Genres

Visitors Review

Jennifer Preyss 2012-05-25 02:11:07

On balance, it's a movie worth seeing with its artistic inserts, appropriate soundtrack and organic performances.

gradyharp 2012-05-24 18:40:18

'You think you are changing a tribe, until the tribe changes you'

From the opening scenes of FIERCE PEOPLE (an interplay of tribalcustoms as photographed by the anthropologist father of the youngnarrator Finn Earl, demonstrating why this South American tribe ofIshkanani is so fierce) the direction of the film is nebulous: are wewatching a dark comedy about comparing life in the New York streets touncivilized peoples, or is this a message film of a more seriousintent? But as the story develops this fine line between entertainmentand philosophical impact becomes increasingly clear. Griffin Dunne'sdirection of Dirk Wittenborn's adaptation of his novel may be a bitcareless at times as it strays from rational plot development, but inthe end there is a strong enough final impact to patch up the holes hecreated.Our narrator Finn Earl (Anton Yelchin) lives with his coke-addictedmasseuse/sexually obsessed mother Liz (Diane Lane) in New York, waitingfor the summer when he is to join his anthropologist father on a fieldtrip to South America (a father he knows only from letters and videos),when a drug bust abruptly changes their lives: one of Liz's wealthyclients Ogden Osborne (Donald Sutherland) rescues the down and outfamily and moves them to his ten acre estate, the epitome of wealth andpower. In exchange for being Osborne's private masseuse, Liz and Finncan live in the mansion with the 'filthy rich' Osbornes - daughter Mrs.Langley (Elizabeth Perkins) and grandchildren Bryce (Chris Evans) andMaya (Kristen Stewart). Osborne and his physician lead Liz on thedrying out path and Finn bonds with Osborne and his grandchildren, anddespite the disparity in poor versus wealthy, the living situationworks - for a while. Incidents occur to alter feelings and Finn isattacked and raped by a masked assailant, a turning point for the filmand Finn's view of the Osborne family. Osborne reveals his past to Finnand together they manage to discover the truth about Finn's troublingincident - and also about the fierce disease of the wealthy class.The film uses many clips of tribal activity during the film, drawingsome disturbing parallels for some of the more challenging scenes. Forthis viewer that works well, but when the director elects to placetribal individuals in full regalia within the context of the Osborneestate, the concept feel contrived, as though the audience has to beforced to 'get it'. The various subplots between maid Jilly (Paz de laHuerta) and Finn and the introduction of an obese retarded chalk artistWhitney (Branden Williams) push the credibility edge of emphasizing theline between the wealthy and the 'lower class', but the performances bySutherland, Lane, and Yelchin are strong enough to make us forgive thefilm's lapses. Not a great film but one with a lot of worthy ideassplashed around on the screen of a project that often feels lost in itsstruggle for direction. Grady Harp

msdavamarie 2012-05-15 10:21:52

I liked it!

I thought this was a very good movie. Someone said it was 'sick' sothey couldn't watch it. I think if you realize its rated R then youwill be prepared for the nudity and drug use. It is a good story andthe acting is amazing. Just can't be a prude to appreciate it! Itsbasically about a mom who does drugs and wants to get clean so shecalls a very wealthy old friend and he moves them to his estate andcrazy things happen. I guess it is a drama. I am just so sick of peoplewho don't like movies because of cursing or nudity. That is the worldwe live in. You obviously aren't comfortable with yourself if you can'tsee things like this movie. And it's rated R. So, that should tell youfrom the beginning that its not all peachy happy rainbows. I liked it.I think you will too!

