Southland Tales Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
Have A Nice Apocalypse
This is the way the world ends.
The future Is just like you imagined.
Warning: you are entering a domain of chaos.
The Internet is the Future. The Future is Just Like You Imagined.
Southland Tales is an ensemble piece set in the futuristic landscape of Los Angeles on July 4, 2008, as it stands on the brink of social, economic and environmental disaster. Boxer Santaros is an action star who's stricken with amnesia. His life intertwines with Krysta Now, an adult film star developing her own reality television project, and Ronald Taverner, a Hermosa Beach police officer who holds the key to a vast conspiracy.
| Carlos Amezcua | Himself |
| Curtis Armstrong | Dr. Soberin Exx |
| Robert Benz | Bergie Taverner |
| Todd Berger | Bing Zinneman |
| Joe Campana | Brandt Huntington |
| Chris Andrew Ciulla | UPU 4 Officer |
| Leila Feinstein | Herself |
| Aaron Dillar | Jimmy Hermosa |
| Nora Dunn | Cyndi Pinziki |
| Shari Dunn | Reporter |
| Michele Durrett | Starla Von Luft |
| Jon Falcone | Soldier Falcon |
| Jaret Gardiner | Shane Laverne |
| Janeane Garofalo | General Teena MacArthur |
| Richard Kelly |
6.70 out of 10 (1779 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Chuck Palahniuk meets Davud Lynch
posted on 20 Aug 2009I was warned by more than a few critics to avoid this film. The common theme was that it was a "mess" and made no sense. Well, a lot of them said that about Donnie Darko, before they changed their tune after it became popular. Well, this is not Donnie Darko, it is much grander. Heck, it might the most grand attempt at a film ever. That being said, I was left there after the movie was over, saying, "huh?" And I suppose that would cause many people to write a negative reviews, but not me. I respect anyone that tries to create something this large, an A+ for intentions. I am not going to go much into describing the plot, because that would be pointless and I am not sure I could. The casting is interesting, with a cast mainly made up of improv comedy actors from Mad TV and SNL. The Rock is good and a good sport for really challenging himself with this role. The music is great and a could of scenes play as great music videos, including a wonderful one with Justin Timberlake, who musically, I hate. The look of the film is neat as well. If you want to escape into the world of David Lynch and wander through the insane terrain of Chuck Palahniuk, check it out. If you want a conventional Hollywood film, you won't like it.
A brilliant mess
posted on 08 Aug 2009I can't begin to describe the plot or anything that happened on the screen. After two minutes I thought my head would explode. After twenty minutes I considered leaving. Then I guess I got used to it all and by the end, I knew I had seen something really brilliant, even though I have no idea what it all is. You can't categorize this movie. You have not seen anything else like it, and take that anyway you choose to. But Richard Kelly is, at the very least, taking a chance making a movie like this. I'd sooner spend time watching what someone like him has to say as opposed to what passes as 'cinematic entertainment' these days. I don't suggest taking it all too seriously if you decide to see this movie. I don't think that if your leading man is Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson you're supposed to confuse him with Sir Anthony Hopkins anyway. I don't think you hire a lot of people who used to work on "Saturday Night Live" as your supporting cast and confuse them with the Royal Shakespeare Theater, too. So relax! I don't know if I can recommend it to anyone but if you're feeling experimental, then by all means, run! I'd see it again in a second. I am a big fan of "Donnie Darko" and if that was not to your liking, then stay far away. This makes "Donnie" look like "The Sound of Music" but as I said, I didn't love it all, but I did.
