BEFORE: Like last night's film, this is one of those "festival darling" films - and it's one that I've been trying to watch for a few years now. Probably never would have found the time, if not for the Movie Year project. Damn, I could have linked easily to "The Aviator", from Patricia Clarkson to either DiCaprio or Ian Holm. Wait a second, Will Ferrell was in "The Other Guys" with Bobby Cannavale (last seen in "The Promotion"). Done.
THE PLOT: When his only friend dies, a man born with dwarfism moves to rural New Jersey to live a life of solitude, only to meet a chatty hot dog vendor and a woman dealing with her own personal loss.
AFTER: OK, I feel better about the scheduling since both this film and "Everything Must Go" deal with personal loss and introspection. But don't all festival films hit those same notes?
It's easy to say that "nothing happens" in this film - but that's not exactly true. It's more that the things that DO happen don't really cohere into a formal narrative structure or "point". People watch trains, people go for walks, people drink coffee.
I wanted to like this film, but it just didn't give me enough to grab on to. Yes, it's probably tough being a little person, but is that enough for a film? And didn't we know that already?
Starring Peter Dinklage (last seen in "The Baxter"), Patricia Clarkson (last seen in "Good Night and Good Luck"), Michelle Williams (also last seen in "The Baxter"), cameos from John Slattery (last seen in "Charlie Wilson's War"), Richard Kind (last heard in "Everyone's Hero") and Joe Lo Truglio (last seen in "Role Models").
RATING: 3 out of 10 library cards
No comments:
Post a Comment