Powder Blue Movie
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Storyline
TAGLINES PLOT SUMMARY
Several Angelenos meet on Christmas Eve through chance, tragedy and divine intervention. Swayze will play the sleazy owner of the strip club where Biel's character dances. Redmayne will portray a mortician who falls in love with her. Kristofferson will play the head of a corporate crime organization who tries to convince his former employee (Liotta) not to seek vengeance on his former co-workers. Whitaker, who also serves as a producer on the film, will play a suicidal ex-priest. Newcomer Alejandro Romero will play a transsexual prostitute who shares an unexpected bond with the priest.
| Jeffery A. Baker | Slim |
| Sala Baker | Thug #1 |
| Dre Bowie | Basketball Player |
| Chandler Canterbury | Billy |
| François Chau | Butcher |
| Chad Christopher | Undercover Security |
| Rico Devereaux | Bouncer #2 |
| Jeff Hallman | Young Jack |
| Jesse Henecke | Loan Manager |
| Joe Holt | ER Doctor |
| Kris Kristofferson | |
| Anthony Ledesma | Cafe Patron |
| Luoc Lee | Pallbearer, Blond Drag Queen |
| Ray Liotta |
| Timothy Linh Bui |
7.30 out of 10 (765 votes)
Visitor Reviews
a thinking movie that probes the nature of true and honest love
posted on 31 Aug 2009Everyone has their problems. This we are constantly reminded of in Timothy Linh Bui's latest film, Powder Blue. Linh Bui, who both wrote and directed this film, is a newcomer to mainstream film, having previously directed one feature-length film, 2001's Green Dragon.
Powder Blue is the story of a pivotal week in the life of four individuals struggling to keep their lives together. Charlie (Forest Whitaker) is an ex-priest battling suicidal tendencies due to the anguish of losing his wife. Jack (Ray Liotta) is a recently released hit man who recently found out about the cancer in his body. Qwerty (Eddie Redmayne) is an awkward, twenty-something mortician whose asthma acts up when he tries to talk to women. And Rose Johnny (Jessica Biel) is a stripper trying to pay the medical bills of her comatose son. Each is hurting immensely. Each is looking for some glimmer of hope.
This is a strange film in terms of the press that it has been getting. The overwhelming majority of articles and news surrounding this project have narrowly focused on the fact that Jessica Biel has a small handful of topless scenes. In fact, one online site boldly proclaims, "this film is always going to be known for one thing -- Jessica Biel was topless in it." Many other sites which have written pieces on this movie have uniformly dubbed Powder Blue "the Jessica Biel Stripper Movie." Commentary on the hyper-sexualized yet stuck in a 15-year-old boy's body nature of American culture aside, this film is much more than a stripper movie and will hopefully be remembered as a good piece of art, rather than the fact that one of the actors shows some skin.
The core of this film is the nature of love. What is love? How do we find it? What happens when we lose it? Everyone has their problems, but no one should have to face them alone. The characters understand this and each has a deep sense of the need for relationships, they just don't quite know how to pursue real and lasting love. Instead, their pursuit is initially selfish, built on what they themselves can get out of feeling loved and fulfilled in hopes that their problems will all go away. So Qwerty attends functions in hopes of getting a date. Jack attempts to restore and build a relationship with his daughter out of the guilt of never being there for her. Rose Johnny throws herself at men looking for someone to not only financially provide for her and her son, but also to treat her and love her as a woman rather than a piece of meat on a stage. And Charlie, the most desperate of the lot, cries out for help to anyone he can find, propositioning them to end his life for him in exchange for $50,000.
Each must discover, however, that honest love can only be so if both parties give of themselves to each other. Each of these characters must be willing to be vulnerable, to let others see the hurt and struggles that they are going through, and then be willing to let others help them and love them in ways that they never imagined anyone could. But again, this is a two-way street, and they must also be willing to do the same for others, allowing them to be vulnerable as well and to work with them through the pains and trials of life. It's only after each of the characters realize this that they are able to see glimmers of hope and redemption in their otherwise shattered lives.
