|
The Straight StoryRating:
Release Date: 14 January, 2003 Retail Price: $19.99 OUR Price: $14.99 You SAVE: $5.00! Cast: Complete Cast (7 total) |
The Straight Story Reviews
The worst part of being old is rememberin' when you was young.
With The Straight Story, Lynch demonstrated none of the recognizable trademarks that transformed him into the director that I love. This film felt like a "blind date" gone bad. The Straight Story showed up, David Lynch arrived, but the rest of the date felt muddled, confusing, and utterly disastrous. Everything in this film seemed wrong. Lynch's choice for lead actor, the bland Sissy Spacek, the filler of repeat cornfield montages, all the way to the incoherent time spent on the read, I just felt that nobody had control over this picture, yet the randomness (and the possible tear ending) gave critics something to smile about. This is not a David Lynch film, and for those walking into this with images of Mulholland Drive, Twin Peaks, or even Eraserhead in their mind will be utterly discombobulated. The Straight Story attempted to show us a slice of Americana via the cornfields of Iowa, but for this boy based in the Flatlands of Illinois, it just seemed repetitive and boring.
What initially pulled me away from this film was the technique that Lynch used to introduce us to Alvin and his daughter Rose. Alvin lying on the ground because he can't get up, the cliché use of taking him to the doctor letting us know that he is deteriorating, while bringing us the central conflict of his brother falling ill was just too much in such a little time frame. Spacek's depiction of Rose seemed unbalanced and rather stale. She brought nothing fresh to this rather emotional character outside of a stutter and some unfunny scenes. I expected so much more from Spacek with her timeline of cinema, but this felt like something she did on an afternoon instead of providing us with the intensity that she harbors. Then, to add more fuel to the fire, there was Richard Farnsworth. Again, he isn't a horrible actor, but it felt like Lynch picked him because he fit the role physically, but alas, couldn't master it mentally. Farnsworth seemed out in left field for a majority of his time onscreen. I couldn't tell if he was trying to remember his lines or if he was truly in character. His eyes seemed watery for everything which brought too much emotion to those little scenes, and seemed to bring not enough by the dramatic ending. His entire speech about his time overseas at war was pathetic, while some will quote it as being his speech of a lifetime, I saw it as babble (and no, I am not that insensitive - I just felt it could have been handled by a stronger, more professional actor). The rest of the cast seemed equally as unimportant. I wanted Lynch to either go 100% for this film or none at all, but alas, it felt as if he just half-ed his way through this heap.
Speaking of David Lynch, where did he go in this film? There were some scenes that I witnessed that screamed the director that I love, but then there were others that just felt like he took pointers from Ken Burns' "Looking at America" class. I hated the sweeping cornfields that seem to plague this film. Instead of keeping us by Alvin's side throughout his journey, Lynch gave us a repetitive view of farming and corn. There is nothing wrong with this technique when making the epic that one desperately needs to see once in a while, but when the same images were used over and over again, I nearly felt Lynch was humoring us with the dulls of Iowa instead of being the majestic all the critics raved about. I think he could have been stronger with his filler than what he was with this film. He needed something to couple with the authenticity of Alvin, but the stock-footage that he chose to show was definitely not the balance one could hope for. I also felt there was more to be discussed with the friends that he met along the way. Alvin was a walking storybook, filled with the way that he led his own life instead of listening to those around him and learning from their experiences as well. Lynch made Alvin very closed minded, which did not create a strong protagonist for the feature. Alvin was a strong character, but I needed more with this story. I wanted him to make choices, learn new things, and bring that to his brother's table when they eventually met. I felt cheated when this never occurred and felt as if Lynch was saying that this journey through Americana was that we could learn from Alvin, and not vice-versa.
Overall, I wasn't stunned by this picture. I thought Lynch could have been stronger with his choice of direction and cast instead of what seemed like he just "played it safe". The overplayed stock footage of cornfields infuriated me due to the lack of time that we could have been spending with Alvin. Speaking of Alvin, why couldn't he have been a stronger, better-rounded character? I felt after watching this film that Lynch had duped me into believing that he wanted to paint a picture of America, but instead gave us nothing more than soft music, recycled images, and stock characters. The stories were interesting to listen to, but brought nothing fresh to the table. I must admit that the brotherly love moment brought a tear to my eye (since I have a brother as well), but why couldn't we focus on this further. Lynch made the riff between the two brothers seem like a toss in the pan, when it was the central focus of this film. The Straight Story could have been a strong tale bringing in a new image for Lynch, but instead it felt jagged and old. I could suggest one viewing for this film, any further, and you will see how dull those cornfields really claim to be!
Grade: ** out of *****
A Real Gem
This movie came recommended to be by someone who in my opinion wouldn't have had the brains to appreciate it! I'm grateful to him for turning me on to one of the most perfect little gems of a movie to come along in years. I rank it right up there with THE STATION AGENT, another quiet, small picture with very little plot and oh, so much heart and soul! If you like a film that takes its own sweet time to unfold, letting you come along for the ride, then get this one. If you're looking for car chases and gunfire and special effects and all those other big-box-office necessities, then stay away and leave this for those of us who value beauty.
More Customer Reviews (61 total)
You like The Straight Story?
|
© 2004, 2005, 2006 DVD Booty | Don't Plunder Our Cache of Booty, Matey!
Hosting made possible by donations from Payday Loans Uncovered, Credit Cards, and Payday Loan Players
