The Video Station: (303) 440-4448 » joyce http://thevideostation.com/blog 1661 28th St Boulder, CO (303) 440-4448 Tue, 07 Feb 2012 04:44:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 BURNING PALMS – Reviewed by Joyce http://thevideostation.com/blog/2011/05/28/burning-palms-reviewed-by-joyce/ http://thevideostation.com/blog/2011/05/28/burning-palms-reviewed-by-joyce/#comments Sat, 28 May 2011 14:23:55 +0000 blogadmin http://thevideostation.com/blog/?p=4795 This isn’t a real review–I’m just writing to bring a movie to your attention: Burning Palms. I previewed this movie–a collection of five stories–over the weekend, and it was good. Really good. Here’s my caveat, though: It is dark. Very black humor. The themes may be disturbing to some, including rape and incest, but the satiric view of the director (Christopher Landon, son of Michael Landon) and the actors’ excellent performances had me totally captivated. But I also included Todd Solondz’s Happiness as one of my picks for the Best Movies of the ‘90s, so maybe you shouldn’t listen to me. And, in fact, Burning Palms is somewhat akin to a Todd Solondz film. I mentioned the great acting, and I should tell you that the cast includes Zoe Saldana (she was amazing), Lake Bell, Rosamund Pike, Paz Vega, Adriana Barraza, Nick Stahl, Shannen Doherty, and Dylan McDermott. Not to mention some of the lesser-known actors who did a great job as well. The critics mostly didn’t appreciate it as much as I did, but it will definitely appeal to a certain audience. It’s really weird to think of Burning Palms as the next generation Little House on the Prairie. – [DVD]
Comedy/Drama

Rated R

DVD Release Date: 5/24/11

]]> http://thevideostation.com/blog/2011/05/28/burning-palms-reviewed-by-joyce/feed/ 0 HOW DO YOU KNOW – Reviewed by Joyce http://thevideostation.com/blog/2011/03/24/how-do-you-know-reviewed-by-joyce/ http://thevideostation.com/blog/2011/03/24/how-do-you-know-reviewed-by-joyce/#comments Thu, 24 Mar 2011 17:45:12 +0000 blogadmin http://thevideostation.com/blog/?p=4480 How Do You Know was a real disappointment. You’d think that a cast that included Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Owen Wilson, and Jack Nicholson, could pull off a decent Rom Com, but alas, this was a poorly scripted effort, the plotline was not well-developed, and the only actor who even began to inhabit his role was Owen Wilson.

The plot goes something like this: Reese plays Lisa, a career professional softball player who, at age 31, has just failed to make the team for the upcoming season. Playing ball and her relationships with her teammates have been her life, and she begins her slog through the plot in kind of a lost and confused mode. No better off is Paul Rudd’s character, George, who is in business with his dad, played by Jack Nicholson and, as the movie opens, is under indictment by the federal government for shady dealings (not his fault, or we would in no way want to turn over our darling, Lisa, to him. Though it might have made for a more interesting movie…). Wilson plays Matty, a major league pitcher who is paid millions, and has a superficial, selfish, and somewhat womanizing approach to romance. In my humble opinion, none of these actors are believable in their roles. Maybe if we could have seen each of them doing what was supposedly their job, the back story could have propped up this willing suspension of disbelief (I obviously was not that willing). So Lisa goes out with Matty for about 10 minutes, or so it seems, and decides to move in with him. Meanwhile, George is dumped by his girlfriend, meets Lisa for dinner, and promptly falls in love with her. So which one of these guys is it going to be? How do you know?

Okay, so maybe I could have lived with the plot. I could maybe have even lived with the casting, and subsequent lack of chemistry. Maybe, but probably not. Ultimately, it was the dialogue, though, that was just too painful. It wasn’t funny, it wasn’t at all romantic, and much of the time it was thuddingly boring. And thus, this film was imbued with a lifelessness that I couldn’t forgive. Who can we blame? Let’s start with James L. Brooks, who was at the helm of this project as writer and director. He also gave us Broadcast News, Terms of Endearment, and As Good As It Gets. But that was a while ago. He wrote and directed Spanglish, a Rom Com I did like pretty much. It seems, though, that he lost his touch or something just didn’t jell with How Do You Know. When the dialogue wasn’t weird, it was wooden, or sparse. None of the actors seemed comfortable in or with their roles, possibly because the roles were so ill-defined. The exception to this was Wilson’s Matty, whose character was so hyper-defined as to be a caricature, and not believable for that reason.

