Reviews (61)

"Mandingo" and "Reality TV"
Although this third film by Todd Solondz is not as good as "Welcome To The Dollhouse" or "Happiness", it still smacks of satirical cynicism. Inexplicably split into two films ('Fiction', 'Non-fiction'), we are first presented with a twenty minute film about community college level 'writing', in which, a young woman has a confrontational and sexual sparring with the black, 'mandingo' teacher. It's all meant to be a comment on hypocritical racists in education. It culminates in an outrageous sex encounter that is literally 'blocked' by a large red rectangle (taboo emphasis). It's moderately entertaining.

The second part of the film is more complex. Without exposing too much of the plot, it involves (as "Happiness" did) classism, racism, sexism, oh hell, any 'ism' you could imagine. But it works. It is simply a story of an upper middle class American family with the 2.5 kids and the proper suburban parents with a perfect son, the 'imperfect' son and the 'baby'. Kudos to John Goodman and Julie Haggerdy for participating in this movie. They bring life and legitimacy to their roles. Solondz filmed this well before "reality TV" was popular, and that is the premise. While the imperfect son is being secretly filmed for a documentary, the family struggles through it's own unusually tragic existence (the youngest of the three sons is the 'Brady Bunch brat' we always thought we wanted to see as evil). Needless to say, Solondz produces many shocks and surprises along the way. The trip is wildly entertaining, but the finale may leave the viewer distraught. Not that the story is poorly conceived or arranged, but simply that the ending is horribly, terribly depressing. It still good enough to recommend. I consider that a rare accomplishment for any film-maker.

3 Stars for Part 2: "Non-Fiction"
When I was a kid "story-telling" was a nice way of saying someone was lying. And even though I will not make the obvious jump and say the Todd Solondz is lying in "Storytelling," I will say that he is at least disingenuous and at worst a fraud.
"Storytelling" is broken up into two parts: "Fiction," starring Selma Blair as a college writing student in love with a fellow student, who has Cerebral Palsy and "Non-Fiction," starring John Goodman, patriarch of a family of mis-fits and neurotics; one of whom is his slacker son Scooby, who wants to become the next Conan O'Brian (!) but refuses to study and apply to college.
The "Fiction" section of the film is noteworthy only in that the writing professor states( and I am paraphrasing here): When you begin to write about something, whether it be "true" or not...it becomes fiction. A pretty interesting comment resonating with meaning and subtext which is totally unlike the movie that surrounds it. The acting is flat, non reactional and amateurish with Selma Blair coming off worst. This role and her performance in it is merely an extension of her histrionics and whining in "Cruel Intentions." Painful.
The "Non-Fiction" section of this film is another story: there's some meat here to grab on to with Paul Giamatti playing a down-on-his-luck documentary film maker who convinves John Goodman that his slacker son, Scooby would be the perfect star of a docu-drama centering on the "alienated youth of the suburbs" Solondz is at his best here and the dead-pan dialogue and situations ring true and yet are subversive and thought-provoking.
"Storytelling" would have been a much better film had Solondz decided to hack off the "Fiction" section and extend the second. "Storytelling" may tarnish the Solondz mantel a bit, but for those of us who can appreciate the incendiary nature of his wit, we still have "Happiness" and "Welcome to the Dollhouse" to keep us warm until the next Solondz film is released.

Brilliant vision of how to tell a story¿
The mode of portraying a tale is in focus in Storytelling through two different stories that are disconnected, yet associated to one another, as one deals with the fictional and the other the non-fictional. In the first part, Fiction, Vi (Selma Blair) is in a relationship with Marcus (Leo Fitzpatrick) who suffers from cerebral palsy and both are attending the same university. Vi and Marcus are currently enrolled in the same creative writing class where the students scrutinize each other's writing. Fiction exposes how personal experiences are turned into writing, which is callously slaughtered by judgmental readers as they their own set of values to the cerebral playing field of literature.

The second part of Storytelling, Non-fiction, illiterates the reality of the world as Scooby Livingston (Mark Webber) perceives it. Scooby lives in a upper-class bubble protected by his ruling father, Marty (John Goodman), where Scooby is constantly asked, "what are you going to do with your life?" This endless questioning of Scooby's future seems to have been stressful for him as he has sunk into a zombie-like state. Scooby escapes reality through smoking pot or chewing down a couple of mushrooms where he flees into dreams of working as a co-host with David Letterman. The day when a shoe salesman, who aspires to make film, visits Scooby's high school in order to make a documentary about the process of entering college Scooby believes that this is his chance to make connections in the world of media. However, when the documentary comes along it begins to depict the dream-like world in which Scooby lives in.

Storytelling is a clever film that displays the symbiosis between the audience and the storyteller, which is meticulously directed by Solondz. Solondz depicts the power of the audience to choose what to believe and what to disregard if it is not portrayed in an manner that the audience can accept. In addition, Solondz offers a notion of how the power of storytelling can sway an audience's convictions in a chosen direction if carefully planned. In a sense Storytelling is a philosophical film in regards to film and film making, which can be derived from the economics, politics, and the arts. Yet, the philosophical debate of Storytelling is deep beneath the surface as the audience must use a dialectic approach in order to reach it. Nonetheless, Storytelling offers a terrific cinematic experience as it offers the audience to choose whether to sink into thought or merely enjoy the ride.