Dan Franzen 2012-05-14 20:32:55

Muddled movie loses its way

In Fierce People, a sixteen-year-old boy (Anton Yelchin) is forced toforgo a summer with his dad observing tribes in South America (thefierce people) for a summer with his drug- and booze-dependent mom(Diane Lane) in upstate New York when she's hired as the full-timemasseuse to a super-duper-rich man (Donald Sutherland). But the movieveers sharply from charming comedy to turgid melodrama and never trulyfinds its way. In spite of some spirited performances (particularly byLane), Griffin Dunne's film doesn't really have an identity, andwithout a solid identity, it can be a tough movie to follow and enjoy.Liz (Lane) and Finn (Yelchin) are a dysfunctional family living in NewYork. She's a cokehead and drunk who puts out for some of her masseuseclients (but she does have a degree in massage therapy). He's a goodkid who sometimes enables her, because she's a great mom during thoserare moments when she's not hammered. At any rate, fate intervenes andkeeps Finn from seeing his dad, a renowned anthropologist, in theSouthern Hemisphere; instead, he and his mom are schlepped to theHamptons so she can give Ogden Osbourne (Sutherland) his dailyrubdowns, and here Finn decides to observe a different kind of tribe,that of the filthy rich. Of course, he can't just observe, and heslowly ingratiates himself into Osbourne's fiefdom, befriending hisgrandson Bryce (Chris Evans, who looks like a young Stephen Baldwin)and falling in love with his granddaughter (Kristen Stewart, once thetyke from Panic Room). Liz and Finn are given a house and a car, andnaturally the rumors fly about Liz's true relationship with Osbourne.Most of the acting ranges from sweet (Yelchin) to a bit hammy(Sutherland, who even gets to sing), but it's Lane who truly stands outwith a bravura, top-notch performance. Her Liz is intensely andsimultaneously vulnerable and strong; she lives not for herself but forthe love of her son, which has ebbed quite substantially in recentyears. Liz has to do battle with her teen son, her own ambitions andself-confidence, and the suspicious eyes of Osbourne's family,particularly his daughter (Elizabeth Perkins), a bit of a lush in herown right. Lane is still exquisitely beautiful, and she carries herselfwith a fragile grace; she almost seems attainable to a normal person,in other words, not like a Star.The movie covers some pretty strong subjects, from sexual awakenings,gun violence, major drug use (including acid), and murder, but often itfeels like just a melting pot of weirdness, as if the protagonists weremerely flitting from tragedy to tragedy; Finn is sort of a combinationbetween Dean Moriarity and Homer Bailey. But unlike the wallflowerBailey, as played by Tobey Maguire, Yelchin's Finn is good and sincere,but he's proactive. He desperately wants his mom to get better, but healso wants things for himself, like a warm female. He's a smartass, buthe's not some grinning idiot who's happy to take the kindness of otherswithout offering anything in return.Oh, and then there's the film's eventual villain, a person you'll spota mile away, a good thirty minutes before his identity is revealed. Themovie will ask, "Who could have done this?" and you'll reply, "Thatguy, over there. Duh." It's that obvious. At first, I thought thatperhaps it was a little too obvious, that the movie would pull aswitcheroo at the last minute. You know, a red herring to throw me offthe scent. But, nope. Fraid not. It was that person all along. And thatkind of annoyed me, because up until then I was sure that the movie wasgoing to be tightly plotted, with some genuine twists tossed in. Sadly,no. And the ending is a little too clean for my tastes; I like myendings jagged, like a used sponge.

Cassandra 2012-05-06 22:22:49

my review of Fierce People

Went to the premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in NYC and Iabsolutely loved the film!!! I am Diane's #1 biggest fan and of course,as always, she gave a magnificent performance!! I have seen everysingle one of her movies and I must say that this is one of my newfavorites. Diane was funny and moving and just took my breath away.Donald Sutherland was surprisingly humorous but also a good amount ofserious. Anton Yelchin is just a wonderful young actor and gave anamazing performance. All in all, I recommend this film to anyone whocan appreciate an excellent movie. 10 thumbs up!!! I would definitelygo see it again and again and again. This is the best film of the yearso far!!!

Chad Greene 2012-05-06 11:14:43

Griffin Dunne and Dirk Wittenborn think they're pretty clever.

Clint Morris 2012-05-06 01:33:02

divine performances from Lane and Sutherland

dallesmac 2012-05-05 13:07:52

Top-notch performances keep this spotty effort afloat

"Fierce People" is a quirky coming-of-age tale told through the darklens of a learning that the lives of the very rich are really blackestcomedy. Uneven direction and a spotty screenplay (based by the authoron his novel) almost do this movie in. What saves it is a gallery offirst-rate performances by a fine cast. The acting is uniformlyexcellent, which keeps the viewer from focusing on what is basicallyvery familiar territory.You have to hand it to Diane Lane. Her role as the alcoholic(apparently recovering) mom is poorly written and inconsistentlyconceived by the director. But she gives it all she's got (which isplenty) and her later scenes with her son (also well portrayed by AntonYelchin) achieve a depth and emotional impact that is a great credit toboth actors. That depth sure isn't in the script.Donald Sutherland is in great form as the seventh richest man inAmerican who brings New York City masseuse Lane and her teenage son tothe wilds of richest New Jersey. As his granddaughter, Kristen Stewartshows why she has zoomed to stardom in the "Twilight" films and tocritical acclaim in movies like "Adventureland." Not only does thecamera love her, she pays it back in full with a performance here thatis remarkable for its subtle depths. (Watch her face when she gets inthe black Mercedes in the movie's final scene.) As the grandson, ChrisEvans is vivid and effective. (The camera loves him too.) The rest ofthe cast is great too. But highest praise goes to Elizabeth Perkins asSutherland's alcoholic daughter (and mother of those aforementionedchildren). It's a small role, but she really comes across as shecomically portrays a lifetime of privilege and desperation.Despite the fine performances, many scenes fall flat and slide intoconfusion. Some of this may be due to the poor audio recording (atleast on the DVD). Some of this may also be due to the inconsistentemotional focus of the script (which really needed another couple ofrewrites, probably NOT by the author of the original novel).Nice location work, though, wherever that estate was that most of themovie was shot!

Tasha Robinson 2012-05-05 10:18:24

The idea that rich people are an alien tribe is just one of many that get lost in Wittenborn's distracted script.

