Jeffrey Burton
It would be a cop out to call this movie 'Lynchian' even though it does have some similarities to 'Lost Highway'. "Bottom of the World' is a well written and well crafted work of surrealism in the form a mystery. The mood is set early on and maintained throughout and for as 'out there' as it gets it has a ending that makes perfect sense and is satisfying. This movie deserves a much higher score than it's being given. Hollywood has dumbed down audiences so much that they are ill equipped to react with anything but anger to any movie that challenges them to think. If you like movies by David Lynch, Ingmar Bergman and Fellini and Ryan Gosling's directorial debut 'Lost River', I would say you should check this out. I don't think the haters will ever get it so I wish they would just not watch it instead of trashing it with their rating. I give this movie a solid 8 but to up the average I added a point. There needs to be more movies like this.
fitts-stamp
Bottom of the World is a wonderful intellectual challenge. I've seen it some four times now, and am only starting to grasp what's actually told in the movie. It is a non-linear movie, so be prepared. The key to it all is the subconscious. Look for the clues and it begins to make sense. Look for my full review on my blog.
janicethompson-37964
Here's what I took: The anecdote of her cousin Wayne that she tells in the beginning is true. At first I wrote the story off as a simple and needless tale based used for shock value (poor writing), but it's so over the top and grotesque that as a viewer, it's so ridiculous that you don't want to believe it, or even regard it as a necessary bit of information because she tells it as a fake story to make Alex squirm. So you forget about it, because at this point, Scarlett is depicted as facetious and maybe a bit unstable. Jumping to the end, you find out that she really committed the heinous acts that she describes in the beginning. Alex is a part of her subconscious, the fact that he has developed sentience within her own delusion is a deeper part of her subconscious that is condemning her as she is unable to process her own guilt (EG her heavy alcoholism). It's a very interesting way to tell a story, as she takes the backseat in the focal point of the story that is 100% in her own head. Now whether she is "delusional", or there are actual spiritual forces at work within the two realms of Alex's initial reality, and the second one where he is her neighbor is sort of up to interpretation. Notice the scene where Paige, (Alex's wife) is counting peas in the kitchen, and it immediately swaps to her holding a glass of milk, as if it's a glitch, this is a tell that he is not in the realm of true reality when they knew each other, or when they're neighbors. Alex is the embodiment of her guilt and shame and also the judgement of maybe a supernatural entity, so he isn't necessarily a person, more of a shifting presence. Alex never existed, she conjured him up.
bruceluper
Easily one of the strangest and most confusing films I've ever seen, Bottom of the World. is also a captivating and intriguing film. Most people will probably hate it, but for some reason I was fascinated by it...some scenes are very suspenseful and creepy, others are wonderfully strange and surreal. Also seems to be a religious angle to the film as it deals with sin guilt, redemption and purgatory. Far out.
AD