Dude Where's My Car Meets Surf Nazi's Must Die, Genius or Dire Mess?
posted on 02 Aug 2009Southland Tales plays like the nightmarish counterpart to Dude Wears My Car - linked by Sean William Scott it similarly dabbles in Apocalyptic scenarios, other dimensions, memory loss and seemingly share many of the 'sci-fi' costumes from DWMC.It is clear after several minutes that we are witnessing some incredibly personal vision from Kelly, every performance is nuanced in a way that is impossible to understand - in the hands of another director such as Lynch the overly dramatic tongue-in-cheek delivery might have worked in the context and world that he creates - indeed many of the actors and characters here seem pulled from the world of Lynch but then dumped in sub Troma nonsense reminiscent of but not as fun as 'Surf Nazis Must Die'. Whatever the intentions of Kelly - whether or not this is deeply satirical or a comment on the current state of World/North American Social politics doesn't matter - the characters are literally laughable - the politics naive and at every moment ill conceived. Kelly wields ideas with brutish self-involvement. Conspiracy theories, love affairs, racial tensions, the lasting affects of war on soldiers and civil unrest the very things that seem to be what Kelly is looking to explore and understand yet they are rendered in a manner that can only be described as hammy - any potential for us to empathise or understand any of the characters is destroyed by Kelly's direction. The Marxists have a laughably bad understanding of politics, their violence is (intentionally ?) comic and we cannot believe that they believe in what they are doing.The Rock appears ridiculous. Gellar is unconvincing and irritating. USIDent a particularly unsuccessful and uninteresting 'Big Brother' run by people sporting cheap-as-chips see-thru anoraks (i'm sure there's a point to them).The saving grace in this film is Sean William Scott. He seems to still be in DWMC - confused and on the trail of what the hell is going on - we share in his confusion and his performance seems spot on - eternally questioning everyone's ( and perhaps even Kelly's) actions.I could be wrong but unless I have missed something huge - some hint at how one is meant to read this film - this film simply disappoints. Southland Tales is a bizarre and terrible example of contemporary film-making. There should be a message on the end of every copy of Donnie Darko "Do Not Feel Obliged to See Southland Tales". Now we have to wait until the next Richard Kelly type director comes along to save us from Kelly himself.
Big Budget meets Art-house Style... doesn't meld well
posted on 31 Jul 2009Feels like a typical movie Hollywood would produce with an art-house format twist. The format is very indie but the packaging is very big budget, it makes for a different watch that leaves you feeling very confused at the end.Very complex (overly complex, as in 'let's give it some more flash... more cowbell!'). As a story the point or moral is probably about Americian people's preoccupation with pleasure and self advancement at the cost of anything or anybody, including the planet (and thus themselves). Takes huge jabs at the American invasion/war overseas which I hear, despite it's huge budget, was the reason for it's limited release (too close to voting time and bad PR). Some plot details hit very close to home, as in raising gas prices, running out of oil, wars over commodities, civil unrest, governments brainwashing the masses with manipulation of the media, drafting, loss of freedoms. Where it does hit on some very real issues, it also makes light of them with a lot of flash that leaves you distracted by skimpy outfits and pyrotechnics.Entertainment for the brainless masses, in which it's only redeeming quality is the very serious underlying story of political powers behaving badly and the very evil that any government is capable of. It also seems to hint that if people let the American government take more civil liberties from them, that their non-too-distant future will begin to crumble into the chaos that this movie seems to exude in spades.Has some very funny parts and a lot of explosions, fireworks, gun fights, car chases, a robbery, a music video, sexual content, fist fights, sci-fi tech, drug use, conspiracy, politics... name one thing and I think this movie has it. Most of this extra content is in no way needed to make the movie better, it's just extra flash.Definitely has to be watched more then once to truly grasp all the minutiae and content in the story. It's a movie that makes you think, and not in a good way, more in a 'what the heck did I just watch' way.People will call this movie 'artsy' which is just a way of saying it was different then the norm ('different', not necessarily meaning better or well done). Personally I prefer a more clean story that doesn't distract me from it's message with a lot of effects, superfluous action scenes and POINTLESS character banter and plot developments.