Powder Blue is a fascinating film. Linh Bui has captured something very real and true about life, a feat which most of Hollywood either avoids or fails miserably at. He shows that life isn't a fairytale, hope doesn't come easily, and, again, everyone has problems. However, he also shows that there is true love out there, that there is hope and redemption even if such comes through the pain and hardships that each of us face in life, if we will only allow others in and allow others to help us through whatever it is we are going through, and be willing to do the same when the chance presents itself.
It is this writer's hope that this is what Powder Blue will be remembered for.
My only sin is love...
posted on 31 Aug 2009I just finished watching one of the most provocative love stories in recent memory. In essence, it's 5 love stories rolled into one...intertwined by love in the darkest and most faithful places. "Powder Blue", a hidden gem of a movie, is best defined by the scene where Forester Whittaker (unbelievable performance), is before the altar...on his knees...tears running from his eyes...looking skyward and saying, "God, why are you doing this to me? My only sin is love."
I need not write much more. This one gets a solid 5 stars and I don't want to taint the effect of the evolving ballad of five lives...all portrayed by powerful acting performances by Forest Whittaker, Ray Liotta, Jessica Biel, Eddie Redmayne and Lisa Kudrow.
You will discover a new millennium look at "loneliness". Unlike, but very much like, the romantic films of the 50's, this flick transplants love into today's crazy world...it's about hope, family, desire, frustration, desperation and finality.
If you have a heart, this film will empty your tear ducts...GUARANTEED. There's a little bit of all of us in it...and I'm not sure why it is such a sleeper...unknown...unless I missed something in passing.
If you're in love, have been in love, want to be in love...or are just looking for a great movie to watch alone...to watch together...to ponder for a long, long time..."Powder Blue" is for you. It was for me...a great Sunday afternoon awakening.
Bravo to director and writer Timoth Lin Bui. Bravo!
Don't miss it! Rent it. Consider adding it to your movie library.
I agree. My only sin is love. And praise the Lord that he has given me that ability.
it's a shame this movie doesn't truly work; they tried so hard, too !!!
posted on 31 Aug 2009Powder Blue is like an airplane that leaves the gate at the airport, tests the strength of its incredible jets, taxis down the runway--and then stops short, never actually taking off. I have rather mixed feelings about this picture; there are some good things about it but there are other qualities about it that make this a "B" movie at best. The casting isn't bad but the acting itself isn't always so convincing. You can look, however, for a fine performance by Forest Whitaker as Charlie; and Patrick Swayze does a great job of playing Velvet Larry despite Patrick's own very serious health problems in real life. The cinematography was good enough and the choreography was OK; but by the end of the picture I just felt that there should have been more substance. It just plain lay flat even though I knew they tried their best.
When the action starts, we meet four people who have troubled lives, to say the least. Jessica Biel plays Rose Johnny, a stripper who's also a single mom--with her only child in a vegetative coma for the last three months. It's pitiful to watch Biel praying and hoping against hope that her son will recover; her character is clearly in excruciating pain. It doesn't help, either, when her box at the strip club, Velvet Larry, wants her to work on Christmas Eve when Rose wants to be with her comatose son and pray for him. At the same time, a man with terminal cancer mysteriously enters Rose Johnny's life with two airline tickets to anywhere in the world and more. Because this man, Jack Doheny (Ray Liotta) doesn't reveal his identity to Rose, she becomes mistrustful of him and there's quite a confrontation brewing as the movie progresses. Rose's life is also somewhat complicated by another person entering her life; although he goes by the name Cory, Qwerty Doolittle (Eddie Redmayne), a shy mortician with a lot of heart but in desperate need of self-esteem, becomes Rose's friend and more after he hits Rose's dog with his car by accident and returns the dog to Rose.
There's still yet another plot, this own a bit more interesting. Charlie (Forest Whitaker) is in desperation to end his life after an auto accident which took his new bride and all his happiness. Charlie pathetically runs around asking people, including Cory and a cross dressing prostitute, to kill him with his gun. Charlie even offers $50,000 in cash if they will kill him and put him out of his misery! Charlie figures with his suicide note the person who kills him won't ever be caught by the cops.
