Genres

Visitors Review

madmoizelle 2012-05-24 05:53:45

Matthew Shepard story

I didn't know the story about Matthew Shepard, so this movie explain andshow me everything about that. (Maybe not everything but almostall).This movie is so sad, so horrible, just so real. Because it's a true storythat happen... This movie makes me think a lot, because you have sodifferent point of view in this movie, you have to make your own opinionabout tolerance and hate.If you are sensitive to the gay condition or if you like true shockingstory, rent it.Ah and the actors are good, you really believe that they were MatthewShepard's friend or neighboor.(Sorry for my mistakes, I don't speak english very well)

Robert J. Maxwell 2012-05-23 11:30:27

The Thin Lavender Line, Very Thin

What a disappointing presentation of a fascinating incident. From theopening bars of Golub's score, shamelessly ripped off from Philip Glass, tothe improvised-sounding but clearly enacted dialogue, which sounds as if theactors are reading from a transcribed tape recording, the film is a letdown. It's like some pastiche of The Blair Witch Project, The Thin BlueLine, and something Cassavetes might have thought about and rejected. Thefamiliar faces aren't that bothersome. Okay, so they volunteered, but allin a good cause. (Let's live and let live.) "And The Band Played On"proceeded along pretty much the same path. But this one fails. It's notreally a docudrama of the sort we've become used to -- a narrative tale withactors playing the parts of real people, with a beginning and an end. It'smore like a series of interviews in which performers try to sound as ifthey're making the dialogue up as they go along. The reenactment scenes areminimal, less so than in "The Thin Blue Line." At times it's positivelyembarrassing to watch. Worse, there is a self-congratulatory quality onscreen. The movie makers (or the actors portraying them) have shots ofthemselves looking somber while conducting the interviews. (We makers ofthis movie are on the side of the angels, see?) Errol Morris wouldn't havelowered his brow to such an extent. Movies like this need to be carefulabout something else too. There is a natural tendency in describing awfulcrimes like this to make the bad guys evil and, even moreso, the victimssaintly. This film mostly manages to avoid the trap of sharpeningdifferences -- Shephard had HIV and may have come on to the two straightmurderers -- but the movie leans in this dangerous direction nevertheless. It's difficult for people to come to grips with the fact that minority-groupvictims (like victims in general) deserve our compassion not because theybelong to a minority, but because they are human beings, warts and all. It's their humanity that makes it wrong to mistreat themso.

2012-05-22 12:40:26

A well done project

This film was enlightening and VERY powerful. It helps us see how complex any single event can become and how differant the ways we respond as humans are. I was touched and deeply moved by the emotion in this film and found myself drawn in totally. Buy it and get moved.

Toakie 2012-05-22 08:44:42

Total Propaganda

This film infuriated me for the simple fact that it was made only becauseShepherd was gay. The men who murdered him are clearly wicked. Whathappenedto the poor man was truly horrible and a tragedy. However, where wasHollywood when four religious white kids were executed, after beingforcedto perform a host of sex acts on their killers and each other, by twoevilblack men in Wichita just two years ago? The celebrities only mug for thecamera when it serves a political purpose. Also, Laramie is portrayed inapoor light by this pseudo-documentary, which of course is hardlysurprisingbecause they are the backward hicks who must be educated by omniscientandenlightened Californians. Still, it's always a treat to see LauraLinney.

anna_billstrom 2012-05-16 19:05:59

Not so hot

I ended up thinking that every celebrity cast here was trying to make aliberal point about the MidWest. It's like - alright already, ... sort ofsycophantic pandering to a liberal cause (of which i agree with, but don'tneed to have it pedantically shoved down my throat). Not so investigative,sympathetic, or in honesty: honestly told! I wish that I had seen the realdocumentary instead of a Hollywood version of the documentary.Having said that - Summer Phoenix was great, Christina Ricci's performancewas a little indignant and stilted. I wish Garafalo got more lines... way,way too many distracting celebrities.I did watch until the end. The gruesomeness of the crime warrants a seriouslook, but the long camera holds on the actor's reactions just ended upbeingtoo much.