Trippy
posted on 25 Jul 2009This was a stunningly visual and entertaining film about a doomsday scenario of the the third world war.It contains a quasi political dialogue that seems to be more thematic of present day current affairs. There is this crazy tag line in the movie " Scientists have discovered that the future is more futuristic than previously believed".It is interestingly different than most films and its merit lies in artistic graphical representation of post Modern America.The script is almost impossible to follow but it has something to do with important individuals meeting each other through an opening of the fourth dimension which took place after a terrorist nuclear attack of Houston Texas which caused the USA to look for a new way of generating energy through electromagnetic wave nuclear plasma mechanics or something close to that.A great performance by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as Boxer Santoros who is a Republican politician who goes through the 4th dimension after being kidnapped and comes out as a new person who writes a script called "Power" which the film itself is following. A law enforcement officer Roland Taverner " Sean William Scott" also gets duplicated in the 4th dimension and meets his original self that has cataclysmic consequences for the world.A refreshing Art House film in genre I though was disappearing.Its this point when cinema becomes more of an artistic montage and/or a sequence of events that break the rules of the standard three act play that the normal audience finds it to hard to follow.There is no need for this film to express a certain theme or opinion but more to make though provoking snapshots of the post modern world.The CGI is magnificent with its mixture of unique ambiences and the acting is excellent with its constant character transformations.In my humble opinion great cinema art.
What a mess!
posted on 27 Jun 2009I was looking forward to this film; good cast and an interesting premise.After 5 minutes I was confused, after ten I was disappointed, after twenty I gave up.Before anyone accuses me of being dumb or a lightweight, I consider myself to be reasonably intelligent and film-literate, but this was just a mess.I've enjoyed confusion at the hands of David Lynch, so I don;t mind a bit of disjointedness.I really can't remember the last time I gave up on a film, I can usually stick with anything until the end, but this just made my head hurt and gave nothing in return.Donnie Darko was confusing, yes, but at least it was interesting. The only thing that intrigued me about Southland Tales was how such a decent cast was lured into this shambles. Did any of them understand a word of what they were saying?
What a dog
posted on 23 Jun 2009Way too long, boring, pointless, and filled with unsubtle hit you over the head every 30 seconds political lectures this movie is hard to even finish let alone enjoy. It manages to trash our soldiers, cops, and just about everything else in an orgy of looking into toilets and titillating us with comic relief like reports of someone beaten to death with a dildo. Yawn.Perhaps there is some meaning beneath the obvious and ordinary one emanating from these quarters of society where it is considered witty to play off American coffins and mention Fallujah repeatedly as if it were the worst thing in history, but who would want to wade through the positively sleep inducing thick layer of bullsh__ to find it? I kept hoping something would make me laugh. Make me cry. Make me care one way or another about any of the characters. Make me think. By the halfway point all I wanted was one thing -- for it to be over. If this is what passes for culture these days, some people have clearly nuanced themselves into a pretzel, peering at the walls of their colons and breathlessly proclaiming it to be art.Too bad Geller hitched her star to this cesspool run. Maybe she was hoping for an award for the most times using the F word in one scene. I'll bet all the preteens are impressed.Adults should look elsewhere for entertainment lest this mess spawn another drivel driven spectacular that people can use to boost their pretensions.
I liked this movie??
posted on 15 Jun 2009I guess Richard Kelly, director, decided he wanted a cake made out of Robocop, Idiocracy, 2001, Strange Days and Lost Highway. So he made it. Then ate it. Then pooped it out and named it Southland Tales. I'm not saying it's a crappy movie. I'm saying that would be a bad cake. It's a trippy, stylized, hipsterfest that simultaneously rips it self to pieces in the form of self deprecation while making some rather deep points on media, culture and the stupidity of the masses. I'd love to tell you what this flick is about. But I can't. Because I didn't get it. And that's saying a lot because I got Akira the 1st time I saw it. Kelly is either a better David Lynch or a very lucky Uwe Boll. In the Supreme Court of My Head, the jury is still out, but the media is pushing the former. Even if you hate this movie you have to love the casting. There are directors that have been at the job for 20-30 years, people with shiny Oscar's, that couldn't call in a cameo cast like this. Swimming comfortably in this nearly nonsensical, maddeningly manic and poignantly poetic maelstrom of the mind is a sound track that could make you weep and the best version of the National Anthem ever created. I suggest seeing this movie with the same fervent urges of a child trying to convince his friends to take their BMX off that big jump he just did. It's fun and you're glad you did it, but you probably won't do it again.
