This film is about what happens when two brothers who need lots of money to correct their sorry lives decide to rob their parents jewelry store. The robbery goes wrong and it starts a tsunami of bad shit that eventually catches all the characters in it's wake. It's hard to like any of the characters in this film because they are all so morally repellent. Even the one character who tries to do the right thing ends up doing the wrong thing. By the end of the film you are rooting for everyone to be killed off or imprisoned for their crimes.
Having said that, I'll say this, I liked all the performances in this downbeat heist gone wrong film. Phillip Seymour Hoffman, or Phil Sey Hoff to his buddies, turns in his usual stellar performance. He's playing the opposite of the lovable loser he played in Owning Mahowny. In Mahowny at least his character knew he was doing wrong and tried to do something about it. In this film his character knows he's doing wrong and he keeps on piling more wrong on wrong.
Ethan Hawke manages to shake off his post Uma divorce depression long enough to turn in a gritty performance as the whiny younger brother who is roped into his big brother's scheme.
Marissa Tomei shows off her natural assets through out the film and I for one was glad to see them, both of them. But all kidding aside she's very good in the film as well and I'd say that even if she wasn't topless in parts of it.
Albert Finney is also good despite doing most of his role with his mouth hanging wide open. It's as if ol' Al is giving a master class in mouth breathing acting for future generation of actors. But you know what? If' I can do a third of what he does when I get to be his age, I'll be doing good.
This film is not for the faint of heart or those who don't like seeing seedy criminals get their just rewards. If you like movies about petty criminals that have no honor then this film is for you. I recommend it but be prepared to not like any of the characters in it.
5 comments:
Man, I haven't watched a movie in so long. I think the last one I saw was Saving Nemo or finding him or whatever. Mr. Pop is the movie watcher here. I'll have to ask him if he saw this one.
Never heard of that one..but hope you have a Happy Holiday season.
Well, based on the cover of the DVD, it looks like ALL the actors involved took lessons from Finney.
Sounds kind of like Raising Arizona without any of the funny. Just a lot of bad people and bad deeds, huh?
I liked that you liked this movie, the only thing I liked more that you liking this movie was that I was liking this movie about 6 months ago on NetFlix. Which makes us both hip and smart but me just a bit more than you which of couse means we can be friends...
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