jswon-546-760631 Reviews

Valley of the Sun (2011)

Great Concept, Average Execution

[6/10 · 4 December 2012]

The very concept of the film is hilarious, but the film can't decide on it's audience - a rauchy, Will Ferrellesque comedy, a serious, adult drama, or an ABC Family movie about porn stars. It doesn't mix well. I saw this film in a theater a couple of years ago and the audience loved it - but it was mostly an older crowd. I couldn't help but feel then as I do now that the film was a missed opportunity at a larger audience.

Whitworth gives it his all, and the other side characters are solid. The production budget was slightly cheaper than I expected, but it doesn't strongly detract. Again, another case of good but with the potential for great.

I'd recommend it.

Jerome's Razor (2002)

Philosophical

[6/10 · 4 December 2012]

I like indies and this film came up in my amazon queue. The rental was cheap while I can't say I loved the film, it got me thinking a lot longer than I would have expected.

The movie's philosophical core is strong and struck a cord for a guy working 50-60 hrs a week and wondering if it's getting him anywhere. Jerome seems perhaps too weak a character to fully flush out the feelings of loss, desire, ambition, and frustration that are hinted at in the first 30mins. Although maybe that's the point as Jerome stands in for the "everyman." All the reviews I've read really talk about how much the film changes about a half hr in and they're right. The philosophical bend tries to get stronger but becomes weaker as Jerome attempts to get answers to his concerns about his life's meaning. The Occam's Razor aspect cuts best here (pun intended, I'm sorry) as Jerome keeps stripping away the reasons for his misery until he finds the core somewhere in the mountains.

No one has really commented on the supporting cast, and it's an uneven bunch. The actors in the first half hr are good (the guy playing Jerome's co-worker is a riot), but the actors for the rest of the film are pretty weak. But I think that's also a reflection of a script that has a great first, a weak second act and a non-existent third.

Still, I was left thinking about my own life decisions and the film hung around with me for quite a while afterwards.