Look Again
If you strongly dislike this movie, I suggest reading Crowley's scathing early reviews of Faulkner; then read Crowley's later praise of the same works. Initially, Crowley was appalled by what he projected as Faulkner's baseness. Eventually he came to apprehend Faulkner's genius to see, describe, and even love 'man.' For me, the film is upsetting because the gaze is unbroken and the subjects are living/struggling in the world. Like Faulkner, Solondz is looking at his time. His view point is not ridiculing (that view is delt with in young pill to the right of the prof).

Interesting work.
Storytelling is an interesting movie that portrays the contemporary North American society.

It emphasizes the pitiful importance of the individual as the stem of a civilization; The mistaken use of woman's sexuality as a way to communicate love, pity, confusion and anger; reflects the worth that society has given to women as objects and shows the deep divisions between people of different socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. Racism and the outcast of minorities are other elements shown but the most shocking issue is the dominant influence of media in our own lives. A single minute of fame and popularity could be worth the permanent loss of our values, personal convictions and even the lives of our most beloved ones.

A movie with content and meaning. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Writer-director Tod Williams's pleasantly flawed film, like his title character, drifts amiably along, full of untapped possibilities. Adrian Grenier has a slouchy charisma as Sebastian, a teenager in upstate New York who is tired of school and realizes that the world only expects him to "get a haircut, pay taxes, [and] die." When his compassionate stepfather Hank (a serenely collected Clark Gregg) decides to live his life as a woman named Henrietta, it's only one more thing to challenge Sebastian's slowly developing worldview ("You care about too many people," his father tells him). Williams can't nudge his quirky musings into something larger, and the sex-change business becomes too much a dramatic contrivance, but the film moves with an affectingly low-key assurance. Better, Williams inspires his lead to convey without sentiment something rare in teen stories: unassuming, real affection for other human beings. --Steve Wiecking ... Read more

Reviews (15)

An Oddball Adventure
This movie may seem a little weird at first, but it's defiantely worth a look. Sebastian Cole is played very well by Adrian Grenier, who oddly enough starred as well in the not quite as satisfying "Drive Me Crazy." Go figure. You might want to rent before buying though.

I love this movie!!
I discovered Sebastian Cole on the Sundance channel, and have watched it three times now. It's such a good story, different, quite a diversion from the typical teen movies that are out there lately. It is funny, heartwarming, and at times, serious.
The film brings us back to 1983 - 84, and Sebastian Cole, played superbly by Adrian Grenier, wants to go on adventures. He also wants to get out of school as soon as possible. All the while, his stepfather decides he wants to become a woman, Sebastian's sister leaves and moves to California, and his mom leaves when she finds out her husband wants to be a woman.
It is a little different and offbeat, but that is what makes this movie so unique. The acting by Clark Gregg,who plays Hank/Henrietta is outstanding! I've never seen him act before but I thought he played his characters with such great sensitivity and realness. The performances by both him and Grenier, who I did see in Drive me Crazy, are truly beautiful and you can't help but fall in love with their characters.
Sebastian is a great person who just wants to be good to others and along the way have what he calls 'his adventures'.
You will have to watch to see what these adventures actually consist of. You won't be disappointed.
The soundtrack is great too. Perfect compliment to an 80s' kind of film.

The Perfect Coming-of-Age Drama
I would have never known this movie existed, but my friend rented it on a whim and we both completely fell in love with this movie, the story, and the characters. This film truly has heart and truly has angst. The best quality of this film is that those two characteristics are perfectly placed throughout the movie. This movie takes place in the early eighties, but if you didn't know any better, you'd think it was made in the eighties. The accurate, yet subtle portrayal of the decade makes this movie so charming and realistic. There are no painfully or pathetically obvious references to the eighties, like that of The Wedding Singer, that insults the viewer. This is a very heartwarming film and after watching it you really feel as though you have lived and grown with Sebastian. Worthy of buying and watching with everyone you know.

Excellent Movie and Soundtrack
What a great little unknown movie. Can't say if it's worth the 70 or so bucks to buy, but it's a great rent. Enjoy !!! The ending wasn't what I'd expected...

"Leonardo"-like Lead, but where's the plot?
This should be re-named "Everybody Loves Sebastian". The 1983 rural go-nowhere town high school junior (or senior? - they seemd to flip flop on that one) with weird hair and "Leo-like" good looks has a big plate full of issues. His step-dad announces definite plans to have a sex-change operation, upon which his mom calls the marriage quits; Sebastian is called the "f" word by everyone and their mother, all-the-while "kissing around" with various girls, getting high on Ready-Whip at a supermarket, saving a "strawberry" prostitue from the clutches of her ruthless pimp; Sebastian's "buddies" make Eddie Haskal look like a choir boy, bad association doesn't get much worse; Sebastian seems to go for "Harold's" suicide attempts record (although he won't admit suicidal tendanccies); For no apparent reason the genius level SAT scoring Sebastian MUST graduate a year early, although he has no clue about the future, nor does he want to attend college (what give with this nonsense?).