Enough already with panning the film. One good feature was that the cinematographer was Janusz Kaminski, the cinematographer or director of photography for such notables as Saving Private Ryan, Catch Me If You Can, and Schindler’s List. And the photography in How Do You Know was good. Too bad it was frequently used to show off Reese’s bronzed skin and impossibly blue eyes. Okay, I better end this review because I’m starting to criticize it again. Reasons to see it? You love Reese, Paul, or Owen (if you love Owen, though, I’d invite you to see (even again) Bottle Rocket or Royal Tenenbaums where he was much more at home). Another reason to see it? You love the Rom Com genre, and don’t feel the need to be as picky as I was about this one. The bottom line is that comedy is subjective, and while this movie was not my cup of tea, it may be yours. – [DVD] [Blu-Ray]

Comedy/Drama/Romance

Rated PG-13

DVD Release Date: 3/22/11

]]> http://thevideostation.com/blog/2011/03/24/how-do-you-know-reviewed-by-joyce/feed/ 0 GET LOW – Reviewed by Joyce http://thevideostation.com/blog/2011/02/25/get-low-reviewed-by-joyce/ http://thevideostation.com/blog/2011/02/25/get-low-reviewed-by-joyce/#comments Fri, 25 Feb 2011 00:20:28 +0000 blogadmin http://thevideostation.com/blog/?p=4366 Get Low won the hearts of many film critics, and I found it to be definitely worth the view as well. It’s an actors’ showcase: you have your Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, and Bill Murray. All are veterans, and I watched the movie to see them, if nothing else.

The plot is thus: A 1930’s Tennessee curmudgeon of a guy, Frank Bush (Duvall), wants to stage and attend his own funeral while he is still alive. He has lived as a hermit in a small cabin for over 40 years, and many people fear and dislike him. He wants to invite hundreds of people from all around to come and tell their stories about him. He also wants the opportunity to tell his side of the story and reveal the deep, dark secret that has kept him captive for so long. He contacts the local funeral director, Felix Quinn, played drolly (surprise, surprise) by Bill Murray, to assist him. Sissy Spacek’s character, Mattie Darrow, was once a love interest of Bush’s, but it was really Mattie’s sister that Frank longed for.

So there’s this dual-pronged plot: the living funeral and the deep dark secret. Much of the film hinges on developing suspense for the audience around what may or may not be revealed. Is it worth the wait? You decide.

The story is billed as one of regret, forgiveness, and redemption. Perhaps these themes will be felt by the viewer, but one obstacle for me was the lack of character development. There’s a rather flat character arc. Also, the slow paced unfolding of the story could create a short snoozefest, as it did for me.

However, longtime Video Station clerk David “really loved it”, and perhaps you should listen to him. I’m not a huge fan of the western genre, to which this film belongs (or is at least akin to), and I didn’t appreciate the banjo music as much as some other viewers might.

Despite my caveats, as I started to say in the beginning of this review, these three main actors are well worth checking out. The film and its actors have gotten nominated for many awards for this movie, including a Best Actor nomination for Robert Duvall by the Screen Actors Guild.

Speaking of Duvall, if you like one of those heartful dramas, take home Wrestling Ernest Hemingway. Here Duvall and Richard Harris play 70-somethings who have retired in Florida and strike up an unlikely friendship.

The last word on Get Low is that in the Special Features there’s a pretty interesting Q & A with Bob Duvall, Sissy, Bill, and the director Aaron Schneider at the film’s premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. Always great to see these legends in their civilians. – [DVD] [Blu-Ray]

Drama/Mystery

Rated PG-13

DVD Release Date: 2/22/11

]]> http://thevideostation.com/blog/2011/02/25/get-low-reviewed-by-joyce/feed/ 1 YOU WILL MEET A TALL DARK STRANGER – Reviewed by Joyce http://thevideostation.com/blog/2011/02/17/you-will-meet-a-tall-dark-stranger-reviewed-by-joyce/ http://thevideostation.com/blog/2011/02/17/you-will-meet-a-tall-dark-stranger-reviewed-by-joyce/#comments Thu, 17 Feb 2011 19:18:17 +0000 blogadmin http://thevideostation.com/blog/?p=4331 I really did enjoy spending 98 minutes watching You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger. We see Woody Allen here doing what he does best: using his satiric lens to depict the most human emotions and experiences. His humor is unmistakable, and if you’re a fan, you’ll probably like the film enough to appreciate a view. It’s not as good as his modern day masterpiece, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, and it doesn’t have the degree of dramatic tension that we got with Match Point, but it features an excellent cast and some familiar, yet still interesting plot lines.

