying the Beat Generation literature, this is the story of one of the most tragic and pivotal points in their story, the death of Joan Burroughs.

Lucien Carr and Allen Ginsberg, on the eve of their skyrocket to fame, take a trip to Mexico City and visit Joan and William S. Burroughs. Burroughs has excused himself to Guatemala with a boyfriend, so Joan and the two old friends hit the road, reflecting on Lucien's time in jail, unrequited love, Bill's adultery, and the entire meaning of what exactly Kerouac was romanticizing. If you aren't drawn to the Beats and their story, you may want to stray away. However, if you want a sort of proto-"On the Road" mixed with the true story of the events preceding this pivotal moment in Beat history, you will enjoy this film.

The last dregs of the so-called "Beat Generation"--writers in the early-1950s who used drugs and acted out their social and sexual desires--as gay writer William S. Burroughs has fled to Mexico with his wife Joan, only to see that marriage come to a shattering climax. Stylishly-presented, yet with practically no drive in the narrative (it's tough caring about these bored, reckless people when the direction is so dreamily disconnected). One character, Allen Ginsberg, literally ends up stranded on the roadside (for all we know, he's still there!). Performances are decent, if not dead-on: Kiefer Sutherland adopts a fey-yet-cynical manner that isn't really convincing, and Courtney Love keeps slipping into facile acting tips (faraway looks and open-mouthed depression). Both are watchable, but "Beat" should have been more. ** from ****