This film is a look into a few weeks in the life of someone who is PRETTY MESSED UP. The final scene suggests that things will be alright, although the HOW is left up entirely to the viewer.

The makers of this film seem to bank solely on the undisputed appeal of the very attractive male lead. The "story" leaves a lot to be desired. Looking for "what will this gorgeous kid do next...?" doesn't exactly satisfy. The lackluster production values just don't measure up to other films, independent or otherwise. A low budget and weak story need more than a pretty face to carry it through. This one is definitely a one-time-watch.*** ... Read more

Reviews (50)

If there's nothing else to watch and you like the Wood-man
This movie is not going to fullfill anyone (even die-hard Woodie fans). I actually didn't mind the black and white if it had a purpose which it doesn't (aside from one forced joke). Kenneth Branagh was downright annoying with his impression of Woody (put something of your own into the character for God sakes). Judy Davis, although I loved her in Husbands & Wives, was a bit unwatchable in this one for some reason (maybe overacting?). And as for everyone who liked Leonardo, I thought it was further proof that he has no range as an actor and wouldn't know subltey if it hit him in the face. He's given a seen where he can smash lamps and say F**K a lot, in other words he's given a juicy role where it can appear likes he's really into it and he does it like any beginning actor would, not one original movement. The guy is horrible plain and simple. I liked Joe Mantegna a lot, very breezy and likeable and it was shot splendidly which is always nice to see. Watch it, if you have nothing else to watch, there are a few (and I mean a few) ammusing scenes (and watch for Tom Green as an extra!), but other than that, not that great a movie.

watch it again-you'll like it
Why do people keep expecting everything from Woody Allen to be "funny"? Like "Stardust Memories" or any number of his other movies, I would consider "Celebrity" more of a drama than a comedy. Yes, there are funny scenes, but there's more to it, I think. I didn't love the movie on first viewing, but I enjoy it more each time I see it. If you give it a chance and listen to what the director tells Melanie Griffith at the beginning about the "human condition", and how that relates to Kenneth Branagh (who I did NOT find annoying) at the end; and look deeper than Leonardo DiCaprio's small part, I think you'll find more than just jokes (or the absence thereof).

Every master has a low point
I consider myself a Woody Allen fan. I love his movies, his essays, his plays, and his stand-up routine. So it pains me to say that Celebrity is the first, and so far the only, movie by Allen that I had to shut off before it was over. It was so tedious, that I turned it off twice!

I don't know where to begin. This story, if you can call it that, was a messy hodge-podge. Sure, all actors considered are very talented, but their characters were not at all engaging and their respective plots were big empty holes.

Celebtity presents itself as a case study of celebrity life: the kind of life a celebrity leads and how a culture regards that celebrated personality. But the movie never does it. All it does it hop from one soap opera lilly pad to another with little unification.

The only part of the movie that upholds that promise is when Branaugh, a jabbering brainiac trying to get his screenplay off the ground, follows DiCaprio around Vegas, an arrogant teen movie star with a bad temper, trying to get him to look at his movie script. Only then does the word celebrity come to mind successfully. But this interaction is cut short as Branaugh flies back to NYC to do something, I don't even remember what.

Another part of the movie that made me grin was when Branaugh's soon to be live-in girlfriend realizes that he wants another woman. She takes the only copy of his manuscript, some book he was writing, and threw it out into the bay. That was priceless.

The rest though, is disposable. It's really hard to believe that this script came from the same guy who gave us Manhattan.

Perhaps the worst film ever made.
It is apparently impossible to give a film 0 stars, so I have had to give it one. A Godawful mess bereft of wit, rhythm, or interest. Kenneth Branagh is alternately irritating and embarrassing as he does his Woody impression for two hours. The only good in this film is Leonardo DiCaprio's 15 minutes, during which he blows the stagey, theatrical, northeastern smarty-pants segment of the cast out of the water. Seriously, if you enjoy this film on any level, there is something wrong with you. And I like Woody Allen.

DEJA VU FEELING...BUT A VERY BORING DEJA VU.
"Celebrity" features most of Woody Allen's trademarks: a huge number of characters, a lot of cameos, a lot of mini-stories that are connected between each other, and dialogues filled of whining, sexual allusions, irony and social satire. When the movie is well made, like "Hannah And Her Sisters", "Annie Hall" or "Manhattan", those Woody Allen's trademarks translate into a very good movie, with lots of fun and entertainment. But when is made like "Celebrity" the final result is a failure of a movie.

THE BEST: Without a doubt, Charlize Theron, Winona Ryder, Famke Janssen and Melanie Griffith are the best of the movie, all of them are beautiful women and make their scenes in "Celebrity" more interesting than they would have been without those gorgeous actresses.