So here’s what it’s about. The story takes place in London. Naomi Watts plays Sally, who is married to Roy, played by Josh Brolin. They are not happy. Sally is out working while Roy stays home, struggling with his demons and trying to get a second book published. She wants to get pregnant, and he is sufficiently dissatisfied with the marriage to not let this happen. To complicate matters, the beautiful Dia (played by Freida Pinto from Slumdog Millionaire) moves into the adjacent building and can be “seen” quite easily and frequently from Roy’s window. This little homage to Hitchcock works quite well here, I think. Sally, too, has her own love interest in Greg, her boss at an art gallery, played by Antonio Banderas. So that’s that little foursome.

Sally’s mother, Helena, is portrayed incredibly well by Gemma Jones, a veteran of British television and cinema. Gemma is really the show stealer as a recently divorced frumpster. Her ex is Alfie, played by Anthony Hopkins. Alfie is the swinging single, replete with Viagra and a fiancée 400 years his junior. Alfie’s role is the only casting decision that might not have totally worked for me. Although I loved watching Hopkins, it’s still hard not to think of him in Silence of the Lambs with that little facemask. Anyway, back to the plot. To drown her sorrows and carry on with her life, Helena becomes quite involved with a “psychic”, Cristal, and doesn’t hesitate to share Cristal’s pronouncements with Sally and Roy. This infuriates Roy, who thinks she’s being duped. Helena is helping to support Sally and Roy financially, and shows up at their home often and is annoying and intrusive. Roy wants to mostly kill her, and so did I. But in a good way.

And so it goes. We see how the relationships unfold, and always with Woody Allen’s world view. Which is summed up in one of Antonio Banderas’ lines: “You see how beautiful and ironic the world is”.

Kudos to all the actors in You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger – you kept my attention. The sum of the parts is not spectacular, but it seems at least that Woody is back, and we can now put the tragic missteps like Melinda and Melinda and Hollywood Ending (and my own personal least favorite, Whatever Works) behind us, and begin to enjoy again that particular ability and sensibility that have made Woody Allen so important in American film. – [DVD] [Blu-Ray]

Comedy/Romance

Rated R

DVD Release Date: 2/15/11

]]> http://thevideostation.com/blog/2011/02/17/you-will-meet-a-tall-dark-stranger-reviewed-by-joyce/feed/ 0 CONVICTION – Reviewed by Joyce http://thevideostation.com/blog/2011/02/04/conviction-reviewed-by-joyce/ http://thevideostation.com/blog/2011/02/04/conviction-reviewed-by-joyce/#comments Fri, 04 Feb 2011 03:03:16 +0000 blogadmin http://thevideostation.com/blog/?p=4257 Conviction was a very “serviceable” drama based on a true story. Hilary Swank stars as Betty Anne Waters, a working mom who decides to put herself through law school so she can defend her brother, Kenny (Sam Rockwell), whom she believes to be wrongfully convicted of a grisly murder.

The movie’s setting, like The Fighter and The Town, is the Boston area. Both Swank and Rockwell do commendable acting jobs, although the entire movie has a slight “Made for Lifetime television” flavor. Despite this shortcoming, the story is interesting to watch. Kenny Waters is not the most savory character, and although I wanted justice to be served, it was a little difficult to root for him. Betty Anne, a high-school dropout, sets about the 12-year journey of getting her law degree, and finally serving as Kenny’s lawyer.

Cool supporting cast members abound. Juliette Lewis plays the snaggle-toothed redneck whose testimony helps get Kenny convicted. Melissa Leo (she’s everywhere!) plays the tough cop who arrests him. Minnie Driver plays a fellow law student who becomes Betty Anne’s loyal friend.

There is some suspense in waiting to see what will happen, and during the time it takes for Betty Anne to get her law degree, the whole DNA evidence thing comes into play in the U.S. judicial system. The movie includes Betty Anne’s involvement in the “Innocence Project” and the help that she gets from Barry Scheck, played by Peter Gallagher.

