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Gus Van
Sant directs this slow paced realistic portrayal of a drug addicts life.
I am not really familiar with Van Sants work except for Good Will
Hunting and Elephant, which bears a striking resemblance to this film,
at least stylistically. Having lived through my Step-Mothers addiction
and death from the same sort of prescription drugs, some of the scenes
of the characters actually under the influence brought back some
memories. If I only knew then what I know now. But back to the film.
This film does show the highs and lows of what being an addict is all
about. Bob is not only a drug junkie but also an adrenaline junkie to
boot. When he finally decides to get cleaned up and go legit, he gets
the s*** kicked out of him and then shot. Karma's a b***h, huh?
I have been
reading some reviews from IMDB stating that this movie has Dillons and
Grahams best performance. I say bulls***. Most of the acting was
horrible. Very stilted and choppy delivery. Some may say that addicts
talk like that, but remember, I grew up with one. This is just crappy
acting. There didn't seem to be a whole lot of chemistry between any of
the characters. Even James Remars Officer Gentry couldn't make up his
mind if he was a ball busting Narcotics officer or if he was trying to
be Officer Friendly to Bob towards the end of the film. And Father Tom
was just out of place. I understand that the actor was a real life
junkie, but I felt nothing for the character. I can't comment anymore on
the acting, it was just plain bad.
I can see
the influence that this film has had on modern drug culture films. I
will only cite Requiem For A Dream on this one. Same type of story, but
I believe RFAD was much better. Well, maybe not better but since it was
newer it held my attention better. After watching the documentary and
reading the production notes, I know that this film was intended to be
shot with a somber, drab color scheme. I understand why but it just made
the movie bland to me.
I am going
to stay away from the non-comedic drug movies for a while if that's OK
with everyone. I think I have to watch Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back or
Half-Baked to get this feeling of blah out of my system.
So, until
Van Sant makes Good Will Hunting 2: Hunting Season,
keep
reading. - Applesauce B***h!!!
Best Lines:
Rick:
Jesus, Bob, you never told us anything about not mentioning dogs.
Bob: The
reason nobody mentioned dogs, Rick, is that to mention the dog would
have been a hex in itself.
Rick: All
right, well, now we are on the subject, are there an other stupid things
we aren't supposed to mention that will affect our future?
Bobby:
There's nothing more life-affirming than getting the s*** kicked outta
ya'.
Bob: Diane
was my wife. I loved her, and she loved dope. So we made a good couple.
Bob: A
sheriff's convention no less! Why couldn't it have been a Tupperware
convention?
Bob: Well,
to begin with, nobody, and I mean nobody, can talk a junkie out of
using. You can talk to 'em for years but sooner or later they're gonna
get a hold of something. Maybe it's not dope. Maybe it's booze, maybe
it's glue, maybe it's gasoline. Maybe it's a gunshot to the head. But
something. Something to relieve the pressures of their everyday life,
like having to tie their shoes.
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