Some of the dialogues in the Leonardo DiCaprio segments are funny and original. There are a lot of interesting cameos. The black & white photography gives personality to the film, in an era packed of explosions and computer generated special effects, is always interesting to see a black & white movie.

THE WORST: Without a doubt, the worst in the movie is the Kenneth Branagh character, he is a great actor, but in this movie he makes an increasingly irritating Woody Allen imitation. When the real Woody Allen is the central character, his voice, attitude and physic translate into a funny character, but when someone else does a cheap imitation, the central character becomes pathetic. A lot of the scenes and situations are very, very boring and pointless.

"Celebrity" is one of the less interesting movies of Woody Allen, it just feels too familiar, repetitive and boring. ... Read more

Description

From Todd Solondz, the critically acclaimed director of Welcome to the Dollhouse comes a film comprised of two separate stories set against the sadly comical terrain of college and high school, past and present. Following the paths of its young hopeful/troubled characters, it explores issues of sex, race, celebrity and exploitation. ... Read more

Reviews (61)

"Mandingo" and "Reality TV"
Although this third film by Todd Solondz is not as good as "Welcome To The Dollhouse" or "Happiness", it still smacks of satirical cynicism. Inexplicably split into two films ('Fiction', 'Non-fiction'), we are first presented with a twenty minute film about community college level 'writing', in which, a young woman has a confrontational and sexual sparring with the black, 'mandingo' teacher. It's all meant to be a comment on hypocritical racists in education. It culminates in an outrageous sex encounter that is literally 'blocked' by a large red rectangle (taboo emphasis). It's moderately entertaining.

The second part of the film is more complex. Without exposing too much of the plot, it involves (as "Happiness" did) classism, racism, sexism, oh hell, any 'ism' you could imagine. But it works. It is simply a story of an upper middle class American family with the 2.5 kids and the proper suburban parents with a perfect son, the 'imperfect' son and the 'baby'. Kudos to John Goodman and Julie Haggerdy for participating in this movie. They bring life and legitimacy to their roles. Solondz filmed this well before "reality TV" was popular, and that is the premise. While the imperfect son is being secretly filmed for a documentary, the family struggles through it's own unusually tragic existence (the youngest of the three sons is the 'Brady Bunch brat' we always thought we wanted to see as evil). Needless to say, Solondz produces many shocks and surprises along the way. The trip is wildly entertaining, but the finale may leave the viewer distraught. Not that the story is poorly conceived or arranged, but simply that the ending is horribly, terribly depressing. It still good enough to recommend. I consider that a rare accomplishment for any film-maker.

3 Stars for Part 2: "Non-Fiction"
When I was a kid "story-telling" was a nice way of saying someone was lying. And even though I will not make the obvious jump and say the Todd Solondz is lying in "Storytelling," I will say that he is at least disingenuous and at worst a fraud.
"Storytelling" is broken up into two parts: "Fiction," starring Selma Blair as a college writing student in love with a fellow student, who has Cerebral Palsy and "Non-Fiction," starring John Goodman, patriarch of a family of mis-fits and neurotics; one of whom is his slacker son Scooby, who wants to become the next Conan O'Brian (!) but refuses to study and apply to college.
The "Fiction" section of the film is noteworthy only in that the writing professor states( and I am paraphrasing here): When you begin to write about something, whether it be "true" or not...it becomes fiction. A pretty interesting comment resonating with meaning and subtext which is totally unlike the movie that surrounds it. The acting is flat, non reactional and amateurish with Selma Blair coming off worst. This role and her performance in it is merely an extension of her histrionics and whining in "Cruel Intentions." Painful.
The "Non-Fiction" section of this film is another story: there's some meat here to grab on to with Paul Giamatti playing a down-on-his-luck documentary film maker who convinves John Goodman that his slacker son, Scooby would be the perfect star of a docu-drama centering on the "alienated youth of the suburbs" Solondz is at his best here and the dead-pan dialogue and situations ring true and yet are subversive and thought-provoking.
"Storytelling" would have been a much better film had Solondz decided to hack off the "Fiction" section and extend the second. "Storytelling" may tarnish the Solondz mantel a bit, but for those of us who can appreciate the incendiary nature of his wit, we still have "Happiness" and "Welcome to the Dollhouse" to keep us warm until the next Solondz film is released.

Brilliant vision of how to tell a story¿
The mode of portraying a tale is in focus in Storytelling through two different stories that are disconnected, yet associated to one another, as one deals with the fictional and the other the non-fictional. In the first part, Fiction, Vi (Selma Blair) is in a relationship with Marcus (Leo Fitzpatrick) who suffers from cerebral palsy and both are attending the same university. Vi and Marcus are currently enrolled in the same creative writing class where the students scrutinize each other's writing. Fiction exposes how personal experiences are turned into writing, which is callously slaughtered by judgmental readers as they their own set of values to the cerebral playing field of literature.