Wow what a waste.
posted on 01 Jun 2009It's not a problem of comprehension as a lot of people have brought up - it's a problem of execution and miscasting. The only people in the film that didn't bother me were Sean William Scott and Justin Timberlake. Was there some kind of agreement to hire all the ex alumni from Saturday Night Live?? Killed me when the one guy from SNL said Flow my Tears - part of a title from a Phillip K. Dick book. Odes are great but that one just made me laugh as I was already thinking someone was trying to be a sad version of him already. Pretentious that bit was. Sorry but Donnie Darko was special and unique - this was just a director and writer biting off more than he could chew. If you don't understand it don't worry it's really not worth the effort.
Karmic Fluid
posted on 01 Jun 2009I liked this enough to tell you in the first sentence that it would have been a candidate for one of only two 4-star ratings I give per year.If you are an average viewer, you will be put off by the apparent narrative incoherence, the seeming lack of center and the childish nature of some of the devices. That's all fair enough. But let me point you to two things that make it for me.The first is that it is inherently cinematic. It makes about as much sense when the sound is turned off. Indeed I watched the whole thing through this way once and it actually makes more sense. There's lots of cinematic nesting: movies about movies; videos, narratives and disguises within. There's lots of causality denoted visually. You will find scores of quotes from other films, many more than those "parody" teen movies. And you'll discover many of your favorite intelligent but not famous actors.That would be enough for me, but there's something else. In fact, though the story is confusing, deliberately made so through how it unfolds, it does make complete sense. It makes as much sense as, say, "The Matrix." I wish it didn't, but there you are. But its the way the story slips about that is pretty wonderful. You see, a narrative works by the way the pieces connect. Usually we don't have to work because the way the pieces connect is the way they happen in real life: the causal flow of the narrative telling is the same as in the story. But the detective story, and modern noir changed that and now we have a variety of causal connections that can glue the bits together. Even these you don't normally notice unless the writer — as here — makes the shifts between bits cover a greater distance than usual. Pay attention to this. Greenaway uses reference to number sequence. Barney uses progress through the sexual encounter, clever that. Lynch provides these discontinuities by having characters shift selves — a technique of discovery. Joyce — who in a way is the gold standard because he reified this sort of art through cognitive plumbing connection — depends on notational congruence. All these are exciting as getout in the hands of their masters.But this is different, more rooted in noir, in cinema. These elements are connected in ways that only read in film. Here's what I mean: film has evolved a set of notions we call noir. These capture two worlds; the world of the story where the laws of the universe seem to be deliberately arranged by strange occurrences, "mistakes" and coincidences to play havoc with key characters. Then there is the (usually implied) second world where those laws are manipulated and we the viewers sit. In almost all noir films, this effect only occurs in the long form, meaning that it is apparent when seem over the whole story.Now look here. For all intents, there is no long form here, just a sequence of medium- sized events, each of which contain rather than follow the previous ones. This form was pioneered (I believe) by Altman. The narrative glue of the whole is how the segments slip against one another. We have "Magnolia" that plays with this concept as well, this slipperage. Its the connection that conveys the world. Its subtle and homeopathically powerful as a result.Now this. Its another step forward in that the connection between elements involves changes in the way the world works. Each shift is not just between story segments that don't make sense, they don't make sense BECAUSE of the nature of the transitions. Many of these transitions involve a change in the laws of the universe. Its as if you were playing chess as a chesspiece, and the rules of the game changed according to the patterns of the pieces on the board. The whole thing would make sense afterward when seem as a whole, but the chessmen will be baffled.What this does is build an ordinary noir with the two worlds: story, and gods. But it cleverly puts the viewer on the chessboard as someone at the mercy of the rules. Its no accident that the inspiration is Philip K Dick (who invented this sort of reverse introspection), that the key magical plot device is the magically named "fluid karma," and that the mascot is Bai Ling, who was our Béatrice Dalle surrogate for a while.I want to give this a four, but I do think that the two others from this year are more important.Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.