Of course, from here the plot can go anywhere. Who is Jack Doheny and why does he get involved in Rose Johnny's life? Will Rose and Qwerty be able to get over their insecurities to have a meaningful, loving relationship? What happens to Rose's son--does he get better and if so how might this change Rose's life? No plot spoilers here, folks--watch and find out!
Too bad that Powder Blue is just so average. I'm sorry, folks; but this film is like drinking flat soda. It tries, oh, how it tries, to be a keeper and make a meaningful statement about life, love, redemption and more. It just didn't cut it for me; most (but not all) of the acting just wasn't convincing. If you do like the themes covered in the film, then you should try it out; but please don't expect too much!
No Cathartic Synthesis Here
posted on 31 Aug 2009It's hard to say much that is positive about this film. It attempts to capture a touching search for happiness. But all this movie will catch, it seems to me, is the bitter disappointment of viewers.
This is yet another in the recent collection of films that bring a group of strangers together, usually in a big heartless city. The strangers discover that they have something dramatic in common, and there's supposed to be a kind of cathartic synthesis in this commonality. When it works, it works because of good writing, acting, and directing. When it does not work, as in this film, there's not a lot of good to draw on, although, for the most part, I think the cast did its very best.
In my opinion, the story is absurd. I can only imagine that as production got under way somebody said something like: Let's have the Forest Whitaker character want to kill himself. How? Well...let's have him pay a stranger to shoot him. How much? Fifty thousand dollars in bundles wrapped with rubber bands and stuffed in a duffel bag. And let's have him drive around in a big old station wagon with seriously dirty windows. Okay, what about the stripper (Jessica Biel)? Oh...let me think...she's got a kid who is dying...and...in a coma. Let's have mom leave messages for him on the answering machine in his hospital room...And the Ray Liotta character? He's the stripper's father, who has just spent twenty-five years in prison. Seems he took a fall for somebody else (Kris Kristofferson) who gives him a suitcase full of cash on a bus...
I suppose that each of these and a few other unlikely story lines could have provided the foundation for a worthwhile movie. They do not here.
Great Character Study, But Ultimately Doomed for Labeling
posted on 31 Aug 2009 Sometimes people want to see a movie for what some would call "the wrong reason." Powder Blue is a prime example of this: it was well-hyped before its straight-to-DVD release to be the first movie wherein the beautiful Jessica Biel has several nude scenes. And I will admit, I fell victim to buying and watching this for said wrong reason, however, was not disappointed behind my initial intent in addition to the rest of how the movie played out.
Powder Blue, written and directed by Timothy Linh Bui, focuses on the downward-spiraling lives of four main characters, played by Forest Whitaker, Jessica Biel, Ray Liotta, and relative newcomer Eddie Redmayne. The inimitable Whitaker's character, Charlie, desires someone to murder him, so that through his cast-aside faith in Catholicism he would not necessarily be commiting suicide and therefore a mortal sin. Charlie's search for a murder-for-hire brings him to mortician Qwerty Doolittle, played by Redmayne. Qwerty, in addition to being involved slightly with Charlie's emotive plotline, also becomes more deeply involved with Biel's character, the interestingly-named Rose-Johnny, a stripper attempting to maintain her chaotic life whilst paying medical bills for her hospital-committed and comatose son. Lastly, Liotta's soft-spoken Jack befriends Rose-Johnny, and in doing so sets the stage for a Magnolia-esque plot-switching film that is quite compelling and interesting to follow.
The acting is quite well-done, not surprisingly in particular by Whitaker and Liotta (though Biel does shine as well), and Patrick Swayze and Lisa Kudrow provide smaller supporing roles. In spite of the well-written story and good performances, however, the full package is not quite engaging enough to allow the viewer to pity the characters; instead, paying attention to Powder Blue allows a viewing into the lives of four people, trying to save theirs by getting involved with others'. To be sure, an enthralling, yet slightly overused theme in cinema, such material needs to be cohesive and fulfilling to succeed, and where it is obvious Linh Bui intends to tell a story of huge grandeur and emotional impact, Powder Blue falls a bit short. Special mention, however, goes to the film's score and soundtrack, the latter of which contains several very catchy trip-hop, jazzy numbers used during Biel's club sequences.