The second part of Storytelling, Non-fiction, illiterates the reality of the world as Scooby Livingston (Mark Webber) perceives it. Scooby lives in a upper-class bubble protected by his ruling father, Marty (John Goodman), where Scooby is constantly asked, "what are you going to do with your life?" This endless questioning of Scooby's future seems to have been stressful for him as he has sunk into a zombie-like state. Scooby escapes reality through smoking pot or chewing down a couple of mushrooms where he flees into dreams of working as a co-host with David Letterman. The day when a shoe salesman, who aspires to make film, visits Scooby's high school in order to make a documentary about the process of entering college Scooby believes that this is his chance to make connections in the world of media. However, when the documentary comes along it begins to depict the dream-like world in which Scooby lives in.

Storytelling is a clever film that displays the symbiosis between the audience and the storyteller, which is meticulously directed by Solondz. Solondz depicts the power of the audience to choose what to believe and what to disregard if it is not portrayed in an manner that the audience can accept. In addition, Solondz offers a notion of how the power of storytelling can sway an audience's convictions in a chosen direction if carefully planned. In a sense Storytelling is a philosophical film in regards to film and film making, which can be derived from the economics, politics, and the arts. Yet, the philosophical debate of Storytelling is deep beneath the surface as the audience must use a dialectic approach in order to reach it. Nonetheless, Storytelling offers a terrific cinematic experience as it offers the audience to choose whether to sink into thought or merely enjoy the ride.

Look Again
If you strongly dislike this movie, I suggest reading Crowley's scathing early reviews of Faulkner; then read Crowley's later praise of the same works. Initially, Crowley was appalled by what he projected as Faulkner's baseness. Eventually he came to apprehend Faulkner's genius to see, describe, and even love 'man.' For me, the film is upsetting because the gaze is unbroken and the subjects are living/struggling in the world. Like Faulkner, Solondz is looking at his time. His view point is not ridiculing (that view is delt with in young pill to the right of the prof).

Interesting work.
Storytelling is an interesting movie that portrays the contemporary North American society.

It emphasizes the pitiful importance of the individual as the stem of a civilization; The mistaken use of woman's sexuality as a way to communicate love, pity, confusion and anger; reflects the worth that society has given to women as objects and shows the deep divisions between people of different socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. Racism and the outcast of minorities are other elements shown but the most shocking issue is the dominant influence of media in our own lives. A single minute of fame and popularity could be worth the permanent loss of our values, personal convictions and even the lives of our most beloved ones.

A movie with content and meaning. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Solid movie, but a bit pricey for bare-boned DVD
The Amazon editor summed up the plot, and there is not much to add there.

Scarlett Johannson and Mary Kay Place were very entertaining, as was the movie in general. It did not have any Oscar-caliber aspects to it, however.

The DVD itself has a good image quality, but there were no features other than scene selection, and a trailer to 3 other movies.

It is very over-priced for what you get, but if you are a fan of any of the three lead actresses, it may be worth it to you.

GREAT MOVIE!
I saw Manny and Lo for the first time on the OXYGEN channel earlier this year and fell in love with it. The movie is very entertaining and funny at times, I'm so glad that it is finally coming out on Dvd! I'm going to be at the front of the line buying this one when it comes out in January.

a early Scarlett Johansson role
Two orphan girls kidnap an eccentric woman from a baby store. One of the sisters is pregnant and holding her hostage proves to be most handy. A young Scarlett Johansson plays the younger smarter one. The rebellious teenager and the woman take time to adjust to each other but a bond is eventually drawn between the three. Scarlett is amazing in this. Her performance is mature and far beyond her age. I'm hardly surprised by her recent success. She deserves it. She didn't just pop up overnight. The hot dish references made me roar. I can so relate.

No men allowed
This is the sweetest film. It's definitely a "chick thing" with Manny and Lo and Elaine bonding around an infant to be (Lo's). No men are allowed in this paradise. One appears and he gets bopped over the head, gagged and hog-tied. This is a fem-family made on the run. Lo (Aleska Palladino) in her high teens runs away from a foster home with her younger sister, Manny (Scarlett Johansson). It's a Thelma and Louise crime spree made as a movie for children. Well, not quite. Turns out Lo's pregnant. She has been hiding this from 11-year-old Manny, who has the eye of Sherlock Holmes and is the brains of this team. They find a rather nice, used only during the ski season, cabin in the woods and hole up to await the stork. They spot Elaine (Mary Kay Place), a lonely spinster working in a baby clothes shop and kidnap her to help deliver the baby. Everybody, despite gruff exteriors, has a heart of gold, and togetherness and loving concern prevail. And what's wrong with that?

Nothing really. But I was thinking: this is the obverse of male war movies where none or few women appear, men doing their manly thing killing one another, women irrelevant. I think that's the key word here for director Lisa Krueger: in the reproductive game that is war by other means, men are irrelevant. Or almost so. In war it doesn't matter how many men are killed. As long as there are some left the population will quickly spring back. Kill the women, though, and you have a serious population problem. Manny and Lo and Elaine prove that you really don't need the male: his sperm will do, and that way you don't have to put up with his loutish behavior.

