georgewilliamnoble
This is not the worst film i have ever seen, but it is certainly the worst film that i have seen that had such a potentially great cast. This filmed play has ugly worthless people leading ugly wasteful lives, as the tedium grows ever more unbearable, the acting becomes ever more mechanical and laborious with stale lifeless direction.The story is one long Hollywood conceit,i hated all the characters so cared not one token for any of them, so the film just died in transit.I only got through the entire 2 hours of tedium by watching the DVD in 20 minute chunks.In A word a car crash bore.
foleymichael60
I went to see this piece of crap at a really nice art-house in Newton MA and I couldn't believe how ridiculously bad this film is.Think plan 9 From Outer Space and if you have seen this POS and think not shame on you because films are suppose make you care in some way or another and I can think of nothing less important than the creeps bums and assholes depicted in this film and not very well depicted at that.One dimensional sets crappy creepy dialog stupid plot: it is all there.The last time I laughed at a funeral scene was when I saw Cat Ballou and it was meant to be funny but not this one.I was surprised to find out that it was supposed to be touching.Touch this morons!
filmcriticjournalist
HurlyBurly arrived in cinemas in late 1998 and took less than 2 million dollars at the US box office, but HurlyBurly was never intended to be the next Hollywood blockbuster.Adapted from a David Rabe play by Rabe himself, the film stays faithful to the play by using few locations and much interplay between the main performers.Telling the story of several fictional actors trying to make their way in 80's Hollywood, HurlyBurly gives an insight into the desperation and fragility of the life of an actor.Penn, Spacey and Palminteri play the part of Eddie, Mickey and Phil respectively, and all deliver performances that make us believe in their characters. The problem with this film though is not the acting which is top notch throughout, its in the pace of the film. Long monologues and conversations are the cornerstone of a good play, but its difficult to hold the movie viewers attention with just interplay for two hours. Admittedly it can be done, just see Glengarry Glen Ross for a perfect example of this, but while the acting in HurlyBurly is almost up there with Glengarry, the script simply isn't.HurlyBurly can only really be recommended to those who enjoy plays, as the script simply isn't good enough to hold most movie-goers attention.http://www.filmcritic.zoomshare.com
hengir
There are lots of things to like about this. The constant stream of verbiage is great, a continuous barrage of words that almost make you want to run for cover. Like the people in the film, very entertaining for a couple of hours but you wouldn't want to spend your life with them. The texture of the film is dream like, as if the whole world was drugged up and though the camera doesn't move much from the main characters' house it all feels disjointed and not quite real.Then there is the acting. Sean Penn is the stand out. You can enter into his confusion, his needs, his despair and his fractured humanity. Kevin Spacey's role's comparative normality is well done too. He is a charming surface with a vacuum underneath. Chazz Palminteri is also great, never putting a rational thought together, scary and vulnerable at the same time.It is an actor's piece and all of them give a good account of themselves. Having seen the film one wouldn't mind seeing it on stage. It seems to need a live audience. As for what 'Hurly Burly' is really "about", well it was beyond me.
AD
