Since it was a nice, mellow (three-day) weekend, I decided to catch up on some of my Netflix movies that have been gathering dust on my shelf. One of these was Southland Tales, the second feature from writer/director Richard Kelly. His first was the cult hit Donnie Darko, which was totally brilliant. Southland Tales had a lot of expectations to live up to, and with a cast featuring nearly every B-list actor in Hollywood, how could it go wrong?
Things start off interesting enough, with America paranoid in the wake of a nuclear attack in Texas. The Patriot Act has been extended and strengthened. And we're at war with several countries in the Mid-East. The main story revolves around Dwayne Johnson (a famous actor married to the daughter of the Republican vice-presidential candidate), Seann William Scott (an LA cop and his twin brother), and Sarah Michelle Gellar (a clueless, but well-intentioned, porn star). Let me just say that these three people are probably my least favourite actors on the planet. What's surprising is how well they all do. Equally surprising is how many comedic actors turn up in dramatically violent roles. SNL alumni Cheri Oteri and Amy Poehler play feminist members of an underground left-wing extremist group. Arguably, the best of the ensemble cast is Justin Timberlake, an Iraq war veteran who narrates and quotes Revelation from an off-shore gun turret.
The first two-thirds of the film sets up a plot full of double agents, mistaken identities, people with amnesia who may not even exist, and a perpetual motion machine. It's equal parts sci-fi epic, black comedy, and musical satire. But that's probably it's downfall, too. Mr. Kelly wears his politics on his sleeve, and tries to do too much. The third act buckles under its own weight, and you're left wondering what really happened, if anything at all. Oddly enough, this is how I feel about Donnie Darko, but even that didn't seem to be as much of a mess as this film.
I don't normally review films, even if I absolutely love them, but I just can't shake this one. I have no problem recommending it if you're feeling adventurous. Just remember that there are just as many parts to hate as there are to love (probably more). The pinnacle is a musical number featuring Justin Timberlake in an arcade lip-synching to "All These Things That I've Done" by The Killers. It's poignant and glorious and nearly brought a tear to my eye. (Yes, you can see this scene on YouTube, but please, watch it in the context of the entire film. It's better that way.) This film was met with very mixed reviews, which sometimes accompany better films than ones that are unanimously positive. True, it's a mess, but an ambitous and passionate one.
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