I think I got this right. Anyway, it's a cute movie.

Super movie!
This is a wonderfully, sweet movie, with superb acting and a fantastic script. There is no cheap sentimentality-- just real human issues and real, genuine relationships. Just trust me! If you like independent movies that are truly original, creative and not out-of-the-box, you will love Manny and Lo. ... Read more

Reviews (27)

Great Movie! :-)
I saw this movie three times, and each time I found something else that I liked about it. I have only seen Vince Vaughn in "Swingers" and "Psycho" and I must say that his performance in this movie was wonderful. All of the roles I have seen in him are so completely different, and his ability to portray such different characters shows his talent.

As for this movie, I loved it. Very rarely do you see a movie about a single father. This movie shows that fathers love and care about their children too and that it is not just the mother who can do those things. The child who played Calvin, Bobby Moat, is absolutely adorable and he and Vaughn had a great chemistry in the film.

I highly recommend this movie. I only wish I could afford to buy it! :-(

ENGAGING!
From beginning to end, "A Cool Dry Place" genuinely entices the viewer. My 20-year old son introduced Vince Vaughn's acting versatility to me when he rented "Clay Pigeons"; his cool, suave manner could "best" James Bond's attitude anyday - and you have to love that "unique" laughter! "Psycho", "Swingers" and "The Lost World:Jurassic Park" are GREAT movies (between my son and I, we own them all), but Vince Vaughn's performance in "A Cool Dry Place" is charming and attractive! Any actor who can portray a "cold, deadly" killer in one movie, but yet portray a loving, but firm, Father in this movie has "Oscar" written into his future.

Joey Lauren Adams was well cast for this film. I bought "Dazed and Confused" last year because I also suffered from the "screwed-up" seventies and graduated from high school in May 1976. I completely related to that movie! I thought Joey Lauren Adams was "Renee Zellweger" - Sorry Joey! After watching "Big Daddy", I had no doubt that there is a BIG difference between the two actresses. Her throaty, sometimes high-pitched, sexy voice is enough to drive Vince Vaughn WILD! She may be a "Veterinarian's assistant", but she HAS MORE CLASS than the woman, Monica Potter, who portrays the "truant" wife. Even though she is "just" the girl friend, she has more wisdom when it comes to "rearing" children and "what is best for the child" and her acting is SUPERB!

Bobby Moat as Calvin is EXCELLENT! A beautiful child and an impressive actor!

Like Samantha K. (Gainesville,FL), I wish I could afford to buy this movie NOW!

One thing leads to another
This is the film that sparked my interest in Vince Vaughan. His performance in this film is so sweet and well done that I just had to have more. Imoved on to Swingers, the Locusts, and another favorite, Clay Pigeons. He doesn't seem to do films like these anymore, so this is definately a great place to start your Vince Vaughan collection.

The Movie is absolutely amazing!!
There are a couple reasons why I highly recommend this movie. One of the most compelling reasons is found in the caliber of the cast involved. The acting job is quite spectacular, very realistic, and the story is very vivid and at the same time rough. Many times a director can't capture the audience's attention on "Every day life" type movies. In this movie, the director hit the nail right on the head! I would stack this movie up against "Lord of the Rings", "The Matrix series", "Fast and the Furious", etc any day. Bottom Line- This movie is genuine and a real piece of art work.

this is a WONDERFUL movie!...
The only reason I heard of this movie was because of Joey Lauren Adams, but I am SO GLAD I hunted it down! It's such a sweet tale, but most importantly, it is REALISTIC. There is no pure evil or pure good in this movie. I found myself sympathizing with each character. The casting is unbelievable. Vince Vaughn and Joey Adams are so convincing and were cast perfectly. The little boy is adorable, i hope to see more of him! I bought this when I was single and childless, and now that i have a 16 month old and husband, it hits me twice as hard. Definitely a tearjerker towards the end. ... Read more

Description

Family secrets, simmering anger, and reporessed sexual desires vividly capture life in the Deep South.Griffith, a morose young man, orphaned as a child, dreams of leaving home but feels tied down by his cousin (who is also his lover) and his invalid aunt.When a mysterious man appears to rent the family cottage, Griffith is tantalized with the possibility of escape and homoerotic fulfillment. ... Read more

Reviews (59)

Worth your time, money, and emotions
This movie will leave an imprint on your mind similar to the stain left by walking barefoot on the soil of many southern states. I was glad to see that this film was not full of sex and nudity that is easily found in other movies if that is what you're looking for. You will be pleasantly surprised by the involved soundtrack and stunning cinematography, but the real story here is what shines through and makes you want to watch it over and over. The cast performances by all of the main characters are absolutely amazing. There are tears and there is absolute joy, along with a lot of raw human emotion that isn't over dramatized or out of a bottle. I whole heartedly recommend this story if you would like a gay drama that is more than a few guys walking around in front of a camera making out. I rented this movie and within the first few minutes of the film, I knew it was one I would want to purchase to keep and watch. The story unfolds on so many levels - it gives me the same feeling felt when reading a very well written book, with vivid imagery, characters so real you feel like you're them, and a story that you'll catch yourself thinking back to. Get it - for this price you'd be a fool not to. I can't wait to see what the director comes out with next (this is his first feature length film! amazing!)

