Genres

Visitors Review

tempus1 2012-05-19 18:44:05

astoundingly Neanderthal reviews..

of a fine, finely acted little movie. Wonder what kind of person is sopetty that s/he makes snotty posts about the spelling of actors' nameswith attempts at snippy remarks about them 'never becoming stars untilthey learn to spell the name correctly'?!!? Astoundingly juvenile andasinine--and, I might add, I'm sure that JamEY Sheridan couldn't careless what people think of his 'lack of stardom' OR his name or thespelling of same. He's a fine actor who has toiled in relativeobscurity so that cretins who love Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt can gettheir idiot fix. I suppose that any movie which is not solid carchases, noise, screaming, and bad sex scenes will bore such viewers,but why do they choose to SEE movies like this one? Go see MissionImpossible 12 or the latest idiocy with any current Hollywood'star'--do us all a favor. LOL

arizona-philm-phan 2012-05-16 05:57:48

STIFLE It...(Harry did)......and find yourself........

.......in a new subclass of male / female sexuality: "STI-FLEXUALS."(( "STI-FLEXUALITY".......it's a whole new word.....a whole newdescriptive title for a subclass of human sexuality. Beginning today,there is not only Heterosexuality....Homosexuality....Bisexuality...,BUT also this new subcategory. And peculiar to this subclass of"Stifled Sexuality" comes a new label for the Killer Fear thatsuppressing such feelings and behavior generates in us:"Closetophobia".....fear of coming out of the you-know-what )).Given us by this film.....this writer.....this director and,ultimately, by Harry himself.....are vividly disturbing scenes of thedevastating emotional and physical damages that such "Stifling" of ourown sexual needs and desires can bring about. Following is just a veryshort list of some of those damages:- Very often, unhappiness and a sense of not having succeeded on thepart of any spouse caught up in a marriage to a "Sti-flexual" partner(divorce is often the outcome)..- Frequently, lack of closeness and connection between the"Sti-flexual" parent and his / her children, if any.- In most cases there is the despair and sense of non-worth which can,for years, smolder within the "Sti-flexual" (even suicide has been adrastic result).- Violence (often fatal) by one or more persons against anindividual(s).- Lastly in situations like this, successful attempts at "making itright" or "making up for lost time" are rarely achieved....or come fartoo late. So ask yourself after viewing this film----Has Harrysucceeded in doing so....or hasn't he?If you learn nothing else from this film, take away this: What willALWAYS stay with a someone like Harry is the ever hurting realizationthat this lost part of his (maybe our) life has become just athrowaway....instead of a wonderful what might have been. Yet, canthere still be REAL happiness in this kind of a man's future?Perhaps....perhaps. And in this regard, there is a based-on-true-lifemotion picture story of just such a salvation, now making its waythrough the new releases circuit. Aaahh, so perhaps all potential, andreal, Harrys should be making their way to see this big-star, andlikely award winning, film titled, "BEGINNERS."Thanks, Harry, the trip's been fun!(( PS--So, has this movie been talking about only Harry.....or perhapsMe.....or perhaps You, as well? ))****

newbijou 2012-05-15 05:53:33

Small gem of a film

This is a small gem of a film with a memorable ensemble cast practicingthe best of low key modern American film acting style, a brilliantscript, a great story that unravels like the best of mysteries and asolid, secure director who understands that the film isn't about cameramoves and quick cuts. She's not afraid to let the camera sit unmoving,with a cruel, unsympathetic stand for as long as it takes to help thefilm breathe or to reveal a hidden moment. The film is decidedly NOT agay film unless, of course, you're an actual homophobe. It's aboutmoral courage, or more properly, the lack of it when a good and decentman succumbs to powerful social and psychological pressure andunwittingly sells out a friend and lover.

ptb-8 2012-05-05 18:08:54

Handsome? Perhaps, s-l-o-w... yes.