JJ1158 2012-05-15 23:58:49

Are you kidding me?

This wasn't a movie, it was a Hollywood cocktail party. The script had allthe markings of a last minute project scraped together by a high schooldrama student. The casting, as many others have noted, was a majorletdown.Sure many of these actors are well-known, but that doesn't mean they wereright for the roles (or that they're any good to begin with).Most of these actors turned in awful performances, the worst of which wasJoshua Jackson. The script would seem to indicate he was playing abartender in Laramie, but the character he ended up playing was that of arich Hollywood liberal. It seemed like the film was trying to fit theactorto the role, instead of finding the best actor to carry out the role.The script was poorly written and never seemed to be going anywhere. Thescene where the doctor breaking down at the press conference wasoverwritten. The worst scene was when the Arab or Indian student (sorry, Ionly watched it once, I can't remember every detail) took issue with thecontention that many other citizens were making that brutal murder isn'twhat the people of Laramie were about, implying that most of the them wereeither murderers or condoned murder. I read the news daily and can'trecallreading about many murders in Laramie. Portraying the people of Laramiethat way was insult to their town.By the end of the film, which couldn't have come too soon, the only pointthat the film had made is to point out that murder is a bad thing. Hardlyatough sell.

2012-05-14 12:02:09

Made me cry

There were just scenes in the movie that made me start crying. and it was just an amazing and beautiful experience. Forget some of the bad acting, overall the movie was just fabulous. The ending was beautiful too, and such a touching way to end it without it being overkill. You just have to watch this movie, it'll make you cry.

2012-05-13 23:21:43

Truly moving production

I first learned of "The Laramie Project" through a friend who was in a theater production of it. I went to see him perform, and was blown away by the power of the piece. I think it's a fantastic study of human reaction to a tragic event, and of a town struggling to come to terms with the fact that it's identity will forever be formed by that event. I was amazed by the reflective nature of people's statements to the interviewers, and by the interviewers own thoughts interspersed throughout the project. Loved it.

Embley 2012-05-13 08:41:35

another worthwhile HBO movie..

i was very impressed with this documentary-style tv movie. iappreciated the fact that the filmmaker took this approach, giving asense (at least i hope) of the people on whom these interviews arebased, while allowing a buffer zone so that the real people are notsubjected to more publicity OR made to look stupid because of theirpersonal beliefs. i thought it was a very wise approach to take andallows more of an unbiased POV in many ways than would a straight updocumentary. not to say that this piece was unbiased - it wasn't - andi don't think it should have been. but the filmmaker did not take anylow blows and that was refreshing. the way the whole piece was puttogether was different - i could feel the theatrical aspect coming in,the visuals were much more fractured than a standard tv movie, and icould REALLY appreciate that this was not just another murder storycome to life on screen.thank you for not doing a re-enactment of the crime! i think it was WAYmore effective to hear it described by people. i found the laramieproject to be horrifying and touching, and i wish more pieces were madethat hit at such a gut level. i won't forget this movie.

overheated 2012-05-12 21:00:52

Interesting but really strange casting

Just caught an HBO repeat of this film. On the one hand, it was much betterthan I thought it would be. I saw it on stage in New York and wasunderwhelmed by the acting. I thought most of the performances in the filmwere terrific with the odd caveat that others have already mentioned: Idon't think I've ever before been so aware of and distracted by thepresenceof so many familiar faces. Granted Kaufman drew lovely performances fromhiscast, but in some strange way he didn't let any of them disappear into thefabric of the film. And what strange twist of ego prompted him to castNestor Carbonell as himself? He went to such pains to de-glamorize everyoneelse, why use such a handsome actor to portray someone who is actuallypretty average looking?