You may sense a bit of lukewarmedness from me on this film. And this is so. It got some critical acclaim, got awards from the Boston Film Critics, and many critics in general, but also got panned by a number of “experts”. I thought that Swank was spectacular in Boys Don’t Cry and very very good in Million Dollar Baby (her Oscar winners), but something about her zealous conviction (get it—“conviction”) felt a bit off here. I’ve been following Sam Rockwell since I first saw him in Box of Moonlight years ago. For me, though, Conviction was neither a compelling courtroom drama, nor an investment in seeing a wrong righted. It was a pretty good movie that you may really enjoy watching.

And while I have your attention, (or not), I just want to mention another “based on a true story” movie that is coming out this week. It’s called Skin, and it’s the saga of a black girl born to white parents in South Africa during Apartheid.  She goes through infinite crises–dealing with the color issue, abuse, and identity issues–and I was keenly interested in seeing the development of these themes. The girl, Sandra Laing, is played by Sophie Okonedo, and she is very beautiful to watch, very believable, and delivers a great performance. It’s also a really unique and interesting story.  – [DVD] [Blu-Ray]

Biography/Drama/Thriller

Rated R

DVD Release Date: 2/1/11

]]> http://thevideostation.com/blog/2011/02/04/conviction-reviewed-by-joyce/feed/ 0 THE TOWN – Reviewed by Joyce http://thevideostation.com/blog/2010/12/24/the-town-reviewed-by-joyce/ http://thevideostation.com/blog/2010/12/24/the-town-reviewed-by-joyce/#comments Fri, 24 Dec 2010 15:08:12 +0000 blogadmin http://thevideostation.com/blog/?p=4067 There’s not that much to say about The Town, except it was good. Really good. The Town is Ben Affleck’s baby—he adapted the screenplay, he directed it, and he starred in it. It’s hard to believe that the goofy, half drunk kid I saw on Inside the Actor’s Studio nearly ten years ago, could have morphed into such an accomplished actor/writer/director. The Town is Affleck’s second directorial effort, the first being the also very, very good, Gone Baby Gone. The story here is totally compelling and well executed. It’s a movie with all the elements of an old-time crime drama, and the style, art direction, and dialogue retain the gritty flavor of those old dramas. It’s well crafted and the viewer really wants to see how the story develops.

Affleck plays Doug MacRay, a career criminal who has lived in Charlestown, Massachusetts all his life. His best buddy is James Coughlin, played by Jeremy Renner, who delivers what might possibly be an even better performance than his Sergeant William James in The Hurt Locker. And that is high praise. Coughlin and MacRay are thieves. Good ones, too. During the first bank robbery we see on screen, Doug becomes enamored with the bank manager, played by Rebecca Hall. Hall just keeps getting better as an actress. You know her mostly from playing Vicky in Vicky Cristina Barcelona, but she was also in the recent indie Please Give. She’s magnetic and fun to watch. But speaking of magnetic, check out Blake Lively as Coughlin’s little sister who has grown up with Doug, and is clearly in love with him. I thought that Blake was channeling Drea de Matteo of Sopranos fame in this role. She is really incredible, and seeing her here, I don’t feel so guilty about all the hours I spent watching her TV show Gossip Girl (xoxo, Blake, you are awesome in The Town). The other part of the equation is the FBI agent who wants to nail these guys. He’s played by Jon Hamm, who lots of people love in Mad Men, and he definitely does his part to increase the dynamic tension.

Now there’s a ton of “willing suspension of disbelief” in The Town, but I was more than willing to suspend. Crazy intense chase scenes, great disguises, some white knuckling suspense, and a supporting cast of misfits and degenerates. Probably my favorite of these would be Pete Postlethwaite, who looks so weird that it’s hard to take your eyes off him. Action-movie freaks will definitely not be disappointed by this film. Plus it’s fun to see part of the story unfold at Fenway Park—Affleck’s love of sports gifted us with this choice location.