Here is an interesting indie production which feels like an adaptedstage play. It certainly wanders along like one and must be the slowest94 minutes I have ever spent in a cinema. The film has excellent dialogand some terrific acting, especially from the guest professionals JohnSavage, Aiden Quinn and Campbell Scott. Steve Buscemi also appears withmain actor Jamey Sheridan who has no chance of stardom until he spellshis name properly. A 50 year old actor called Jamey? no. Sorry. AlsoHANDSOME HARRY is completely the wrong title for this film. basicallyit is about unrequited love and in this case between reminiscences anda possible crime of passion. While I admired the skill in creating sucha well populated acting roster, the editing and the story sequencebecame mired in being a vanity project for Sheridan who appears in 95%of the film and is also the Exec Producer. Conscious of this from theopening credits, I felt the film dragged in order for him to have greatlong scenes with the more famous actors he hired to be seen on screenwith. Fortunately all the scenes are good but they are all-so-slowwwwwwand the film becomes tedious. Also, the final sequences with CampbellScott come far too late in the film to have the real impact theyshould. The sequence with John Savage is by far the best and proveswhat a major actor he still is. I wanted to like this well made andvery well written and acted film more but it negates itself by being 15minutes too long. If edited to a tighter 80 minutes it would haveflowed better and got to the point quicker. Also the Teenage sailorsequences needed to all happen at the start of the film rather thanbeing in glimpses scattered throughout.

ripcurl7 2012-04-26 08:05:44

Like watching an old episode of Matlock

Perhaps this will not be a very fair or complete review. We could notget through this movie no matter how hard we tried.The telegraphed dialog and the wooden delivery of the actors,particularly with Mr. Sheridan, made me feel like I was watching are-run of Matlock or Murder She Wrote.Un-inventive, predictable and sophomoric are words that come to mind.In one of the first scenes from the film, when we see Harry in hisfavorite restaurant, I was waiting for someone to start listing all thepossible side effects of taking the mood altering pharmaceutical theywere pitching... oh wait, this was supposed to be a movie. But it sureseems like a commercial for senior medicine.If you like thrillers from the Lifetime network, this is for you.If you like well made movies that have believable characters, lookelsewhere.

scg46201 2012-04-26 00:38:47

Brilliantly crafted gem of a movie

I found this movie to be a brilliantly crafted little gem. Rarely do wefind movies that deftly handle such sensitive subject with such aplomb.The characters were extremely well written. This film surely strikes a cord with anyone over 40 years old. Not init's portrayal of a man struggling with his sexuality, but in it'sdepiction of a human being who is growing older and hasn't come toterms with things done as a young person. And the deep sorrow or regretwe feel.An excellent 94 minutes. What movie-making should be.Please by all means see this film. I apologize for my brevity. I simplydon't believe that in order to enjoy a movie we have to discuss everynuisance of the movie.

BillMcIntyre 2012-04-20 02:28:09

Wow - just wow

I watched this moving while knowing NOTHING about it - and I am VERYglad I did.There are so many movies out there that I always spend lots of timelooking through IMDb to decide whether a movie is worth my time or not.First I check the rating, and then if it is over 5.5 I read the summaryand maybe some reviews and sometimes the Message board comments.I'm SO GLAD I didn't know anything about this movie when I watched it.I won't spoil the movie for you by pointing out the main conflict themovie takes a long time to get around to telling us all about.But that is what I liked about this movie. It tells the story about acrime that occurred long ago - and we just start to get hints aboutwhat really happened - slowly - as the story plays out - and it israther fascinating to watch the truth come to dawn on the maincharacter.The story is fairly obviously about Harry who is asked by his friendThomas to do a favour for him on his deathbed and apologize to theirlong ago friend for something Thomas did that he thought he was goingto go to hell for.Harry was drunk the night this fight happened, and he can't remembermuch of what happened - but what I think is really cool is that by theend of the movie I'm starting to wonder if his mind made himintentionally forget what happened. Sometimes what we've done is sotraumatic we choose to forget what we did.Very painful memories from a very long time ago come back to Harry -and parts of this movie really made me cry.This movie deserves 8 or 9 stars - and it is SO, SO much better to seesomething like this than some shallow characters in a car chase andfights and shootouts, blah blah blah.I loved this movie. It sneaks up on you. It's message is obviously tobe honest with yourself and don't let your life pass you by withouttelling those you love how you feel.Don't miss this movie - and trust me - and take my word for it - pleasewatch this movie before you read any other reviews.It's better to see this movie before you know what it is about.I did - and I'm glad I did.

ffejhawk 2012-04-13 18:25:35

Don't waste your time

I am a big fan of Steve Buscemi so I expected a lot out of this film,boy was I wrong, like the other reviewer I agree this felt likewatching an episode of Matlock, only an episode of Matlock wouldprobably be more entertaining. Characters were very dry and without anydepth or believable emotion, like they could care less about theirlines or the movie as a whole and that transfers to the viewersinterest in watching it. I am not going to drone on and on as some doand I have never reviewed another title but this film I felt has a verydeceiving rating and I hope this review and the other gentlemen's thatalso gave us an honest opinion are helpful in curving others fromwasting their time on this piece of garbage. I would also like to say Iam not sure what magazine that other reviewer stole that over wordedtripe to explain what they saw, but if they in fact sat there and wrotewith such passion for this crap they obviously need some realentertainment to use as a marker.

