juneebuggy
This was super good, I love movies that challenge you and this was totally thought provoking, forcing you to ask the question, what would I do? of course you like to think you'd do the right thing but when it came right down to it could you give up 3 years of your life for someone you barely know? Someone you spent a few weeks with 2 years ago on vacation? An excellent premise especially if you've ever spent any time backpacking. Following three friends who meet while travelling in Malaysia and spend several weeks partying together, using drugs (hash) in a casual way. Two of the guys return to the States (Vince Vaughn & David Conrad) leaving Joaquin Phoenix behind to continue on with his travels.Two years later, we join Vaughn & Conrad back in the states, everybody has gotten on with their lives. Out of the blue a persistent and determined lawyer turns up (Anne Heche) informing them that Joaquin's character has in fact been imprisoned for the past 2 years after being arrested for the possession of (their) hash. Enough of it to see him executed under Malaysian law (in just 8 days) unless they return and take their share of the blame, which would mean serving 3 years if they both return or 6 each.This story never went where I expected it too, romance, suspense will they-won't they? With fantastic performances form everyone. Vince Vaughn was a big surprise here, he does a great job but Joaquin Phoenix... just blew me away, his final scene will haunt me for a long time. 3/10/15
Douglas Ross Stewart
I was enjoying the film right until the end -- those strings they turned up for the last seven minutes were worse than stringing up Mr. Phoenix. Why do people think we can't get the emotional content of the film at the end, without a wash of violins?In my mind I fantasized about that dick weed judge taking a trip to New York and running into Vince Vaughn, and Vaughn dishes out a little Brooklyn alley justice ... Oh, and Vaughn's speech to the lawyer at the end didn't ring true. He was way too saintly. I little fear about the reality of his situation would have been more honest ...
van_damme_for_peace_priz
I would recommend this film as more valuable than the Bible or Koran as a moral guide. It has no morale meaning, but nonetheless, the name genius would not be an exaggeration when talking about the director's film-making skills. The meat-head bloke was a great actor, as was the elf chick who should have been in Lord of the Rings. We feel delighted that the bloke who decided to help his friend got locked up, and got rewarded by seeing his friend die. Shouts out to the female journalist who broke the story, shouts out to all the news corporations of he world. It is up there with the classics, like Top Gun, and other moral dramas. A shame about the soundtrack, all it was lacking was a bit of Charles & Eddie.
miller-jane
This movie was one of the most powerful I have ever seen in terms of presenting the issue of what responsibility each of us has for our actions. It poses the question of whether two young men will return to Malaysia to serve prison terms for the hash purchases they made while on vacation. If they fail to act, the idealistic third member of their group will be executed. The performances by Vince Vaughn, Anne Heche, and Joaquin Phoenix are superb.An added dimension is a short scene where the Vince Vaughn character asks his father for guidance on what he should do. Others also provide information and influence in shaping the decision on whether he should go back to Malaysia where jail conditions are so harsh his ability to survive a short term prison sentence is problematic.
AD