In all, Powder Blue is a sufficient dark drama that suffices to keep the viewer entertained for its duration, but unfortunately, certain viewers who may not be as impressed by intertwining storylines and good character acting may always label Powder Blue as the "Biel naked movie." For those of us who enjoy related movies, however, said label is a fantastic fringe benefit, to a film that is impressive yet sometimes forgettable in some other respects.
A disappointing "Blue"
posted on 31 Aug 2009I hate to admit it but I rented this film because of the notoriety concerning Jessica Biel's first strip tease scene and nudity but also because of the cast which included some good actors such as Ray Liotta, Forrest Whitaker (who also co-produced), Kris Kristopherson, Lisa Kudrow and even Patrick Swayze who I usually can't stand is good in this movie. Unfortunately the major flaw in this film is the writing and direction. For some reason, many of the plot ends did not tie together in this film in particular the plot involving Liotta seeking to win Biel over as her real life father who she had believed to be dead. The scene between them in the strip club was badly written and for a moment I had thought maybe they left a scene out. It's a pity since Liotta was very good in this and seemed to pull Biel into his sphere. Also I could never figure out totally the guilt that Whittaker's character was going through or even his relationship with the waitress (Kudrow) and how it played out. This film has been compared to "Crash" but that film at least tied everything together in the end, this one unfortunately did not, thus the 3 stars are for the cast, some good moments but not for the writing or direction.
Interesting but a little unorganized.
posted on 31 Aug 2009I didn't know what to expect from this movie so I think I watched it with an open mind. The plot was all over the place and several things were never resolved (or explained). There were at least three story lines of which two were related but one was like from another movie.
I never really figured out what the title meant. Powder Blue -- Hmmm...
On the positive side, Jessica Biel shows more than she ever has before in her role as an exotic dancer. On the other hand, she looks like she just completed a rough ride. I'm not sure if that's really her or her character in the movie. She really looked worn down.
This movie probably falls into my rent but don't buy category since I don't think I'll ever watch it again.
Good movie, Bad Amazon Video On Demand Bitrate
posted on 31 Aug 2009This movie attains unwatchable lo-fi bitrate speeds if streamed on Amazon's Video On Demand service -- down to 360kbps -- it makes the video look like pixel games from the 1990s. Oddly, free services like Justin dot TV can reach up to 600kbps or more. Perhaps Amazon needs to upgrade their server technology, or should I say, Amazon needs to upgrade their server technology.
As for the movie, I won't give away any spoilers, because the movie is a box of surprises from beginning to end. There are corny spots, tired plot elements, sure, but there are a few scenes that reach some gritty pinnacle of genuineness. It's these moments that make this film very worthwhile. And for the most part, it doesn't often follow the typical Hollywood plot curve. Worth a look if you're tired of the same old stuff.
A very shallow movie
posted on 31 Aug 2009I will keep this short. Do not see this movie unless you want to see Jessica Biel strip.
I have read some of the positive reviews. I believe that other movies have posed and explored questions about love and human existence much better and more authentically than this movie. Everything about this movie is a cliche and Biel should be angry because if she didn't strip in this movie, no one would have watched it. Her routine--which is very well done, nudity besides--and Swayze's portrayal of the club owner are the only reasons anyone should watch this. Rent it and keep the fast forward button ready if you're curious.
as good as "Crash"
posted on 31 Aug 2009I rented this dvd for a nude shot of Jessica Biel....ok I'm a pervert. But a older Lisa Kudrow (gorgeous) did a awesome job and the rest of the cast was great!! But to be honest, Jessica was the star, naked or not, she stoled the show, this woman is a really good actress. Someday I think that Scarlett Johansson and Jessica should play sisters, cause they look so much alike. If you liked the movie "Exotica", get this one. Enjoy!!!