In the end, Affleck’s character represents, in part, the ability to change one’s life and start again. Is he able to do it? See what you think. I guess I did have a fair amount to say about The Town. It’s been a really good year for film, and this one rises to the top. – [DVD] [Blu-Ray]

Crime/Drama/Thriller

Rated R

DVD Release Date: 12/21/10

]]> http://thevideostation.com/blog/2010/12/24/the-town-reviewed-by-joyce/feed/ 1 CYRUS – Reviewed by Joyce http://thevideostation.com/blog/2010/12/17/cyrus-reviewed-by-joyce/ http://thevideostation.com/blog/2010/12/17/cyrus-reviewed-by-joyce/#comments Fri, 17 Dec 2010 02:56:40 +0000 blogadmin http://thevideostation.com/blog/?p=4017 Cyrus got a lot of positive press, and a good number of critics liked it. It has all the ingredients for getting a big thumbs up from me, too, but it just didn’t go down so easily. The directors, brothers Mark Duplass and Jay Duplass, also gave us The Puffy Chair, which was a staff pick of mine when it came out. More recently they directed Baghead, which I didn’t see. Cyrus borrowed a bit from the cinema verité style of The Puffy Chair, threw in some dark comedy, added a little romantic comedy, and possibly a touch of serious drama. The resulting amalgam just didn’t hold together so well. One big caveat for the viewer is that the movie wasn’t really a comedy, dark or not. I didn’t see any humor in it.

So the plot: divorced guy John (John C. Reilly) meets single mom Molly (Marisa Tomei) at a party and they totally click. They get each other. Soon, however, John discovers that Molly has a 21-year old son who lives with her and is pretty disturbed. The son, Cyrus, is played with precision and quiet intensity by Jonah Hill, who everyone but me knows from Evan Almighty, Superbad, and Knocked Up. (Well, I actually did see Knocked Up, but have repressed the memory.) Anyway, Jonah was scary good in his portrayal, and he and Marisa created a pretty creepy picture of mother-son enmeshment. And that was my biggest problem with Cyrus. There was a certain creepiness to the “closeness” of those two, and it kinda made me not like it too much.

That said, however, look at the actors. John C. Reilly is a totally under-appreciated character actor; I especially liked him in Magnolia and The Good Girl. Marisa Tomei tends to elevate any movie she is in – think The Wrestler, Slums of Beverly Hills, Unhook the Stars, and an Oscar for My Cousin Vinny, and you can see why she is still desirable for these roles. You’ve also got Catherine Keener in a smallish supporting role, and I’ve said enough about why I think so highly of her in my review of Please Give.

Some viewers will enjoy the creepy quality of this film and even find some humor in the telling of the story. Certainly Reilly’s portrait of the aging lonely guy is poignant and perfect, and that alone may be reason to check out Cyrus. - [DVD] [Blu-Ray]

Comedy/Drama/Romance

Rated R

]]> http://thevideostation.com/blog/2010/12/17/cyrus-reviewed-by-joyce/feed/ 0 GOING THE DISTANCE – Reviewed by Joyce http://thevideostation.com/blog/2010/12/03/going-the-distance-reviewed-by-joyce/ http://thevideostation.com/blog/2010/12/03/going-the-distance-reviewed-by-joyce/#comments Fri, 03 Dec 2010 03:11:32 +0000 blogadmin http://thevideostation.com/blog/?p=3937 Going the Distance was just an okay romantic comedy. I didn’t love it by any means. I didn’t feel any great chemistry between the stars, Drew Barrymore and Justin Long, even though they have been an on-again, off-again couple for a while. I really liked Drew in He’s Just Not That Into You (a much better rom-com to my mind), and she was spectacular in Grey Gardens. I must admit that, in looking over Justin Long’s filmography, I realized that I have barely seen any of his movies, but I was predisposed to liking him because of his Mac guy TV commercials. However, I’m not a big fan of raunchy humor, of which there was a hearty dose in this film, and the humor didn’t seem really funny. There was nothing unique about the plot—boy meets girl, romance ensues, separation occurs, the two try to have a long-distance relationship (hence Going the Distance) and, well, you can guess that it’s not going to have a tragic ending. I liked Forgetting Sarah Marshall much better. Or Keeping the Faith. Or My Best Friend’s Wedding, even.

So what’s not to like in Going the Distance? Well, first, too much stupid vulgarity. The movie I think is trying to be a Judd Apatow wannabe, but it just doesn’t cut it. Also, the characters are not too interesting. Drew’s character is presumably exciting because she’s really good at a particular video game. I tried to care, honestly I did.