2012-04-09 23:54:31

A Contemplative Sleeper About Regret And Forgiveness

There is an understated elegance to Bette Gordon's sorrow filled sleeper "Handsome Harry" that is quite unexpected. In truth, I had never heard of this film. An interesting cast that includes Jamey Sheridan, Steve Buscemi, John Savage, Aiden Quinn and Campbell Scott initially drew my attention--but it's a sharp and contemplative screenplay that really seals the deal. "Handsome Harry" deals extensively with regret, with loss, and the repercussions of youthful decisions and indiscretions. The choices that we make when we're young can inform the rest of our lives. It's a simple concept that has been dramatized in countless ways, but "Handsome Harry" is never obvious. Despite a few flourishes of melodrama, "Handsome Harry" is a quietly powerful film that packs a surprisingly strong punch in its concluding scene. Jamey Sheridan plays Harry with world weary charm and is incredibly appealing (I wonder why we don't see more from him)! Upon receiving a call from an old dying Naval buddy (Buscemi), Harry starts to reflect on a period of his life 30 years prior. While in the service, Harry and four of his mates participated in a brutal act of violence against a former friend--and it is something that has affected them all, in one way or another, in the years to follow. "Handsome Harry" is ultimately about redemption and forgiveness--but the hardest aspect of this late life reflection might just be Harry forgiving himself. And it is the understated finale that really brings this point to fruition. "Handsome Harry" is a brief film considering the amount of ground it covers, and not a perfect one, but an easy recommendation as smart adult entertainment. A few times the script ratchets up the drama with awkward transitions to speed up the narrative. There is a meal with Savage that explodes in about a minute and a very strange introduction to Quinn. These and another small moment don't ring particularly true--the drama is heightened too quickly to be believable. But that's an extremely small complaint far outweighed by the film's plusses. The entire cast is terrific. Sheridan is a star and Campbell Scott lends the piece an undeniable power and dignity. Seriously, "Handsome Harry" gets under your skin and leaves you thinking. And, in my book, that's a real compliment to thoughtful filmmaking. About 4 1/2 stars--maybe because this sleeper was such a HUGE surprise. KGHarris, 12/10.

huedez 2012-04-09 05:53:23

Handsome devil

On to the movie, it was pretty entertaining as far as indie films go.Jamie Sheridan played a complex, tortured and in the end, cowardlyrole. The destruction of his own life and other women around him isvery sad indeed and art mirrors life. Not the happiest film certainlynot a four star but certainly worth renting if you like somethingdifferent than buildings getting blown up and cameras that spin. Thetender scenes both gay and straight are done realistically and leavelittle to the imagination where sex is involved. I like Jamie as anactor and I was surprised that he took to this role and even moresurprising was seeing his name as one of the producers. Good for you,Jamie. Handsome indeed.

Paul Creeden 2012-04-08 11:04:21

Haunted Harry

As an older gay man of the generation portrayed in this film, I wasambivalent about it as I began to catch the plot line, but iteventually won my favor. In fact, I now think it is one of the bestexamples of newer gay cinema. Not that it has that much competitionfrom adolescent WEHO fare. The deeper value of the film is thestatement it makes about male aging. Regret, sadness and nostalgiahaunt so many men, straight, bi or gay, as they stagger toward death.Emotionally constipated lives which have mutated into private hells ofimpotence and loneliness. It's all here, very well portrayed in thisunderstated 'guy flick'. Perhaps a little too understated at times.John Savage and Campbell Scott deserve appreciation for theirperformances. They play the range from drunken psycho to sophisticatedsurvivor. Well done and well written parts. Some of the othercharacters are a bit too sketchy. All in all, I think this is aremarkable independent film.

