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Jack
Starks, a Desert Storm veteran who was shot in the head and sent back to
the states is wrongly accused of killing a police officer. He is sent to
Alpine Groves, a mental institution where he undergoes experimental
therapy at the hands of Dr. Becker. Said therapy is to be wrapped in a
straitjacket, pumped full of drugs and slid into a body drawer. And this
is where it gets strange. While in the drawer he travels forward in time
and meets Keira Knightley who
tells him that he died 4 days from his present. She helps him figure out
the circumstances of his death and they try to stop it.
I rented
this movie the first time because I wanted to see Keira Knightly in
something besides Pirates of the Caribbean, and was very surprised. This
movie is what I classify as a “mind-fuck movie”. And a really good one
at that. It is a dark film without crossing the line into being a
depressing movie. The flashbacks and visual effects that are used during
his “travels” are intense and relentless without being overbearing. I
just wanted to know what happened next.
The casting
is almost perfect. I have only seen Adrien Brody in Solo, King Kong and
this. He is a pretty goofy looking guy but has a certain charm about
him. I would love to meet him and hang out with him for a while. Even
though it doesn't really show in this movie he seems like a pretty laid
back guy. Keira Knightley did a decent job in this. I liked her better
in Domino but what can you do, at least she gets (briefly) naked. Kris
Kistofferson is usually the laid back hero. It was very different to see
him in a role like this. Not quite the villain but a misdirected Dr. who
becomes the unwilling antagonist. He truly thought he was helping them.
I was impressed with Daniel Craig
in this. After seeing him only in Tomb Raider, this was quite a
different character. Very disturbing and funny at the same time. I am
not a big James Bond Fan, but I am interested in seeing what he does
with Bond. Jennifer Jason Leigh – Don't like her. She speaks in a
monotone and in most of the roles I've seen her in, she thinks she is
more sexy than she actually is.
If you like
movies like The Butterfly Effect, Stay, Jacob's Ladder, A Beautiful Mind
and so forth. Give this one a shot. While it didn't cause the hours of
discussion between me and my wife that Donnie Darko did, we enjoyed this
movie enough to buy it.
So until
Hannibal Lechter is Jack Starks therapist, keep reading.
Best Lines:
Dr.
Lorenson: How are we doing today?
Rudy
Mackenzie: For me...that is a really difficult question Dr. Lorenson,
because the world around me is *shrinking*... and the Four Horsemen of
the Apocalypse are comin' to see me today, and they're not bringing
flowers which... just makes it real difficult to get organized.
Jack
Starks: I was 27 years old the first time I died.
Jackie
Price: There's nothing to steal, but don't be a jerk and take something
anyway.
Jack
Starks: No. I wouldn't.
[pause]
Jack
Starks: My name is Jack.
Jackie
Price: No. Let's not do the name thing, because it's - I don't wanna
meet you. I may wanna help you tonight, but I don't wanna know you,
really.
[letter
Jack writes to Jean]
Jack
Starks: Sometimes I think we live through things only to be able to say
that it happened. That it wasn't to someone else, it was to me.
Sometimes we live to beat the odds. I'm not crazy even though they
thought I was. I live in the same world as everyone else. I just saw
more of it, as I'm sure you have. They'll find my body tomorrow. You can
check it out if you don't believe me. I've seen life after my death, and
I'm telling you this because it's the only way to help you and your
daughter have a better life of your own. Jean, you're gonna pass out one
day smoking a cigarette and burn to death. Your daughter grows up living
the same life you're living right now. And she misses you so much.
Sometimes life can only really begin with the knowledge of death. That
it can all end, even when you least want it to. The important thing in
life is to believe that while you're alive, it's never too late. I
promise you, Jean, no matter how bad things look, they look better awake
than they do asleep. When you die, there's only one thing you want to
happen. You wanna come back.
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