This isn't a pop film. It won't appeal to everyone.
I truly enjoyed this film despite its length and a few slow spots that appeared a bit redundant. It's a slice of life of several characters, loosely connected, similar in many ways to movies like Slackers or Shortcuts.
And like those movies there's a certain chaos in the lives of the players that is expertly explored. It is fantastically honest in its approach to an often tragic, ironic, humourous, and embarrasing reality, which would seem to be a boring subject (who wants to go to movies to see 'reality'?) But it's not. Throw the old comic book notions of right and wrong out the window. Justice and redemption aren't handed out with due cause. There are no clear winners or losers. Throw that idea out as well. This film is really about exploring the grey areas in depth.
The people just 'are', and we witness an extremely poignant exploration of their being.
Where I feel this film gets its point across best is in how it deals with desperate, needy people on the one hand and kind, helpful people on the other. In some cases we see a partial reversal of fortune and in others we don't. Basically we can try, but we aren't gauranteed to succeed. This is best portayed between the police officer and the drug addict and between the Seduce and Destroy stud and his father.
Despite a flurry of emotions that this film assaults the viewer with the plot is counterbalanced by a Vonnegut-like meaningless of life, which is spelled out in the prologue. As much as there is pain and injustice both the causes and the cures are subject much to chance, or as the film puts it: "This is something that happens."
Anderson is effective both on the surface and underneath. On the one hand we feel raw emotion and on the other hand we see gesture, plot device and even deeper emotions if we look.
I truly enjoyed this film despite its length and a few slow spots that appeared a bit redundant. It's a slice of life of several characters, loosely connected, similar in many ways to movies like Slackers or Shortcuts.
And like those movies there's a certain chaos in the lives of the players that is expertly explored. It is fantastically honest in its approach to an often tragic, ironic, humourous, and embarrasing reality, which would seem to be a boring subject (who wants to go to movies to see 'reality'?) But it's not. Throw the old comic book notions of right and wrong out the window. Justice and redemption aren't handed out with due cause. There are no clear winners or losers. Throw that idea out as well. This film is really about exploring the grey areas in depth.
The people just 'are', and we witness an extremely poignant exploration of their being.
Where I feel this film gets its point across best is in how it deals with desperate, needy people on the one hand and kind, helpful people on the other. In some cases we see a partial reversal of fortune and in others we don't. Basically we can try, but we aren't gauranteed to succeed. This is best portayed between the police officer and the drug addict and between the Seduce and Destroy stud and his father.
Despite a flurry of emotions that this film assaults the viewer with the plot is counterbalanced by a Vonnegut-like meaningless of life, which is spelled out in the prologue. As much as there is pain and injustice both the causes and the cures are subject much to chance, or as the film puts it: "This is something that happens."
Anderson is effective both on the surface and underneath. On the one hand we feel raw emotion and on the other hand we see gesture, plot device and even deeper emotions if we look.
