robelanator
Joined Nov 2003
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Reviews10
robelanator's rating
The lead lacks the gravitas to pull off the superman role.
The plot is incomprehensible, as are the characters' motivations.
The female lead, in particular, has literally nothing to do. Why is she in this movie? Oh, right, to humanize the lead, then to act as tepid love interest, and finally to be captured by the bad guys so the hero can rescue her. She's not an actual person, she's a walking plot contrivance.
Most disappointing, though: the action scenes are unrealistic and stylized-- which is perfectly fine, as a kung fu fan I actually prefer ridiculous fight choreography-- but it's not quite over-the-top enough to be really stand-out as anything special or memorable.
The plot is incomprehensible, as are the characters' motivations.
The female lead, in particular, has literally nothing to do. Why is she in this movie? Oh, right, to humanize the lead, then to act as tepid love interest, and finally to be captured by the bad guys so the hero can rescue her. She's not an actual person, she's a walking plot contrivance.
Most disappointing, though: the action scenes are unrealistic and stylized-- which is perfectly fine, as a kung fu fan I actually prefer ridiculous fight choreography-- but it's not quite over-the-top enough to be really stand-out as anything special or memorable.
...so these are my first impressions.
It's a beautiful film, but heartbreakingly bittersweet. It's a comedy with teens, not a teen comedy. There's no nudity and, with one exception, there are no "oh-so-zany" characters who exist only as way to get cheap laughs.
It's about two best friends, Enid and Rebecca, who have just graduated high school and are cast adrift into adulthood with little (Rebecca) or no (Enid) ambition. Steve Buscemi plays Seymour, an obsessive collector and social outcast who Enid first meets through a cruel prank, but who she eventually comes to see as a kindred spirit. "He's the exact opposite of everything I really hate. In a way, he's such a clueless dork, he's almost kind of cool."
There's so much heart here in the characters that when the last third of the turns melancholic it's like a punch to the gut, but it avoids being melodramatic.
In his 4 star review Roger Ebert said, "I wanted to hug this movie," and I couldn't agree more.
It's a beautiful film, but heartbreakingly bittersweet. It's a comedy with teens, not a teen comedy. There's no nudity and, with one exception, there are no "oh-so-zany" characters who exist only as way to get cheap laughs.
It's about two best friends, Enid and Rebecca, who have just graduated high school and are cast adrift into adulthood with little (Rebecca) or no (Enid) ambition. Steve Buscemi plays Seymour, an obsessive collector and social outcast who Enid first meets through a cruel prank, but who she eventually comes to see as a kindred spirit. "He's the exact opposite of everything I really hate. In a way, he's such a clueless dork, he's almost kind of cool."
There's so much heart here in the characters that when the last third of the turns melancholic it's like a punch to the gut, but it avoids being melodramatic.
In his 4 star review Roger Ebert said, "I wanted to hug this movie," and I couldn't agree more.
Though the acting by the lead is wooden, the main character is an unlikable ass, and and the plot is absurd, this is one of those films where a number of extraordinarily memorable scenes and great photography make up for the weakness of the whole, more or less.
Obviously, the opening and closing scenes stick out, but the one that will forever stay with me is the torture/murder of the hitchhiker near the beginning. The violence in this scene is completely implied - you see only her bare feet dangling over the floor while she cries out in pain, then you see the thugs talking and one of them is holding a pair of pliers - yet it's extremely brutal.
It's a standout genre picture with an interesting, albeit pitch black, theme, but those who expect a Sam Spade or Phillip Marlowe type detective noir will probably be disappointed.
Obviously, the opening and closing scenes stick out, but the one that will forever stay with me is the torture/murder of the hitchhiker near the beginning. The violence in this scene is completely implied - you see only her bare feet dangling over the floor while she cries out in pain, then you see the thugs talking and one of them is holding a pair of pliers - yet it's extremely brutal.
It's a standout genre picture with an interesting, albeit pitch black, theme, but those who expect a Sam Spade or Phillip Marlowe type detective noir will probably be disappointed.