Reviews

This is Terry Gilliam's dark masterpiece. It's a brilliant film--there are fabulous, fantastic, surrealistic visual effects; gorgeous cinematography; and stunning performances by an amazing cast of consisting of both famous stars and lesser known (but excellent) actors. It's in the vein of the great European surrealistic movies like Fellini's "8 1/2" or "Satyricon". But--if you're not open to a mind bending, almost psychedelic fantasy and a plot with strange twists and turns that can be challenging to follow, this won't be for you. The cast is terrific--I mean, Tom Waits plays "Old Scratch"--how can you lose? Christopher Plummer is excellent in the title role; Heath Ledger's last performance is stellar. Lily Cole, Johnny Depp, Andrew Garfield, Jude Law, Verne Troyer, and Colin Farrell are also very good. The costumes and sets are gorgeous, though often in a dark and grungy way. By the way--it also ends up being a story about ethical choices in life and how some people are very misleading. Probably not material for a box office hit, sadly, as this film is probably too unusual for most Americans.

This is a very funny movie. The humor is primarily slapstick and physical humor, although the use of language is also comical.

However, there is vulgarity, frontal nudity, and grossness, so if these things offend you avoid this movie. The main character (played by a Jewish actor) is anti-Semitic and homophobic, so again, if this kind of thing bothers you stay away.

But it's all in the name of fun. This is equal-opportunity silliness. The movie pokes fun of everything and everyone--no one is immune: Kazhakstanis, evangelical Christians, TV anchors, homeboys, drag queens, animal rights people, New Yorkers, Southerners, rodeo people, frat boys, feminists, etc. etc.

The cast is wonderful, especially Sacha Baron Cohen and Ken Davitian.

Good to see if you need a belly laugh.

I wasn't crazy about this movie, for reasons I can't entirely verbalize. Maybe it's because the subject matter and resolution are sordid and not in the least uplifting. However, the film is worth seeing just for the acting. The entire cast is amazing, with standout performances by Penn, Robbins, Bacon, and, especially, Marcia Gay Harden. Also, the cinematography is quite striking.

This film is a suprise and a delight. At times hilarious, at others poignant and moving, it is a valentine to ordinary people--the elderly and other of society's castoffs. Sissy Spacek and Dick Farnsworth shine as the elderly hero and his daughter with a speech defect. It is refreshing to see a movie with no sex or violence. The slow pace of the film is totally suitable to its subject--the trip of an old man on his tractor to visit his very ill brother. The flat landscapes and drab colors of midwestern farm country are reproduced with a stark beauty. Dick Farnsworth plays Alvin Straight, a kind of travelling saint. He touches the hearts of everyone he meets with his courage, determination, and kindness. The secondary characters are beautifully drawn also--from the old man who owns the town hardware store to people who let Alvin camp in their yard when his rig breaks down to a small town priest. An especially touching scene occurs when Alvin has a beer with another World War Two vet. Nothing much happens in this movie--there isn't much action but the interaction among the Midwesterners. But it affects the viewer like a painting by a Dutch Master--the somberness and light and shadow of everyday life is captured unforgettably, and every gesture and tone is carefully selected. Highly recommended but not for everyone.

This movie is characterized by gratuitous (and very excessive) violence. It's also graced by a dumb plot, and bad acting. Skip it. It's a waste of time.

Wonderful film. Breathtaking martial arts scenes, gorgeous cinematography, wonderful sets and costumes. Poignant double love story. The cast is beautiful to see, and the acting is marvelous. Also this movie works on multiple levels. It's a reflection on the nature of spirituality, intergrity, and karma as well as an action film. And yes, I liked that the women did a lot of the fighting, and that they were not just beautiful looking, but also strong and capable. Why don't American movies have more of these kinds of roles for women? I'm not surprised that this didn't win the Oscar for best film. It's too unusual and off-the-beaten path for American tastes. Oscar likes movies that are predictable--and this was anything but.

Richly comic but also sad. A movie about domestic abuse which doesn't get stuck in villifying the abuser or making those he abuses into victims. We find ourselves sympathizing with all the characters. The raunchy humor does not detract from the dignity of those portrayed; on the contrary, it keeps us from getting too bogged down in the tragic aspects of the situation. Fine performances from the whole cast.