2012-05-04 22:59:53

Unbelievable people

If they gave an Oscar for most contrived story, this film would be a nominee. The film opens with Finn (Anton Yelchin), the teenage protagonist and narrator, viewing a copy of his father's documentary of a primitive South American tribe whose name translates "fierce people." Finn's father is a noted anthropologist who, after discovering the fierce people, returned to to the States just long enough to deliver a few lectures and impregnate Finn's mother (Diane Lane), then a college student, before returning to the jungles of South America. Although he never married Finn's mother, Dad has kept in touch with his son, and he has given him the next best thing to a live-in father: a copy of his documentary. I have read that the book on which this is based puts the story in the late-`70s, which, apparently, accounts for the documentary being in the form of a 16-mm film. Finn drags documentary and his trusty 16-mm projector with him through the film, drawing upon the documentary for wisdom and strength, or, perhaps, watching it simply because he's as bored with the goings-on around him as I was. We, too, get to watch stretches of the documentary. The parallels between the primitive fierce people of the documentary and the rich depicted in this film being obvious to anyone with an IQ above 80.How do Finn and his mother find themselves living among the family of Ogden Osborne (Donald Sutherland), the seventh richest man in the United States? Apparently, on the strength of Finn's mother, a masseuse, having worked her magic on Mr. Osborne (or, perhaps, she has her own 16-mm film of those sessions). At any rate, it requires only a phone call from Finn's mother for Mr. Osborne to intercede in a legal problem confronting Finn, and then to whisk mother and son away and ensconce them in an enchanting cottage on his estate. There, Finn comes among the family Osborne, a cast of characters designed to put an exclamation mark to F. Scott Fitzgerald's observation that the rich are different. In the course of all this, Finn encounters romance, sex, and a lot of strange hokem in the woods of the estate (which even at night are extraordinarily well lit); learns the Osborne family's secret; and is sodomized by a mystery assailant whose identity is apparent long before the writers intend it. Thanks to these experiences, and to the insight gained from watching Dad's documentary, it is a wiser Finn who, with his mother and an escort of the South American fierce people (really!), leaves the Osborne estate at film's end. I didn't believe a minute of it.I give the film two stars because of Donald Sutherland's presence. The role of Ogden Osborne doesn't require much of Mr. Sutherland, but watching him on cruise control is more interesting than watching most other actors in overdrive. I've never been impressed by Diane Lane's performances or with the films in which she has had major roles. Using Amazon's rating system, I would give her career to date three stars. Fortunately for her, a three-star actress is an asset in this film.

2012-04-28 11:15:50

Great Movie

This movie makes you see how the poor people try to fit into a rich family. The movie draws you in and makes you want to watch more of it.

2012-04-27 18:39:41

Underrated Excellence

This was a truley excellent film! Fierce People, a novel by Dirk Wittenborn, is a coming of age novel in the horrors that are the incredibly rich. The film stayed true to the book almost all the time, and provided brilliant acting in Donald Sutherland, Diane Lane, Anton Yelchin, Chris Evens, and Kristen Stewart. Coupled with the steller line-up of stars, this movie is Oscar-worthy by far! A+

Nathan Rabin 2012-04-27 07:23:27

Dunne's messy, unpredictable, yet weirdly vital movie veers from one extreme to another without finding a consistent tone, but Sutherland never strikes a wrong note.

2012-04-27 02:28:22

fierce people, not so fierce movie

This is an uneven film. The first half is pleasant enough, but the plot develops so slowly as to go virtually nowhere. Then the movie takes a sudden dark turn, and though it held my attention from here out, it seemed too different, almost like watching a separate movie. The film has some fine moments of insights and sentiments, and it also contains moments that feel contrived and forced. High caliber actors did their usual fine job, but most of the characters are presented superficially. The attempt to draw parallels to an indigenous South American tribe with the assembled characters is marginal at best. This is a mixed movie for me; two and a half stars right down the middle, but not a twinkle more; they could have and should have done a better job.

Elliottb 2012-04-24 23:08:02

Rent this DVD!!! Great performances!

Diane Lane you are so AMAZING! Sutherland Yelchin and Evans were great too.Films biggest weakness is implausible behavior of some characters. spoiler alertIf that happened to a REAL mother's son she'd settle it Thelma and Louise style or go to the cops.

Eric Lurio 2012-04-24 15:30:03

While not as interesting a ride as advertised, the movie does keep one from falling asleep.

2012-04-21 10:26:26

Fierce People (not to mention evil, mean and sick)

This film surprised me. This film shocked me. This film made me mad and sad and angry! I own this movie and have watched it a number of times with different friends. The reaction is always intense, one way or the other.

Joshua Katzman 2012-04-21 06:22:19

Director Griffin Dunne, working from Dirk Wittenborn's adaptation of his own novel, pounds away at the analogy between the inherent cruelty of the tribal rituals of the Iskanani and those of the well-heeled.

Ann Hornaday 2012-04-20 11:09:46

Overplotting and a particularly ugly turn make this adaptation of Dirk Wittenborn's novel less a meditation on how the rich are different than a bland coming-of-age procedural.

Jeffrey M. Anderson 2012-04-19 21:30:46

The laughs suddenly cease after a brutal rape sequence, and Dunne desperately and vainly tries to re-work the remainder of the movie as a metaphysical coming-of-age story.