American Violence

The funny thing is the most interesting part of this film was the beginning scene when the older man(Bruce Dern) was arguing with his wife about her choice of menu plan for his meal. Once that scene was over the movie went down hill for me. Like many comments and reviews I feel like this move failed to pick what it wanted to be. Is it a social study on human behavior and violence. Necessary or unnecessary need for the death penalty or just a crime drama? Either way this film does not deliver in either area. This film might could have been better had it not tried to take itself to seriously especially when it was unable to entertain or keep my attention no matter what direction they decided to go in. My suggestion if you are on Netflix skip this film and watch Amber Alert not a perfect film but it will keep your attention.

Oh my god, someone actually wrote words and made actors (not real good ones) say them out loud. Lost track of who was who. Hated every single character. So much plastic surgery I thought they'd melt. Why did Gronk decide to be in this? Thought it would never end! I need to go self flagellate for making myself watch this to the excruciating end.

This movie had potential, but takes itself way too seriously and it's cast of budget-friendly actors turn in uneven performances. Denise Richards is trying too hard to shed her bimbo persona in a highly intellectual role as a renowned criminal psychologist. Kaiwi Lyman is uneven, veering into melodramatic overstatement in his scenes with Richards, but is much better in flashback scenes of his life of crime, especially when paired with Micheal Pare as his former small time criminal partner. Bruce Dern phones one in for the paycheck and the rest of the cast is varying degrees of bad, from unwatchable to to just ok. The story is all over the place, trying in places to be a character study of small time criminals-which would have been interesting, then trying to be a slick action-y heist movie, then trying to be political with it's socially conscious anti-death penalty message. It never hits the mark with any of it and winds up just being a mess.

Film is generally average, not bad or great. But in the execution chamber the priest is holding a copy of 'The New World Translation of The Holy Scriptures'. A bible internationally recognized for the accuracy of translation from the original language by bible scholars around the world, produced by Jehovah's Witnesses. The priest in the witness room was either Catholic or Protestant and they refuse to use accurate this bible, what gives??????

Texas is wavering on a execution because it's an election year, so they ask a 'world renowned psychologist' to conduct an interview and make a recommendation - Yeah right. She agrees because it's a good opportunity for her studies in the cycle of violence - Plausible. The 'world renowned psychologist' has her eyes opened and lady bits tingling in 72 hours - Just stop.

How about interviewing a violent offender with nothing to lose? No problem, let's just push this desk up against the bars with electrical cords in reach. Need a light? Here's a Zippo they let me to bring in. Need to build rapport? No problem, I'll start with anger and self-righteousness. Don't like something he says? Wad up some paper and throw it at him. Heard a few stories that got you changing your mind? Stand up against the bars with him like you're the big spoon. Back at the university teaching? Tell us how you feel by glancing wistfully at the Zippo on the lectern.

I chuckled when the guy's love interest was introduced. I'm not sure what was happening with her outfit, but a Goodwill thrift store cried that day. She seemed to be wearing too big business type clothes on top and raggedy underwear looking shorts on bottom. The humor stopped though when she started talking in that awful accent. Her clothes got better, the script and acting didn't. Not sure how much a person can take of a grown woman lounging in a bikini in front of her father, whom she calls daddy, with her chest thrust out. Don't worry, she throws out some range when she pouts and coos at him. Like when daddy offered her up to his body guard. I think it was the movie's attempt at humor. God stop the pain of this script.

2 stars - the cinematography wasn't bad.