Ah independent big name filled, Oscar bait pictures... you never know what to expect. You can be treated to a truly pleasing experience or, crap critics (myself excluded) will be all over. Case in point "No country for old men". I reviewed, and totally called all the praise that it got...
So I had seen the preview for this film, and it did grab my attention. Rather packed with recognizable faces; Brendan Fraser, Forest Whitaker, Sarah Michelle Gellar (as some role that she still manages to be crazy hot in while not kicking ass), Kevin Bacon... and so on. And it had an interesting idea, a film broken down into four parts, based on emotional stages within an ancient Chinese proverb. Happiness, Pleasure, sorrow, love.
So we start with Forest Whitaker, as a man with a well managed successful life, that hates his life, move from him to the tale of muscle for a mob type, and into a young starlets life as an up and comer, and finally to a doctor in love with his best friends wife. It is awesome watching how these stories crash into one another, sometimes lightly, other times, at mach two. The acting is great. I was shaking my head going, dang, how'd I manage to forget how awesome Kevin Bacon was... if you think I'm crazy rent "The woodsman" and eat face... movin on.
The directing is great, slow moving, strong musical score, really builds each scene. I have to say it was one movie that right until the last few minutes I wasn't sure how it would end. God I love that feeling. Unpredictability. Its a beautiful thing. Now there are some real emotional highs, and lows in this flick, as can be expected by the four stages. You will grow to really care about some of the main stays in each story, and even some characters that you find your self liking despite a small amount of screen time... again a testament to the writer. Brendan Fraser rocked my three striped socks in this folks. As the future seeing mob muscle, he runs the full spectrum, I especially liked an early scene between him and Whitaker, great stuff.
Now will this film get as much attention as some of its fellow indie Oscar types, no. And the reason is, well, exposure. Its good, but is it Daniel Day Lewis in "there will be blood" good, how does it hold up against the crazy idea to make a movie about Bob Dylan with four different people. list goes on.
It is a very cool, involving, I guarantee you will love talking about this film right after you see it. Good tight writing, directing, acting... and well Sarah Michelle Gellar is pretty damn fine :)
Movie scale 3.5 out of 5 stars
Boony says lata
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