2012-05-11 20:49:49

A film that puts a lot of faith in its audience

The film was well-done. It looked beautiful and was well-acted. Havingseen the play, I was impressed to see that the film project took on a lifeof its own and did not come across simply as a play on film.I must say that in the end, I hungered for more info on the 5-member teamthat went to Laramie, and on their reactions and motivations for writingtheplay/film. As is, the writer/director has chosen to let the events andthepeople of Laramie to speak for themselves. This is effective, but leavesthe film as nothing more than a pseudo-documentary, or a re-enactment.If you choose to make a film out of these powerful words and events, Iwouldlove to hear more from the company members about why they wrote the play,what they feel we need to overcome as a country to prevent the kind ofhatred and separatism that led to the event, and exactly what role theyfeelart (and more specifically, this project) can play in thatgrowth.Maybe I'm just asking them to spoon-feed me my "lesson", instead oftrustingme to draw the messages out of the film myself.In any case, I congratulate all involved (HBO, Good Machine, Sundance,etc)for taking a chance on this important and unique film. I hope to hearfromthe Tectonic Theatre Company again soon.

sddavis63 2012-05-11 03:38:26

Portrait Of A Town

"The Laramie Project" is based on a play by the same name written inresponse to the vicious and senseless 1998 murder of 21 year-old MatthewShepherd, a gay man living in the town of Laramie, Wyoming.The movie (and play) is not about the murder per se. Everything is set afterthose events. Instead, the focus is on the reaction of the townspeople tobecoming the centre of attention because of this brutal murder. Filmedlargely in a documentary style, the bulk of the "story" is told through aseries of interviews conducted by those doing the research for the play withthe locals. We see the whole range of feelings expressed. Some who hategays; some who don't hate them but believe the lifestyle to be wrong; somewho truly don't care one way or the other; and then there are those who arethemselves gay. As we go through this whole range of responses to Matthew'sdeath the movie is sometimes inspiring and sometimes distressing.If you're looking for the gory details of the murder itself, you won't findthem here - thankfully. The story is told in words, but the murder is neverrecreated or sensationalized in any way. The focus stays on the townspeople,and at the end we see the two accused - played by Mark Webber and GarrettNeergaard - as they react to their respective trials. The interview styleadopted through most of the movie means that there isn't a lot of"excitement" in the conventional sense, but it is fascinating to see thevarious reactions to the murders. (The interviewees, of course, were actorsplaying the parts of the townspeople; perhaps the only thing that would havemade the movie more "raw" would have been interviews of the actualtownspeople.)It's a good movie - thought-provoking if not exactly exciting - andcertainly worth watching. Don't miss the powerful victim impact statementread to the court by Matthew's father Dennis (Terry Kinney.) Although he'sseen throughout the trial scenes sitting in the courtroom, this was Kinney'sonly speaking part of the movie and he made the most of it, vividlyportraying the pain and anger of a father at the murder of his onlyson.It's definitely worth watching. 7/10

MarkusRTK 2012-05-03 16:54:39

Flawed but beautiful

Upon its beginning, one realizes almost instantly that this film wasadapted from a play, if only from listening to the characters' lines.The dialogue is absolute perfection, the Nirvana of the writer, in itssynthesis of ultra-realistic speech patterns and riveting material.Even the most mundane discussion is difficult to turn off. This is, ofcourse, the hallmark of theater, where there is no orchestral score orfantastic cinematography to distract the audience - dialogue must standon its own. It's a practice all too absent from most film.The "poetic realism" style continues through into visuals, as everyshot is calculatingly composed for maximum emotional effect withoutstraying from the documentary setup. In one particularly memorablemoment, an innocuous American flag in a bar becomes a wrenchinglypowerful symbol. Considering that the original play was done with noset beyond a table and chairs, it's a radical departure - and one thatgoes surprisingly well.Though the film begins to drag through its second half, and hits a lowpoint with an apparently poignant but in fact quite artificial and drymonologue from Shepard's father, the impact of its unconventional styleis enough to propel it through to a more or less satisfying conclusion.Recommended for anyone who can tolerate serious film.