Complex Pulp Like A Fine Wine Of Radioactive Super-Ooze
posted on 28 May 2009There are a lot of things I really do sincerely enjoy about this movie, it's funny, visually engaging, and a truly unique experience, that being said, it was also clumsy and convoluted as all hell. A lot of the "story" and especially back story is almost kind of irrelevant to the plot, but it's there, as are the references to the book of revelations which kind of become the plot, there is a lot going on here, lots of characters(its an ensemble piece), lots of story lines, and more then one level of allegory working here(revelations is just the most in your face), there's also references to pop songs in the chapter titles, dialog, and the soundtrack(even a dance number with Justin Timberlake doing a hallucinatory karaoke version of The Killers), as well overt, albeit, kinda tacked on references to Donnie Darko and alternative Energy, government surveillance, improv actors, terrible yet prophetic sci-fi scripts, and porn stars are all addressed here or get their walk on roles, set against a dystopian but still sunny future Los Angeles.It's messy and absurd and ridiculous, with dialog like the Rock's "I'm a pimp...and pimp's don't commit suicide" line, not quite working out as the hilarious, ironic, and iconic gem, it was designed to be. Still it is a one of a kind sci-fi/comedy and that is what I took away most from this. I might have laughed at the film as much as I did with it(mind you rarely out loud), but it laughs at itself a good deal to. It's not for everyone, the plot I know will irritate people looking for a mind bending and taught twist from the Donnie Darko guy, will get more of an attempt to cross Philip K. Dick and the Big Lebowski with a helpful sprinkling of Buckaroo Banzai, which though not nearly successful as those, does have a charm of it's own, like a friend at a party who livens up and becomes more and more interesting as he simultaneously becomes more drunk, disheveled, and obnoxious, it won't end well but there will be a story to tell the next day. There's an enthusiasm in this movie that eventually gets the better of it, but there's just so much going on visually and conceptually that it's possible(not easy), to get past it's short comings, which either dooms or ushers itself lovingly into new cult classic status. For better of for worse, I liked it.In a lot of ways its the opposite of Donnie Darko, ensemble to insular, absurdist to melancholic, vibrant to shadowy. And regardless of it's flaws it's manages to creep back into my thoughts again and again, the hallmark of a good film in any genre.
The art of serendipity
posted on 28 May 2009***Contains spoilers*** Southland Tales, is undoubtedly one of those films that is born posthumously, it may be a few years when future generations can look back on such a film and recognize it's potential. The metaphors contained within the films plots and back drops are somewhat stumbled upon in a serendipitous manner, since the creator of it implies the original impetus behind the picture is basically an anti-war advertisement and he also wished for more thought to be put into elections.The plot is somewhat disjointed throughout the film, especially in the original version, however it does come together at the end, however maybe only after two sittings, hence I watched it the very next day and had to use a bit of the grey matter to understand what was going on since the films viewing is probably something akin to taking LSD. There are no shortage of drug references throughout the film too (which is also a big theme within the film and the main impetus for the plot to unfold, it is through taking a shot of a new LSD type drug, 'fluid karma' that acts as a catalyst for discovering the purpose of their characters being and future actions). This film though, often misunderstood, is a pure thoroughbred comedy, sure it has serious themes, censorship abound, morality