rebtguy-39674

Visually, it lacks the aesthetics of Bergman's black and white movies. Theatrically, it's melodramatic. Both Ingrid and Liv overact their parts (Liv's ridiculous, oversized eyeglasses are a distraction.) Ullmann's climactic monologue of woes is the most powerful part of the movie but too long. In general, it lacks subtlety and the ending is a weak attempt at transformation which lacked credibility for me. Maybe in its day it was groundbreaking psychologically but I think better acting and editing was needed for greatness. The subplot with the disabled sister and especially the cryptic flashback to her youth seem unneeded to me, just a thickening rather than a new flavor. The scene where daughter and then mother play the same piano work by Chopin is quite original and well done. It merits seeing as a work by Bergman with Bergman as lead for your fund of film experience.

This movie is a live action film noir cartoon. It's fun reading the other reviews because most didn't get this movie at all. It's tongue in cheek, a send-up of the genre. At least some of those in on the movie must have caught on. Pat O'Brien plays the part of Dan Hammer, shady and cynical all-around fixer man in Panama City. He looks like a big, lovable umpire who's had many to many hot dogs for lunch, dressed in all white like an ice cream man. I assume he got the role because his doppelganger, William Bendix was unavailable. His smart talking lady friend is Anne Jeffreries, looking very svelte and totally not his type but that's part of the humor. There is a properly convoluted plot with murders and untrustworthy police along the way. It's a good opportunity to watch Walter Slezak who is always a welcome addition (he had an amazing acting career.) The movie has not the slightest taint of realism to this reviewer, so enjoy it with plenty of popcorn. The folks that take this movie at all seriously have the viewing comprehension of your average 10 year old, but I digress. Enjoy it, it's not a classic.

I enjoyed the film, a contemporary portrait of growing up and coming of age in America in a very different setting and culture than most. Early on, the movie gave me the distinct feeling of watching a documentary rather than a fiction with rehearsed actors. Images tell the stories as much as the dialog, which is very spare. The characters seem very real, as real as their scruffy surroundings. A worthwhile portrait of a part of society most of us won't see, "really" see. The Badlands scenery is very stark and so are (most) of the lives depicted. It's interesting that I saw this film in a contemporary arts center, where it played for two nights. It seems films like this struggle to get on enough screens in enough places to get noticed much. Maybe some people will get to see in on video, I hope.