amassistants
I was thoroughly impressed with Franco's work. It has been so many years since I've read that book but, unlike many reviewers that said you'll be lost and confused.....not at all! I got this movie from the get go. It was fantastic and I enjoyed all of it. If you pay close attention, you can see one character in particular and his decent into madness. Frankly, how could you not after everything they go through? These actors really played their parts well. Like many of Franco's movies, he wants you to really connect with each person and their individual stories, pain, feelings, etc. I def connected with these.A good watch. Well done!
leonblackwood
Review: I really really struggled to get into this movie. I found the pace, pretty slow and I couldn't understand what the hell the characters were saying because of there Deep South accents. The only part of the plot that I could understand was the fact that the family was on a journey to bury there mother, but apart from that, I lost the plot. The performances seemed quite good, and the storyline, which is adapted from a book, seemed OK, but I just couldn't relate to it. In some ways, it's a road movie because of the families journey, but each character is pretty complex which is translated through narration which was even more complicating. Anyway, the families bad luck really does take its toil on the there journey which makes the movie, is you can follow it. Average!Round-Up: James Franco has really shown that he has a deep side with the way that he directed this movie. After starring in so many comedies, this movie really does show that he doesn't want to be type casted as an actor and director. Personally, after watching Child Of God which was also directed by Franco, I have found it hard to get into his films because of the tempo and the concepts which he is drawn to. Tim Blake Nelson, who was great in O' Brother, Where Art Thou, was a good choice as the father in this movie because he naturally seems like he is from the Deep South which was needed for his role. I obviously wasn't the only person who struggled to find this movie interesting because of the box office takings, but after watching the extras on the DVD, Franco was pleased with the outcome and the cast were also pleased that he stayed true to the book.Budget: N/A Worldwide Gross: $17,000 (Terrible!)I recommend this movie to people who are into there Deep South movies about a family with really bad luck, who travel to bury there mother. 3/10
Jesse Boland
I really did not enjoy one minute of this film. I am sorry, I know it is supposed to be this masterpiece, but piece of eh? The cutaways, and the way peoples mouths aren't always moving when they are clearly talking, in fact having actual conversations, but you suddenly change perspective, and the person talking's lips are not moving, and the other person's might be, or they may just both be sitting in chairs, or walking around poking things with sticks. I did Not think Franco's choices of the cast were all that original, it was all boilerplate, and he used the same actors you would have seen play the same types of rolls only with better material, and probably less exaggerated direction. I would not recommend this movie to anyone really. If you have to read the book for school, just read the book, or get the Cole's (or whatever they call them in your country) notes, but this movie will not help you better understand the story, this movie may just crack your logic chip.
zetes
I remember, when this debuted at Cannes, a tweet from some critic which basically said "I can't wait to read the book so I can figure out what the Hell it was I just watched!" Now, I have read the book (around 13 years ago), but, man, does this ever seem absolutely impenetrable to anyone who hasn't. That doesn't necessarily effect me any as a viewer, but it should be noted. Unfortunately, even as a big fan of the book, this film really doesn't work very well. It's a valiant attempt, I think, but a failure nonetheless. Franco, clearly an amateur (though not without talent), utilizes split screens to tell his story. I can understand why, but it's just too busy. Tim Blake Nelson, who plays Anse, the patriarch of the Bundren clan, is incomprehensible. Again, I can understand why (the text clearly states that he is toothless), but he didn't need to be so impossible to understand (again, someone who is unfamiliar with the book will be utterly lost). Nelson really was a great choice to play Anse, so it's really unfortunate his performance goes down the toilet like this. The casting of the rest of the Bundrens isn't that great, either. Franco is easily the standout as Darl, but Jim Parrack and Logan Marshall-Green as Cash and Jewel respectively pretty much get lost because of their bland performances. Brady Permenter as Vardaman is a poor child actor. Ahna O'Reilly is not a bad actress, but she's 10 years older than the character of Dewey Dell, which is incredibly noticeable. Finally, there's Beth Grant (who still doubts your commitment to Sparkle Motion) as Addie. She's quite good, but, of course, dead for most of the movie. Franco also seems to miss the semi-comic tone of the novel, making it almost fully a tragedy. I mean, that final bit is kind of hilarious, but Franco doesn't play it as such. It just comes off as weird.
AD