A First Film's Imbalances, but Most Romantic Kiss Ever
This is Purvis's first film, and it benefits and suffers from typical first-film issues: great attention to cinematography, colors, scenery, etc., some difficulty in plot and character development and pacing. This is an indie in the truest sense. I think, however, it merrits viewing.

The story focuses on a young man and his female cousin, both the last two of their generation stuck in a small, rural Southern town. The red dirt of the title is a prominent thematic in both the soil of the land and even the tint to the cousin's hair. Out of pure drugery and directionlessness, the two cousins engage in a sexual relationship devoid of any passion--a metaphor for their entire condition in this small town.

The young man lives with his aunt who has suffered from mental illness ever since the death of his parents, and an important side story examines the aunt's emergence from mental illness to greater participation in the world.

Eventually, an attractive stranger shows up to rent the cottage in back of the house, played by very attractive Walt Goggins. The stranger and the young man become fast friends, having much in common and sharing a need for "direction." The development of this relationship should have been the focus of the plot, but Purvis glosses over how and why the friendship takes on the intensity that it is.

In short, the two men are falling in love--but it takes a while to get to the point where they are clear that that is happening to them. When it finally does--watch out! Their kiss is the most romantic kiss in cinema I have seen, gay or straight. it is not a sloppy, sexual kiss at all--it is a meaningful, sensual kiss that is at once an act of coming-out, an act of defiance, and act of self-preservation, and an act of intense love. I have to say that the sloth of the rest of the movie was truly worth it to appreciate this particular moment.

This is a fine first showing from Purvis, and I would welcome a remake of this particular film one day (with the same cast) with greater attention to pacing and focused, salient plot and character development.

The movie is worth seeing especially if you are a film buff or are interested in watching the evolution of a director's career. I expect Purvis will blossom into a major player.

Touching
No clubing, drag Queens or getting high here, but a lot of emotions. One of the best films I've seen.

Just... A... Little... Slow... and Incomplet.....
It appears most reviewer either loved "Red Dirt" or hated it. I certainly wish I'd liked it better. The cinematography is gorgeous (as everyone agrees); I'm okay with the acting; the script, however, slowly, ponderously, goes nowhere--which is the point of this film, I suppose. I recommend renting this film if you're hankering to experience vicariously the life of a young, bored, gay man (but not out to himself or anyone) trapped by circumstances and a dysfunctional, immediate family to continue in an empty, unfulfilled existence in the deep South, rather than take some chances, make some changes and move on.

No hunky go-go boys
This film is not for everybody. If you are an urban or suburban Gay and you're looking for a movie full of characters and settings that are comfortably familiar to your own big-city gay-bar milieu, you won't find that here. On the other hand, if you've ever lived in the South, or in any rural area where time moves slower and "character" describes more what is within a person than their outward dress or affectations, you will find this very believable, and you will be impressed by the rich, colorful, and authentic people and events in this movie.

No, it's not a "hilarious, predictable, deliriously romantic and sexy feel-good" movie like "I Think I Do."

No, it doesn't have any "aspiring Broadway songwriters" or "hunky go-go boys" or "acidic, motor-mouthed drag queens" like the movie "Trick."

What it does have, as another reviewer here has said, is "profound and multi-layered story-telling at its finest." It's a deeply touching story, with stunning cinematography and amazing cast performances. ... Read more

Reviews (61)

"Mandingo" and "Reality TV"
Although this third film by Todd Solondz is not as good as "Welcome To The Dollhouse" or "Happiness", it still smacks of satirical cynicism. Inexplicably split into two films ('Fiction', 'Non-fiction'), we are first presented with a twenty minute film about community college level 'writing', in which, a young woman has a confrontational and sexual sparring with the black, 'mandingo' teacher. It's all meant to be a comment on hypocritical racists in education. It culminates in an outrageous sex encounter that is literally 'blocked' by a large red rectangle (taboo emphasis). It's moderately entertaining.

The second part of the film is more complex. Without exposing too much of the plot, it involves (as "Happiness" did) classism, racism, sexism, oh hell, any 'ism' you could imagine. But it works. It is simply a story of an upper middle class American family with the 2.5 kids and the proper suburban parents with a perfect son, the 'imperfect' son and the 'baby'. Kudos to John Goodman and Julie Haggerdy for participating in this movie. They bring life and legitimacy to their roles. Solondz filmed this well before "reality TV" was popular, and that is the premise. While the imperfect son is being secretly filmed for a documentary, the family struggles through it's own unusually tragic existence (the youngest of the three sons is the 'Brady Bunch brat' we always thought we wanted to see as evil). Needless to say, Solondz produces many shocks and surprises along the way. The trip is wildly entertaining, but the finale may leave the viewer distraught. Not that the story is poorly conceived or arranged, but simply that the ending is horribly, terribly depressing. It still good enough to recommend. I consider that a rare accomplishment for any film-maker.