markpollock-1 2012-04-07 20:36:50

A very special, deeply moving film

One thing is perfectly clear from watching this diamond of a movie. Thepeople who made this film, every person associated with it, absolutelylove the medium of film. They recognize and, indeed, created, the magicthat comes when a moving, riveting, very human story is told throughbrilliant performances of a splendid screenplay. This movie is a gift.Every single scene, every word of dialogue, is perfect. Every actor andevery actress, no matter how large or how small his or her part, playedhis or her role stunningly and flawlessly. Most especially, JameySheridan's performance should have earned him an Academy Awardnomination.All I can do is say "thank you" and "congratulations" to Bette Gordon,to Nicholas T. Proferes, to each and every actor and actress and toevery individual who helped create this marvelous motion picture. Igive a film a "10" when it is a movie that deeply moves me and thatstays with me and, most dispositively, when I know I will watch itagain and again. HANDSOME HARRY is a sure "10!"

oscarlawren 2012-04-03 18:54:53

Tiresome Harry, social identity versus persona

This film sets off with a pensive mood, as the leading character,repair shop-owner Harry is being teased and a waitress invites him tohave more intimate contact with her. Harry seems an earnest man,reflective, he is wanting to do the honest thing. So it seems. Herefuses the offer to sleep with the wife of his friend, a Navy sailor,who uses tablets to enhance his love-life. Harry is really a gentlemanthat is conforming to the southern old style, a beau for the belles.But as he is thrown out and the wife of his former friend accompanieshim, as she is leaving her man, they consume their relationship moreintimately. But as the movie progresses the story turns into somethingtotally different. Be forewarned, this is not a thriller but a movieabout Harry's betrayal of his male lover. The hinting is carefullydone, but after an hour the director goes wild on his narrative organ,throws his registers wide open and the film becomes a whimperingtragedy about masculine love. It all fell into places then, thepredilection for men in uniform, the warm mates. And then comes therevelation about the crime, which is not a crime, but more of aDionysian frenzy evoked by a lover who wishes to destroy his lover toavoid his own detection. So this is the story about a sacrifice. And in order not to shame his family, and not undermine his vocation inthe direction of priesthood, Harry incites his comrades and bashes thehand of his lover, maiming him and ending thereby his career. Thevictim remains fascinated by his lover, he keeps tracing him throughouthis life and career. If this is not Identity-stalking for you, what is?And there is one other peculiar storyline which of course is typicalfor the gay community: gay becomes priest to avoid being outed. Harrywanted to be a priest. He tells a friend that he did not become apriest because the chaplain on the ship kept combing his hair when hetold him about his vocation and longing for the Lord, the man did notturn around. So Harry submitted his cause, and the chaplain leavesbecause he had an appointment with higher quarters, no not Heaven, butthe Navy-captain. This has put Harry off for good.. It is just anothersaddening fact in a totally confusing biography? So Harry decides, ashe is no priest stuff as a Navy-sparky, he will drop the idea ofbecoming a priest. So much for his higher idealism. The name of themovie is Handsome Harry but it should be called Tiresome Harry.. Thisis a tired movie about tired people who confuse their lust andfascination for love. The title is misleading the public by positingitself as a thriller and being a story about guilt. Harry doesn't feelany real guilt, he is glad he has escaped detection by his mates. It isa sorry no-sorry movie which should be better labeled for viewers. Asad coming out, but not-coming out story, as Harry flees to where noone knows him. This movie will be appreciated by the gay community, butfor viewers that go for crime and straight male-female relationship andromance it is a saddening waste of time. The depth is all fabricationand the tragedy is no real tragedy at all, but confusion of mind and astory of sheer cowardliness. I felt sorry for the waitress..

airdrieguy 2012-04-03 06:48:29

Disjointed

Misleading description of movie as the crime is well known to those whocommitted it and everyone seems genuinely sorry so not sure what thepoint of the movie is. You only maim the ones you love? You will sleepwith anyone and mess with anyone's emotions because it will drag outthe movie? It will take an endless amount of time to drive fromsomewhere in upstate New York to Miami but only minutes to drive home?Disjointed vignettes of one man's search for absolution is how I woulddescribe this movie. Too much happens for which there is no explanationand the explanations provided are in no way consistent with the whomthe characters claim to be.