Feelin' Powder Blue
posted on 31 Aug 2009I bought this film simply becuase of my faith in the cast, and I am very glad I did. This film is unlike most any other as it deals with a topic that most films avoid...that of desperation. The film follows the lives of four characters all in the throws of desperation. The film was beautifully acted, well written, and had a ton of really good shots...I feel the director did over use the blue filter ( I am assuming to be kitsch with the title) but this does not distract too much from the overall film. While not a new book...or even a new chapter, this film does succeed in taking the viewer to the depths of the dire straits of the characters. I enjoyed it very much and would suggest it to any film lover who wants to see a flick...just outside of feel good.
Ridiculous load of clumsy cliches
posted on 31 Aug 2009Problem with Powder Blue is that it is calculated, dishonest stack of worn Hollywood cliche stories of people down on their luck that was multiplied times six and stories were chopped and mixed. Which made each of the character 6 times less likely to develop in any believable way. Just ask yourself how interesting is a stripper with a heart of gold and a son in coma looking for her soul-mate to take her to Paris? A Catholic priest that lost his wife in car accident that is trying to pay a transvestite prostitute a lot of money to kill him? Shy mortician that plays with puppets and never had a girlfriend? A good-looking waitress that is just there where you need her to refill your coffee cup and take you home to refill your heart with hope? And a lost puppy? And some stripping thrown in for a good measure?
But even worse than all those cliches is clumsy way they are mixed together. It is predictable to the gills and at the end some of the ridiculous resolution leave you in disbelief thinking "how exactly was I suckered into watching this load of crap". Well you do not have to be - just ignore this movie and get some Robert Altman instead if you want chop-suey type of story of several lonely people.
A tale of 4 'lost' souls
posted on 31 Aug 2009Much has been made about Jessica Biel's 'exposure' in this movie, i.e. revealing shots of T&A, but there's more to the movie than that. The movie itself was engaging, only let down [hence the 3 *] by a mediocre script and lack of competent directing.
Jessia Biel plays Rose Johnny aka Scarlett, an exotic dancer/stripper who works at the Wild Velvet, a gentleman's club. Rose has a young comatose son in hospital, and has to work her a** off [pun intended] to pay the bills. Then there's Ray Liotta portraying Jack Doheny, an ex-con who has spent 25 years behind bars and who is also terminally ill. Jack is hoping to make some sort of connection with his family before he dies. Forest Whitaker plays Charlie, a grieving and desperately suicidal man who is willing to pay lots of money to anyone who can be convinced to kill him. Lastly, there's the strangely named Qwerty Doolittle [Eddie Redmayne], a socially challenged mortician in dire financial straits.
The comparison to "Crash" probably stems from the manner in which the characters eventually cross each other's paths, but the writing is nowhere near as good or compelling as it was in "Crash". Jessica Biel deserves credit for acting her heart out, but somehow, it didn't connect with me as a viewer. The same goes for Forrest Whitaker's performance which seemed rather exaggerated to me. Liotta and Redmayne's performances were quite compelling, and surprisingly, the relatively minor performances of Patrick Swayze [who is almost unrecognizable here as the sleazy club manager], and the transvestite[played by Alejandro Romero]were rather entertaining, and quite funny [inappropriately so in some parts].
This is not a bad movie, but neither is it a masterpiece of human study. Final verdict - a watchable, rather melodramatic human drama.
The Quest For Something, Anything
posted on 31 Aug 2009This is a desperate quest on several levels that is very real for these times.
Ray Liotta portrays a dying man, who - after 25 years in prison - attempts to connect with a daughter he has never met in this powerful drama of a desperate journey to make things right, before it's too late. His daughter (expertly played by Jessica Biel) is a "performer" in a gentleman's club and he pretends to be just another customer to talk with her.
With Lisa Kudrow and Forest Whitaker, the major characters are flawed and troubled, but have not given up hope to achieve something - anything - that can make life pleasant (tolerable?) for at least a short period of time, though they are stretched to the limit due to a battering from the wicked tsunami of daily living.