of mankind declined, talking about porn on day time TV etc sects of anarchy groups everywhere, ex Iraq veterans on every street corner manning guns, ready to shoot at the slightest disturbance and the like…This is probably what causes the laughs to be somewhat delayed, because of the serious overtones, but if you watch this film with an open mind, you will be laughing for days about the absurdity of it all.The acting in my opinion is not lacking, pretty much all of the main characters, sell themselves extremely well, you believe them, you are completely immersed in their characters plight no matter how seemingly bizarre their situations are. In the end though, each character is as important as the other, and they all had their part to play in the 'end of the world' which rests heavily on eastern spiritual ideals, the idea that one has to be forgiven by oneself for their past, and so it is fitting that the 'future self' of the character forgives his 'past self' in the flesh for his misdeeds (shooting his best friend in the heat of battle, which left his friend (Justin Timberlake) fairly heavily scarred, both mentally and physically, mentally, because he sought solace in drugs and drink).Southland Tales is in my top ten films of all time, and this is quite a feat since I have watched thousands, it is in the top ten for it's extremely witty lines, it's artistic backdrops, it's originality in comedy, and it's great acting and for one of the best endings in cinema, which relied on a very sexy scene to set up the mood for the 'end of the world' and the classic pose by Dwayne Johnson is a symbolic conclusion to the characters 'adventure' he sought to find out what happened to him and in finding that out he knew what the future would bring. Many metaphors in this film, as in all great films, however the difference is, the metaphors in this film are deeper than other films and because shrouded in a mist of obscurity they go unnoticed, and so when shown at Cannes, apparently triple figures walked out, they obviously did not get these metaphors and so this is why this film is born posthumously. Future generations to the cinema of our times however, should mankind evolve spiritually, will be well equipped to realize the associations within the cinematic masterpiece, put together in a completely serendipitous manner by a young Richard Harris.If possible try to get hold of the original version, as the UK's DVD release has a fair amount of 'dumbing down' totally unnecessary I think and does serve to take away the edge that the original version had, that of an enigmatic cinematic experience. Watch it with an open mind and heart, and laugh for days. 0.0000006.
Quite Bad
posted on 22 May 2009I can't properly describe how hard it was to watch this movie.I really liked Director Richard Kelly's Donnie Darko...As for Southland Tales... I couldn't finish it.Boring, poorly directed, too too contrived and desperate nonsense.It was clear that there was some misguided confidence in the story. It lacked affective realism, It was dull...I didn't enjoy one moment or aspect of this movie.I haven't seen a worse movie.Save your money.Don't waste your time.
very poor
posted on 20 May 2009Probably the worst film i've seen in a while (except for the very worst 'slipstream' by Sir Anthony Hopkins) It never seemed to be going anywhere and made very little sense. A few one liners that made me laugh , but bored me silly and considering the cast i'm unsure why any of them took the part. It was so bad i don't even want to bother trying to work out if i missed some key part to the movie to help make it more sense. I'd rate it as the 3rd worst movie i've ever seen behind Slipstream and Battlefield Earth. I cant really add any spoilers as i'm unsure how to explain any part of the movie to ruin it for you , so better if you watch for yourself and make up your own minds
Too long and too confusing, but somehow still fun to watch.
