FilmFlicking

Catnapper · Site Joined: 30 Jul 2007 Posts: 6162

You beat me to posting first Luc....but I'll let you off!

Well summed up review

American Perfekt

I must admit....after the first 15 minutes or so I seriously thought about not watching the rest of it and apologising to you guys for picking such an average film

But, it's the movie club and we're supposed to watch the film whether we like it or not and give an honest review.

From the opening few scenes I thought it was going to be a Goldie Hawnesque type film......you know the ones.....ditzsy woman gets into all kinds of embarrassing/amusing scrapes. In the first scene, Sandra (Amanda Plummer) gets blocked in by another car at a diner and can't get back into her car, so she climbs over the other car, which she encounters again on the desert Highway. The car moves close behind her car, pulls alongside and the driver pulls out what looks like a gun gleaming in the sunlight. She panics, gets a burst tyre and crashes off the road.......the other car waits ominously....I thought the film was taking a sinister turn.....then the car drives off.....she opens her door....which gets ripped off by another car! I thought we were back in Goldie Hawn mode again........and that's when I thought it was going to turn into some vaguely amusing film that would be rubbish!

Anyway, I'm glad to say I carried on watching because the film turned out to one that keeps you guessing till the end. When Sandra meets the driver of the car who ripped off her door, it turns out he's a Criminal Psychologist, Jake Nyman (Robert Forster) who quirkily likes to live his life by the flip of a coin. Robert Forster was fresh from his Jackie Brown role and he's excellent in this film.....he gives a subtle performance going from being world weary to full psycho mode in a completely believable way!

The appearance of David Thewlis as the English magician and smalltime con operator Ernest Santini seems a bit strange at first.......telling a joke about a kipper???!! To answer your question about why he slapped Sandra Luc, wasn't it because she was hysterical?!.....but I felt sorry for him at the end when he couldn't understand why it had happened to him.....

I know what you mean about it being character driven and feeling almost like a stage play Luc......the scene where Jake and Sandra go to the motel?? and the guy shows her that butterfly collection and invites them to dinner......the actor in that scene, I can't remember his name

, almost looked like he was doing a cameo performance especially for the writer and the scene didn't look quite right somehow........Geoffrey something's his name

I remembered part of his name!

The film took on a sinister turn right after the steamy sex scene with Jake and Sandra.......and that's when it went from being an average type of film to a full on sinister, horror type.......and became absorbing for me. I liked the idea of flipping a coin to decide what to do next, apparently that idea is featured in Luke Rhinehart's cult novel The Dice Man, so I don't know it the film's writer got the idea from the book.

Excellent cast......the standouts for me were Robert Forster and Fairuza Balk (why doesn't she appear more in films?)......I'd bought the dvd last week at a carboot for £1 and, at first, I thought I'd wasted my money

but this film is going into my movies to hang on to pile! I hadn't looked at what it said on the dvd (apart from the title of course!) but after the film ended I looked at the reviews featured on the cover.......

"Will have you biting your fingernails down to the elbow".......Daily Star

"Powerful!.....original!....absorbing!"......Flicks

"This is one helluva thriller."........Total Film

"Tarantino-esque....something a bit special.".........by none other than Jonathan Ross himself!

Very good film......keeps you wondering.......and I think you're spot on with the ending Luc

Oh, I nearly forgot to mention, the use of music in the film was good too......especially the choral feel of the music "Vision" ("O Euchari In Leta Via").......I love that tune!

roddglenn · Superstar Joined: 10 Aug 2007 Posts: 1026

Great reviews, Cat and Luc. I didn't get a chance to see it unfortunately, so I will have to grab a copy of eBay or Amazon as soon as poss. It does sound like a very interesting film and I do like both Amanda Plummer and Robert Forster.
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Lucifer_666 · Site Joined: 27 Jul 2007 Posts: 9571

Great review Babe

well done

The only thing that bothers me about Amanda Plummer which I didn't add to my review is her voice....she has a kind of Meg Tilly type of voice doesn't she

and it can get a little bit tiresome after a while
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Catnapper · Site Joined: 30 Jul 2007 Posts: 6162

You'll like it Rod.....it's quirky!

That's another thing I meant when I said about it being like a Goldie Hawn film Luc.........that voice

.....it was like a cutesy little girlish type of voice and that's why I thought it'd end up being some flimsy comedy type film!

Lucifer_666 · Site Joined: 27 Jul 2007 Posts: 9571

Yeah babe your right very girlie Goldie Hawnish

Oh and as for the slap Sandra got....I didn't think she was overly out of control or exciteable to warrant the slap she got??...she was been unreasonable with the other one not knowing where she was ......staggering all over the place and slumping to the floor

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The Man Chump · Popcorn Seller Joined: 13 Aug 2007 Posts: 91

Hey guys i'm sorry i've been so busy this week I haven't been able to get to watch it either. :(

I'll try harder this week!
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The Man Chump Still Jives

Catnapper · Site Joined: 30 Jul 2007 Posts: 6162

Not to worry Chump

You should enjoy watching it when you're not as busy!

Luc - What did you think of David Thewlis in the film? It seemed a bit bizarre having a Cockney type appearing on a deserted desert highway.......I expected him to come out with "Cor blimey" any minute

Lucifer_666 · Site Joined: 27 Jul 2007 Posts: 9571

No worries chump

How you doin mate?

Yeah Thewlis was a strange choice alright and aI have to say years ago I wasn't really pushed on him as an actor but since seeing him in Gangster No 1 and then the Harry Potter movies I've actually got to end up rating him quite highly now...... Though your right babe it would make you wonder what this cockney is doing out there on some American desert road

Paul Sorvino also played a strange role .... I always expect him to play the gangster or bad guy it was unusual to see him as Sherriff
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