beachgirlk 2012-03-30 23:44:44

Good film, great acting

I saw this film because my husband and I are fans of Jamey Sheridan aswell as some of the other actors. It was great to see John Savage, asalways! We both enjoyed the film. The beginning stumbled a little forme; some of the dialog was stilted and stiff in its exposition and theopening few scenes were, overall, bland with nothing new. My otherproblem was with the editing of the sequences. I could not tell whereHarry was, literally, in a number of the scenes. I didn't know whetherhe was driving far or near. But that's a small problem. The acting, aspreviously stated, was very good and it's a testament to the writer,director, and producer that they were able to get this impressive casttogether and get this small film made in these precarious times. Oncethe opening scenes in Harry's adopted home town were over, the moviepicked up and became interesting. Jamey Sheridan was quite wonderful inthe role. It made me think of his role in "The Ice Storm" which wasalso wonderful. If you like small intimate dramas, then this issomething you can really enjoy. It's a shame that it is not seen more,but hopefully, it will have a new life on Pay Cable.

gradyharp 2012-03-30 13:18:29

The Agony of Denial: Consequences

HANDSOME HARRY is a brave little film, written by Nicholas T. Proferesand directed by Bette Gordon, a film that should be required viewing asthe absurdities of the 'Don't ask, Don't tell' debate continue todivide this country. This is a script so tightly and beautifullyconstructed that it poses questions to the audience and lets theaudience arrive at its own conclusions. It is a searingly intensestory, successful in the manner in which the director allowed the castof extraordinary actors to simply let the tale play out. There is aprofound honesty here that is rarely found in other films that take ontough subjects, and without preaching, sermonizing, or taking sides itsimply places an incident before our eyes, allowing the incident andits subsequent permutations of its consequences mold the characters wemeet. Harry Sweeney (Jamey Sheridan, a brilliant stage actor who should havebeen considered for an Oscar for this performance) is Handsome Harry -calm, somewhat secretive middle-aged man living in a small town wherehe is known as a good guy and a good singer to the acquaintances in thetown diner. Divorced, father to a son Bobby (Asher Grodman) with whomhe has difficulty relating, Harry is considering selling his electronicshop to his sole employee Pauley (Bill Sage) when Bobby arrives fromChicago for a strained weekend visit. The visit is interrupted by atelephone call from Kelley (Steve Buscemi) who is hospitalized withonly days to live: Kelley insists he speak with Harry and out ofobligation to his old friend Vietnam war buddy, Harry goes out of townfor the visit. Kelley shares his tortured secret with Harry: thirtyyears ago while serving in the Navy Kelley and Harry were in a tightgroup of sailors - Harry, Kelley, Porter (Aidan Quinn), Rheems (JohnSavage), Gebhardt (Titus Welliver) and Kagan (Campbell Scott) - and ina drunken brawl all of the the group subjected Kagan to a beatingbecause of homophobia: all of the men participated in the cruel act butone crushed the jazz pianist Kagan's right hand with an armature,destroying the hand from ever performing again. Kelley's reason forcalling Harry is that Kelley believes he was the one who crushedKagan's hand and wants Harry to find Kagan and ask him for forgiveness.Kelley dies after Harry promises o fulfill his mission. Harry sets out to find Kagan on trail of all of his group of fellowswho served in Vietnam thirty years ago. We meet each one: Porter is aprofessor who has distanced himself in name and place from the shame ofthe incident; Rheems is a wealthy land investor whose marriage iscrumbling under the strain of alcohol, homophobia, and dark memoriesand Harry's unwanted visit results in Rheems throwing his wife Judy(Mariann Mayberry) out along with Harry; Gebhardt has become aevangelistic redneck who also is blinded by homophobia. None of the menwill discuss the old incident or assist Harry in defining whetherKelley was responsible for the crushing injuring or not. Harry findsKagan's address, and when Kagan isn't home he leaves a note withKagan's housekeeper explaining his visit. Harry returns home,distraught, emotionally exhausted, desiring an end to the lingeringnightmare of that beating thirty years ago. After singing in a quartetcontest Harry spies Kagan in the audience and the two leave for adinner in a deserted restaurant. There Kagan shares ALL of the truthabout the incident and about his relationship with Harry and the filmends quietly and painfully with the truth being on the table. Every member in the cast is a first class actor, but the profound depthof Jamey Sheridan's recreation of the role of Harry is simply stunning.Buscemi, Quinn, and especially Campbell Scott also provide powerfulperformances. The film is haunted by the music of Anton Sanko andcinematographer Nigel Bluck sustains the mood of the piece with a finegrasp of just how much of each of the characters' physical features toshow to make the story propel. Director Bette Gordon should be honorednot only for the brilliance of her direction but also for the couragein sharing this sensitive story that is one of the strongest views ofthe inequities of the current military/governmental debate aboutequality in the military. Brilliant film! Grady Harp