3 Stars for Part 2: "Non-Fiction"
When I was a kid "story-telling" was a nice way of saying someone was lying. And even though I will not make the obvious jump and say the Todd Solondz is lying in "Storytelling," I will say that he is at least disingenuous and at worst a fraud.
"Storytelling" is broken up into two parts: "Fiction," starring Selma Blair as a college writing student in love with a fellow student, who has Cerebral Palsy and "Non-Fiction," starring John Goodman, patriarch of a family of mis-fits and neurotics; one of whom is his slacker son Scooby, who wants to become the next Conan O'Brian (!) but refuses to study and apply to college.
The "Fiction" section of the film is noteworthy only in that the writing professor states( and I am paraphrasing here): When you begin to write about something, whether it be "true" or not...it becomes fiction. A pretty interesting comment resonating with meaning and subtext which is totally unlike the movie that surrounds it. The acting is flat, non reactional and amateurish with Selma Blair coming off worst. This role and her performance in it is merely an extension of her histrionics and whining in "Cruel Intentions." Painful.
The "Non-Fiction" section of this film is another story: there's some meat here to grab on to with Paul Giamatti playing a down-on-his-luck documentary film maker who convinves John Goodman that his slacker son, Scooby would be the perfect star of a docu-drama centering on the "alienated youth of the suburbs" Solondz is at his best here and the dead-pan dialogue and situations ring true and yet are subversive and thought-provoking.
"Storytelling" would have been a much better film had Solondz decided to hack off the "Fiction" section and extend the second. "Storytelling" may tarnish the Solondz mantel a bit, but for those of us who can appreciate the incendiary nature of his wit, we still have "Happiness" and "Welcome to the Dollhouse" to keep us warm until the next Solondz film is released.

Brilliant vision of how to tell a story¿
The mode of portraying a tale is in focus in Storytelling through two different stories that are disconnected, yet associated to one another, as one deals with the fictional and the other the non-fictional. In the first part, Fiction, Vi (Selma Blair) is in a relationship with Marcus (Leo Fitzpatrick) who suffers from cerebral palsy and both are attending the same university. Vi and Marcus are currently enrolled in the same creative writing class where the students scrutinize each other's writing. Fiction exposes how personal experiences are turned into writing, which is callously slaughtered by judgmental readers as they their own set of values to the cerebral playing field of literature.

The second part of Storytelling, Non-fiction, illiterates the reality of the world as Scooby Livingston (Mark Webber) perceives it. Scooby lives in a upper-class bubble protected by his ruling father, Marty (John Goodman), where Scooby is constantly asked, "what are you going to do with your life?" This endless questioning of Scooby's future seems to have been stressful for him as he has sunk into a zombie-like state. Scooby escapes reality through smoking pot or chewing down a couple of mushrooms where he flees into dreams of working as a co-host with David Letterman. The day when a shoe salesman, who aspires to make film, visits Scooby's high school in order to make a documentary about the process of entering college Scooby believes that this is his chance to make connections in the world of media. However, when the documentary comes along it begins to depict the dream-like world in which Scooby lives in.

Storytelling is a clever film that displays the symbiosis between the audience and the storyteller, which is meticulously directed by Solondz. Solondz depicts the power of the audience to choose what to believe and what to disregard if it is not portrayed in an manner that the audience can accept. In addition, Solondz offers a notion of how the power of storytelling can sway an audience's convictions in a chosen direction if carefully planned. In a sense Storytelling is a philosophical film in regards to film and film making, which can be derived from the economics, politics, and the arts. Yet, the philosophical debate of Storytelling is deep beneath the surface as the audience must use a dialectic approach in order to reach it. Nonetheless, Storytelling offers a terrific cinematic experience as it offers the audience to choose whether to sink into thought or merely enjoy the ride.

Look Again
If you strongly dislike this movie, I suggest reading Crowley's scathing early reviews of Faulkner; then read Crowley's later praise of the same works. Initially, Crowley was appalled by what he projected as Faulkner's baseness. Eventually he came to apprehend Faulkner's genius to see, describe, and even love 'man.' For me, the film is upsetting because the gaze is unbroken and the subjects are living/struggling in the world. Like Faulkner, Solondz is looking at his time. His view point is not ridiculing (that view is delt with in young pill to the right of the prof).

Interesting work.
Storytelling is an interesting movie that portrays the contemporary North American society.

It emphasizes the pitiful importance of the individual as the stem of a civilization; The mistaken use of woman's sexuality as a way to communicate love, pity, confusion and anger; reflects the worth that society has given to women as objects and shows the deep divisions between people of different socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. Racism and the outcast of minorities are other elements shown but the most shocking issue is the dominant influence of media in our own lives. A single minute of fame and popularity could be worth the permanent loss of our values, personal convictions and even the lives of our most beloved ones.

A movie with content and meaning. ... Read more