posted on 16 May 2009Southland Tales is a difficult film to review for a number of reasons, mostly because I don't think anyone (except maybe writer/director Richard Kelly) fully understands it. The plot is hard to follow, and to make matters worse, there are almost too many characters to keep track of them. With that said, the film is still somehow enjoyable to watch. There are many good actors (most of them with a background in comedy) in the film, which helps take our minds off of the fact that we really have no idea what is happening.Southland Tales starts with a nuclear attack on the state of Texas. These attacks take us to World War 3 and an aftermath that results in America being turned into a police state this is controlled by a government organization known as USIDent, which is a lot like Big Brother in the George Orwell novel 1984. There is an underground renegade faction known as the Neo-Marxists that is working to take down USIDent. There is also a scientist that has figured out how to create energy from the movement in the ocean.Now here is where it gets tricky. Boxer Santaros (Dwayne Johnson) has been kidnapped and then reappears in the desert of Nevada. He is staying with a porn star, Krysta Now (Sarah Michelle Gellar), who is trying to manipulate him to assist the Neo-Marxists. Boxer does not remember that he is married to the daughter of the Texas Senator, Bobby Frost (Holmes Osbourne), who is running for president. Just thinking about explaining the plot further makes my head hurt so we'll just jump into the next portion of my review.As with Richard Kelly's previous film, Donnie Darko, Southland Tales deals with physics and theories about other dimensions. The characters are all interesting and I saw a lot of actors that I have enjoyed in other films. All of the comedic actors did really well with their dramatic roles in this film. I would go through and list them all, but thankfully we have the use of the Internet Movie Database. Click here to view a list of the cast and crew.Dwayne Johnson (aka The Rock) is awesome as Boxer Santaros. His attention to detail in his character is impressive. Even the little finger twitches he does was a nice touch. Other actor highlights include Sarah Michelle Gellar as the porn star Krysta Now. Which brings me to one of my favorite parts of the film. I am not going to describe the scene to you, but I will tell you that Mandy Moore says the words"cock chugging". Hearing those words come out of her mouth brought a smile to my face. Justin Timberlake provides narration for the film and does a good job with the sometimes confusing duologue he's been given. The peaceful, ambient musical score, provided by recording artist Moby, is an excellent contrast to the intense events that are happening on screen.There is a lot more that I could say about Southland Tales, but I will end my review by saying that if you want to be entertained, but you do not care if you understand what has happened when the movie is over, then I recommend Southland Tales, because over all, I think it's a good film, it just needed to be edited differently, and it needed a more direct narrative.
Self Indulgent and bloated
posted on 04 May 2009Hey all, I have never actually rated any of the movies I have seen on this website but I really felt the urge to do so on this one. It's quite a polarizing movie to be sure. I LOVE mind-screw movies as a general rule but this was not art to me. It was fat. Here's my two cents: Plot- The movie starts out as anti-bush which is good, but political satire only works good when it's subtle. This with it's beat you over the head references ("Rove Credit Union" anyone?)has nothing of interest to say. I kept on forgetting parts of it. I turned to a friend and asked what the significance of the screenplay had been and she, who loved the film, told me she had no earthly idea.Same as to the significance of the Cheeto eating lady who wanted to gratify the Rock. Huh?Scenes - See Plot. But seriously, did anyone else think of Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion when Sarah and Mandy started dancing with Boxer? I was waiting for Alan Cummings to come in on a helicopter. That would have been cool.Acting - Okay, Richard Kelly must have dirt on a lot of people to get them to do this film. There are a few surprises, Justin Timberlake wasn't bad. Buffy was okay. But to see Dwayne Johnson (Rick) twiddle his thumbs and roll his eyes....let's just say I was embarrassed *for* him. Also too many Mad TV and SNL alumni populate this movie, and none are very good at their respective roles. I really remembered why I hate Cheri Oteri.Why then Why - Because Richard Kelly could. And those of us who don't like it will be told we don't understand because we're not bright enough, or creative enough, or artistic enough. The true is, we had enough. The movie is senseless and the work of a amateur director who was given too much leeway and had read too many Phillip Dick novels. Which is the sad part, because I didn't see anything reeking of any sort of originality. Full of sound and fury but ultimately, signifying nothing.
Awkwardly Good, but an unfocused picture
posted on 12 Apr 2009So this movie is a mess, but a compelling mess. To start the opening sequence outlines events that were missed by the viewers in the comic prequels to a Justin Timberlake voice over, you're providing the early framework for an extremely dense and unfocused story that veers from comedy to science fiction with a heavy handed social commentary. Dwayne Johnson, Sean William Scott, Sarah Michelle Gellar and a slew of former SNL cast members and B-Movie stars fill the screen but mostly aren't afforded the chance to really explore their characters, with the exception of the Rock, with parts of Sean William Scott's character and Sarah Michelle's getting some good face time and play.A very deliberate attempt at encouraging actors to be mugging during reaction shots scores through the entire film... the most noticeable is Will Sasso's overacting during his scene with the Rock and SMG. Kevin Smith's cameo is also kind of jarring, in that his character has no place.Wallace Shawn during his moments stole scenes by just being Wallace Shawn in a lot of exaggerated make up.Okay, so my comments on the film are starting to read like the movie does... messy.So, overall... good watch, but don't expect the second coming here, it's a pretty looking mess, like Guy Ritchie's "Revolver" or "Shock Treatment". It's good, but has a big shadow cast over it by the director's previous film(s).Still worth a watch if your films to read like an interpretive dance. Which sometimes can be interesting.