MBunge 2012-03-27 08:42:04

Great performances in desperation and melancholy

With a relaxed, gliding surface and a jagged soul underneath, HandsomeHarry is a rather…well, pleasant isn't the word to use for a tale ofmiddle-aged female desperation and just-plain-aged male melancholy.Most of these characters are on the back end of their useful lives andthey know it. Their happiness and their own futures are no longer intheir own hands and they're dependent on others to an extent they don'tlike to admit to themselves. Everyone in this story is practically astranger to everyone else, even spouses, lovers and one-time bestfriends. But what draws you into this film and carries you along is thehonest humanity of people grappling with their awkward, messy anddiminishing lives.Harry Sweeney (Jamey Sheridan) is a silver-haired fox. A small townelectrician, he's the sort of beguiling charmer who can still make anywoman over 30 smile while being guy every other man over 50 wishes hewas more like. But when Harry gets a call from an old Vietnam era Navybuddy, he has to let his easy smile drop and take a journey back to themost awful moment of his life. The buddy, Thomas Kelley (SteveBuscemi), is dying and asks Harry for some help saying out of Hell. 35years earlier, Harry, Tommy and three others almost beat a 6th friendto death after finding out he was gay. Tommy thinks he's the one whocrushed the guy's hand with a metal armature and begs Harry to travelto Miami and seek forgiveness on his behalf. The trip brings Harry tothe doorsteps of the other three, now ensconced in lives not anywhereas comfortable as they seem. Rheems (John Savage) has had his manhoodand his family fall to ashes. Porter (Aidan Quinn) has a knot of angerand self-loathing in his heart that hasn't loosed with the passingyears. Gebhardt (Titus Welliver) has made himself into his best idea ofa man, only to fall into a trap from which he can escape only bydestroying everything good in his heart. And their victim, David Kagan(Campbell Scott)? He's the one who seeks out Harry and forces him to behonest about himself for perhaps the first time in his life.The plot of this film isn't anything to write home about, serving onlyas the stage upon which Harry and others play out the little scenes oftheir lives, but the performances more than make up for it. Led byJamey Sheridan's accessible torment, Steve Buscemi's despair and thesimmering anger of John Savage, Aidan Quinn and Titus Welliver, youcan't take your eyes off this cast. And that's not even getting intothe painful loneliness of Mariann Mayberry as Rheem's wife and KarenYoung as a waitress who's carried a torch for Harry for many years.Watching these actors play these roles is a marvelous experience.Campbell Scott doesn't quite make it, but that's mostly because Kaganis more a plot device bringing the movie to an end rather than a realperson.Handsome Harry would have been even better if the plot had given thoseperformances some direction and used them to build to a conclusioninstead of letting one simply occur. This sort of story should be likewalking up a flight of stairs, with each step taking you to a new levelof drama and emotion until you reach the top, which is a culmination ofevery step taken before. Handsome Harry is more like taking one step upand then walking along a flat beam. You're off the ground but you neverget any higher than when you started. As engrossing as these individualscenes are, they don't do enough to connect with or build upon oneanother. That stands out most clearly at the end, which is supposed tobe emotionally crushing but isn't that much worse than what we'vepreviously seen from Harry's friends and their own personal tortures.This isn't a feel good film, but it isn't a feel bad movie either.Handsome Harry is a motion picture that just makes you feel. And that'smore than worth watching.