Blu review
posted on 31 Aug 2009Another reviewer here already summed up this piece best..."an over-written, over-wrought, hysterically over-dramatic film...". But aside from that, I want to see anything these days that has Kristofferson and Swayze in it. Unfortunately, Kris has one minute of screen time, and even as awesome (and un-recognizable) as Swayze was, he only gets a few minutes.
There are inevitable comparisons here to the Air I Breathe and Crash, right down to the carbon copy of Forest's character, that corny snow-in-LA ending and the score. But I digress.
The Blu quality is average throughout. The picture strains in so many areas that it detracts from the scene at times. The DTS gets used mainly in the music scenes and did sound great. The special features contain a making-of, a picture gallery and a commentary. The documentary contains some nice logistical information about production and gives some decent insight into what this crew was trying to do.
The quality of the product is not great, which leads into the obvious need to dissect the film. Maybe read the other review here that portrays more about humanity than the film, then decide if you wish to see a Jessica Biel film representing those feelings. This is an ensemble cast, but she is front and center trying to carry her first film as the primary. Not a recommendation for Blu, and yes I see the irony, this being as the director stated: a "color of emotion" (blue) kind of film. Maybe a rental if you feel like watching a film similar to the other films I listed.
A story of despair and love reaches into your soul.
posted on 30 Aug 2009I'll start off saying that I cried at the end of this movie, which no movie has achieved in the past few years.The story of despair and love reaches into your soul and creates a connection with the characters. It's hard to dismiss them as you see them struggle in their own way.This is not light entertainment, you should watch this movie with the proper mood. When you are looking for a story with deep character development and not a relaxing flick.Jessica Biel delivers a great performance. These I words that I never thought I was say about her. The only thing that put me off is her comments I read here about the leak of her nude scene ruining the theatrical release. Jessica you should be outraged that the movie's merits didn't get a theatrical release, not your cans.Forest Whitaker is brilliant as always.In short this movie delivers a great emotional release. Makes you think about what's important in your life. 8/10
A Disappointment
posted on 08 Aug 2009No doubt this movie had potential. The cast offers a handful of well-known actors, several of which are more than capable of good acting (Whitaker in particular is usually superb). Unfortunately, most of the well-known stars in this film only had bit parts. Kristofferson, Swayze and Kudrow each maybe have five lines of dialogue in the entire thing. There were several scenes in the movie, one in particular near the end, which simply had no business being in the film at all. Even worse, NONE of the characters' back stories were developed whatsoever, something which may have actually prevented the story from falling completely flat.This film will obviously be compared to Crash and The Air I Breathe, as I've seen already in several other reviews. Just because a story is "gritty" and emotionally charged does not make it good or even entertaining. This film was plagued by the same issues as The Air I Breathe: mediocre writing, unnatural dialogue and virtually no character development. Crash was successful because it had character development, the story was poignant and somewhat believable, the film itself was artfully edited and the dialogue was well written and very well acted. As the audience, we need to be able to suspend our disbelief in order to accept a "strangers' lives intersecting" type of plot. I had no problem suspending disbelief in Crash. Not the case with Powder Blue.Putting comparisons aside, was it the worst film I've ever seen? No. In fact, it was still considerably better than The Air I Breathe. The music and cinematography was actually above average. Liotta's character was disappointingly wooden (no surprise there). Whitaker probably did the best he could. Biel definitely offered a brave performance and appeared to really pour herself into her role, although seemed to lose momentum in the end. Bottom line: don't go into Powder Blue with too high expectations.
We Should Have Nuked Vietnam, I Guess
posted on 31 Aug 2009...because the director of this junk was from there.
I love Whitaker and Liotta (and Jessica Biel nude) as much as any fan of film, but this was terrible. The writing is incredibly awful. The dialogue is funny enough, though, of course, it's not a comedy. The overacting by Biel is horrendous, and also funny. The young actor with the name of Qwerty (possibly the worst, and laziest, character name ever concocted) in the film is also good. It might be enjoyable to some inebriated types due to Biel's nudity, the terrible writing and Liotta's final hilarious scene involving the actor and young boy giggling with a kite in tow in (would you believe it) a beach in heaven!