Donnie Darko on acid
posted on 12 Apr 2009I've just finished watching Donnie Darko after seeing Southland Tales last week, an accidental choice by my brother in law at the video shop for one of our Friday night mashup film sessions It was a perfect choice and very funny to see out of the blue like that So today I dropped by the pawn shop and there was DD on sale for 50p, right I thought I'm buying that So how do they compare given the common theme? It might be the same idea but from it they go in different directions DD presents the dilemma of the world ending within one person's mind, or the viewers mind. It's a solitary film, a coming of age film, that could be set in any place or time. ST is different. It's set right now, more or less, where the end of the world is everyone's problem, it turns DD outwards pulling in all the current events and the stuff we like to see in movies. Sarah Michelle Gellar as a porn star, trippy drugs, a corrupt police state, war vets, the Rock, whacked out people, car chases, and it makes you laugh You can watch it with others comfortably The same dilemma is there but packaged in today's language In future this will be a cult movie as the negative reviews prove I loved the music, the time spent on each character... subversive and unpretentious as graffiti (Possible spoiler) Both movies must meet again at the endings, I say endings because the only way I can deal with the ongoing confusion is to see the lack of typical Hollywood closure (which is really the way many old classic movies ended) as a way to throw the hero's experiences back at you taking what you like away, e.g. Krista Now
Southland Tales is a fascinating movie
posted on 02 Apr 2009Director Richard Kelly had really impressed me with his first film Donnie Darko,which was an excellent movie with a great style,awesome performances and a perfect direction.Now,in Southland Tales,Kelly shows Donnie Darko was not a casualty but the first movie of a very promising director.I know a lot of people hate this movie but I found it absolutely fascinating.Southland Tales has a brilliant main idea which was developed in a very original way and some concepts from this movie are really visionary.With one exception,all the actors show a lot of enthusiasm and conviction on their characters.The only exception in the cast I mentioned is Dwayne Johnson.His performance did not convince me.I think that's the only fail from this movie.Southland Tales is,by my point of view,a criminally underrated film which was misunderstood by a lot of people.I think this is an excellent and absolutely fascinating film.
Refreshing- Invigorating-Smashup
posted on 30 Aug 2009Wow! One of the more interesting and stimulating films I've seen in a while. Southland Tales is like David Lynch meets Mel Brooks meets Robert Altman meets Mathew Barney meets Baywatch. Jam packed with ideas and passion this film is all over the place and should be seen with an open mind and by no means try to figure it out while you are watching. Just enjoy. Perplexed as you might be you can not keep your eyes off the screen and its characters and images Although when it's over as jumbled as it might seem at times,it does all make a kind of sense, has a lot to say and leaves you wondering, talking and thinking. There are many moments that are thrilling, hysterical, wacky and dead serious. Richard Kelly mines our trash culture to deliver one smart thrilling joy ride of a movie. One moment of pure joy is Justin Timberlake lip synch-ing the Killers' song"All These Things That I Have Done", while a line of chorus girls does a Busby Berkeley, Mathew Barney style number. A few days before I saw Southland Tales I saw Robert Altman's NASHVILLE by chance and was amazed to see many parallels in those films. I guess it inadvertently prepped me. Many will be tempted to write this film off, but open up and stay with it for it chock full of pleasure and insight.