hnballet 2012-03-27 02:18:23

Missed opportunity

You know, if you don't have a good script you don't have a chance ofending up with a good movie. The exposition in this film is way longand is filled with flat dialog and cardboard characters. The "plottwist", which did surprise me, was unfulfilling because there is nevera point in the story where any suspense, or empathy for the characters,is built up. If you blink you will miss Steve Buscemi and CampbellScott, who are both very good for the short time they appear. It really is a shame because the plot is very intriguing: two menreunite, former lovers in the Navy, whose relationship ended when themore closeted one at the time joined in with other sailors in gaybashing the other to cover for himself. While I wouldn't presume tosuggest "how" to write a screenplay around this story, I would saydon't do it this way. It was like watching paint dry. Paint that's acolor you don't particularly like. The story ends without forgiveness or resolution, which in and ofitself is not a bad way to end. But, if you never developed an interestin the characters, their struggles, or the story itself, that itremains unresolved is just one more sour note on top of all the others. As compelling as this story is on paper, it was delivered with suchdetachment and hack dialog that it really just comes off as a wastedopportunity. How they got Steve Buscemi, Campbell Scott, and JohnSavage, to board this nose dive is inexplicable. I wish it had beengood. I really do...

Anne Under 2012-03-25 17:41:02

Excellent movie about the crime and its possible forgiveness

I just saw this movie and not knowing much about it, I didn't know whatto expect. Whatever my expectations, the movie had surpassed them. Thecast is brilliant, the dialog tight, the building of the story towardsthe climax careful, sensitive and moving.It's the story of a man, "Handsome" Harry (Jamie Sheridan) who didn'tknow his own life was a failure until he gets a call from an old navyfriend (Steve Buscemi), forcing him to examine his life. It leads himon a road trip during which he seeks absolution - officially on hisfriend's behalf or maybe it's for himself - and has to come to gripswith the decisions that he's made, the people that he's hurt and thecrime he has committed. At the end of this journey, will he have thecourage and strength to overcome the fear that drove him in the past?I suspect the people who gave the movie poor grades were expectingsomething else entirely, a suspense thriller, and that's why they weredisappointed. While there is some suspense here, it is first andforemost a soul-searching, heart-wrenching drama. And I for one feelricher for having seen it. Much like the jazz music that makes thebeautiful soundtrack, there is not one note in it that's out of tune.

arizona-philm-phan 2012-03-24 21:27:22

STIFLE It...(Harry did)....and find yourself.....

.....in a new subclass of male / female sexuality: "STI-FLEXUALS."(( "STI-FLEXUALITY"......it's a whole new word....a whole newdescriptive title for a subclass of human sexuality. Beginning today,there is not only Heterosexuality....Homosexuality....Bisexuality...,BUT also this new subcategory. And peculiar to this subclass of"Stifled Sexuality" comes a new label for the Killer Fear thatsuppressing such feelings and behavior generates in us:"CLOSETOPHOBIA"....fear of coming out of the you-know-what )).(( And when, in your less than fully happy life, events arise whichforce you to realize that it is YOU who have Stifled...no,Crushed...the God-given purpose in life of another human being (in veryfact, the Love of Your Life), you become nothing less than a Shatteredhuman being. Your only...ONLY hope being the possibility ofForgiveness" )).Given us by this film....this writer....this director and, ultimately,by Harry himself....are vividly disturbing scenes of the devastatingemotional and physical damages that such "Stifling" of our own sexualneeds and desires can bring about. Following is just a very short listof some of those damages:- Very often, unhappiness and a sense of not having succeeded on thepart of any spouse caught up in a marriage to a "Sti-flexual" partner(divorce is often the outcome).- Frequently, lack of closeness and connection between the"Sti-flexual" parent and his / her children, if any.- In most cases there is the despair and sense of non-worth which can,for years, smolder within the "Sti-flexual" (even suicide has been adrastic result).- Violence (often fatal) by one or more persons against anindividual(s).- Lastly in situations like this, successful attempts at "Making itRight" or "Making up for Lost Time" are rarely achieved...or come fartoo late. So ask yourself after viewing this film -- Has Harrysucceeded in doing so....or hasn't he?If you learn nothing else from this film, take away this: What willALWAYS stay with a someone like Harry is the ever hurting realizationthat this lost part of his (maybe Our) life has become just athrowaway....instead of a sweet and wonderful what-might-have-been.YET, can there still be REAL happiness in this kind of a man's future?Perhaps....perhaps. And in this regard, there is a based-on-true-lifemotion picture story of just such a salvation, now making its waythrough the new releases circuit. Aaahh, so perhaps all potential, andreal, Harrys should be making their way to see this big-star, andlikely award winning film, titled, "BEGINNERS."Thanks, Harry, the trip's been fun!(( PS--So, has this movie been talking about only Harry....or perhapsMe....or perhaps You, as well? ))****