2 Days in the Valley

Two Days In The valley really nailed me to my seat,at first I only rented it to see my favorite new actress Charlize Theron(Helga). Then as the movie started and I saw Danny Aiello(Desmo)and James Spader (Lee) staking out a house I thought it had to be cops checking out drug dealers or something along that line and I was wrong. Then as the other characters appeared in the movie and the story started going in a different direction then I figured it would I was shocked by the way things came out and knew this was one of the best Dramas I've seen in years. It's a must see kinda movie and must have do to all the great and weird acting in it. out of three stars I give it ****.

Since this film came out only two years later, it is hard to imagine that the phrase "pulp fiction" did not come up at the pitch meeting. But I thought that this movie was pretty good and can stand on its own despite the similarities, mainly the weaving together of disparate characters by events. It does run chronologically, unlike PF. It has an amazing cast, with two Oscars, and another five nominations among them. (Although some of these did come afterwards) Kudos for great performances by Danny Aiello, Eric Stoltz, Glenne Headly, Marsha Mason, Terry Hatcher, Charlize Theron, and in a smaller role, Ada Maris. Nice unobtrusive direction by John Herzfeld, who also has a writing credit. Worth checking out.

This is great ! For all those people who like their tales dark and told well...oh dash it ! For all those who like their tales told well, dark or not..this is your dish. With a tight script and credible characters this one takes you on a dizzy dark trip. The director achieves this trick by picking a multitude of characters and, wonder of wonders, doing justice to each character great or small. The viewer achieves instant familiarity with all the cast that flit in and out of this set, be it the hard-luck hit man, the mousy secretary, a has-been film director or the females in a dangerous game. With splendid economy the director blends careless, throw away humour and dangerous games to bring off a stunning conclusion. The script is well structured and has a definite place to go unlike the crime movies that seem to falter at the end. The cast is superb, great to witness James Spader do the ice cool one and Danny Aiello is superb as the unwitting player in a sinister game. Do Not Miss !

Writer-director John Herzfeld's mining of the multi-layered, heavily populated neo-crime genre sparked by the popularity of Pulp Fiction is an above average, if workmanlike, movie that should satisfy most aficionados of the style. Weaving together the stories of more than half a dozen interesting denizens of the San Fernando Valley, Herzfeld makes the most of his situations, allowing talented performers like Danny Aiello, Eric Stoltz and Jeff Daniels to show-off their chops. Additionally, Paul Mazursky shines as the depressed, suicidal director Teddy Peppers and Charlize Theron delivers an electrifying turn that should have made her a big star.

Trying to compare Two Days in the Valley with Tarantino's Pulp Fiction is pointless. There is very little originality in the vast majority of modern movies; by and large within their particular genre most movies are variations on a theme. I've watched Pulp Fiction several times and enjoyed it every time and I'll probably watch it many times more. I watched Two Days in the Valley and never once thought about PF, because I enjoyed it and accepted it as just another variation on a theme that was worth watching....and I'll more than likely watch it again....for its entertainment value. The characters were believable in a many-threaded plot that finally knitted together in a way that did not seem contrived.