The director, Nanette Burstein, also directed the fantastic The Kid Stays in the Picture, a documentary about Robert Evans. You should really see that film. Her talents did not translate into elevating this particular romantic comedy above mediocre. Lots of viewers will like it, though, and it is definitely a passable date movie, although I sincerely hope you’re not dating anyone who would enjoy it. - [DVD] [Blu-Ray]

Comedy/Romance

Rated R

DVD Release Date: 11/30/10

]]> http://thevideostation.com/blog/2010/12/03/going-the-distance-reviewed-by-joyce/feed/ 0 EAT PRAY LOVE – Reviewed by Joyce http://thevideostation.com/blog/2010/11/25/eat-pray-love-reviewed-by-joyce/ http://thevideostation.com/blog/2010/11/25/eat-pray-love-reviewed-by-joyce/#comments Thu, 25 Nov 2010 04:00:09 +0000 blogadmin http://thevideostation.com/blog/?p=3900 Eat Pray Love was okay. It seems like it could have been a lot better, somehow. Perhaps if the main character, Liz, had been played by someone else. Perhaps if the movie had gotten direction from someone other than Ryan Murphy. Something just fell a little flat in the cinematic retelling of the story in the autobiographical novel by Elizabeth Gilbert. The movie was not infused with a lot of vitality.

I haven’t read the book. Probably if I had, I would have been even more disappointed in the film, as movie versions do not often satisfy in the same way as the source material. Here, the main character, Liz, is trying to “find” herself, and the film is divided into three sections: her eating in Rome, her praying in India, and her finding love in Bali. The scenery is mostly colorful and beautiful. You have a top-notch cast, consisting of Julia Roberts, Javier Bardem, James Franco, Richard Jenkins, Billy Crudup, and Viola Davis. You have a director, Ryan Murphy, who has been wildly successful with his television show, Glee (the first season, anyway). But the sum of the parts didn’t click.

This was not Julia’s best role. She shone in Erin Brockovich. She was luminous in Pretty Woman. But here, it felt somehow like she wasn’t fully committed to her immersion in Liz Gilbert’s journey. Or maybe the screenplay was a bit superficial. Ryan Murphy simply didn’t have the chops to succeed in this feature film, and directed it like a TV show.

Now all that said, I did come away with some good insights on the “bigger questions”, in spite of the somewhat superficial and skeletal treatment they received. I also loved Richard Jenkins’s character, “Richard from Texas”. Those of you who were moved by him in The Visitor should watch Eat Pray Love if only to get another hit from this wonderful character actor.

The critics were hard on Eat Pray Love, and although I relate to their disdain, I do think that it has some redeeming features. I just think that it coulda been a contender. - [DVD] [Blu-Ray]

Drama/Romance

Rated PG-13

DVD Release Date: 11/23/10

]]> http://thevideostation.com/blog/2010/11/25/eat-pray-love-reviewed-by-joyce/feed/ 1 I’M STILL HERE – Reviewed by Joyce http://thevideostation.com/blog/2010/11/25/im-still-here-reviewed-by-joyce/ http://thevideostation.com/blog/2010/11/25/im-still-here-reviewed-by-joyce/#comments Thu, 25 Nov 2010 03:57:31 +0000 blogadmin http://thevideostation.com/blog/?p=3898 I can’t say enough bad stuff about I’m Still Here. 50% of the critics totally agree with me, and 50% “got it” in a way I didn’t, and thought it was artful or ingenious, or something good.

The film is Casey Affleck’s documentary on Joaquin Phoenix’s transformation from actor of substance to hip hop singer. It was initially unclear as to whether this was a mockumentary or not, but it later came to light that the whole thing was a bit of a hoax, performance art. No matter what the intention, this movie is boring. It’s gross. It features the use of the ‘f’ word a bazillion times, and not in a good way, like how maybe Eddie Murphy would.

The viewer is abused by the sight of snorting cocaine off the breasts of hookers, scenes where JP appears to defecate on someone he thinks has betrayed him, and a sequence where Phoenix heaves the contents of his stomach into a toilet that goes on for an agonizingly long time. And this isn’t the worst of it. Its self-indulgence is repetitive, bleak, and poorly executed. The filming looks like something that got a C- in a high school video project.

There’s more, but you get the point. I don’t remember disliking a movie more than this one, but as I said, only half the critics agreed with me. You have a 1 in 2 chance of really liking it, and if those odds appeal to you, you should rent it. - [DVD]

Comedy/Music

Rated R

DVD Release Date: 11/23/10

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