ekulwyo 2012-05-02 23:22:03

A Sad and Eye Opening Story

I live in Cheyenne, WY, a short 45 minute drive from the beautifulsmall town of Laramie. Unfourtanitly, after the murder of MatthewSheppard, we are seen as a heavily Conservative hate-state. This isabsolutely false. We are, for the most part, a very accepting andtolerant state. While we do have a very Conservative/Republicanpopulation, as well as a large Mormon population, we are not a hatestate.With that said, this was an eye opening film. It truly shows theproblebms we have with tolerance and hatred towards homosexuals thesedays. If we can learn anything from these tragedies, it should be thattolerance towards homosexuals is of utmost importance. Also, love canheal every would. Mrs. Sheppard's foregiveness towards the murderes isa great example.By the way, I am a Catholic. Jesus did not hate anyone. Keep that inmind.

geddyneilalex28 2012-04-30 02:34:31

Matt Shepherd must be remembered

I just saw this film for the first time on HBO. I can't say I enjoyed thefilm because the incident that it depicts is terrible. The number of starsdid not distract me. I guess I am not distracted easily. The posts that makereference to the "beating of a dead horse" obviously are oblivious to theirtasteless pun on what happened that night to Matthew. I think what is evenmore tragic is that so little has been done to change the laws in aftermathof Matthew's death. Since so many of the people who saw this film aredistracted and unable to stay on task for the duration of the film, maybe itis necessary for the filmmakers to continue to remind us over and over againof the films themes. I thought the film handled a terrible tragedy with respect and dignity. Ifthe people of Laramie came off looking bad, that's their problem. Pass somehate crime laws, and take responsibility for the community you livein.

anexbevy 2012-04-29 19:17:02

both artistically well-done and breathtakingly powerful

I don't often cry during movies. In fact, I've only cried duringSchindler'sList, Amistad, Snow Falling on Cedars -- and tonight -- The LaramieProject.I was fortunate enough to attend a free screening of it through my school(Iattend New York University) and to meet the producer, Ross Katz, after thefilm was shown. Mr. Katz, Director Moisés Kaufman, and all the actorsinvolved put together an extraordinary piece of work. At times it washopeful, at others, disturbing -- but always touching, profound, andbrutally honest. Additionally, it was fair to all the points-of-view heldbythe citizens of Laramie, Wyoming -- whether presenting the mindset of themurderers of Matthew Shephard, the grief of Matthew's parents and friends,the fear of Laramie's gay community, or the outrage and confusion of thetown in general. Janeane Garofalo, Amy Madigan, Christina Ricci, JoshuaJackson, John MacAdams, and the gentleman who plays Matthew Shephard'sfather (whose name escapes me at the moment) give standout performances.I'mvery happy I got to congratulate Mr. Katz for an extremely well-doneproduction, and will be both surprised and angered if he isn't nominatedfor*some* award.

2012-04-29 09:23:47

the laramie project

this movie is a great tool to show you the details of the murder and court procedings on the matthew shepard case. it is done in true documentry style and is put together very well.

chilindrina2002 2012-04-28 18:15:10

Demagogic movie

There's nothing new in this movie. Nothing you haven't thought aboutbefore, nothing you haven't heard before. The story of a gay man who isbrutally murdered in a small town and the reaction of people can bebroached in many ways, and this movie has chosen the most demagogic andslushy one. One of the biggest flaws in this movie is that it isn'tneither a movie nor a documentary. The director has used thetranscriptions of the original interviews and made the actors play themas if it was a movie. The result is weird. And finally, I read inprevious comments that stated that people who don't like this movie areanti-gay. I'm pretty sure this comments come from people who considerthemselves tolerant but don't tolerate that other people don't likethis movie. This is a funny world.

2012-04-27 03:32:25

Dealing With Tragedy

Read the first-hand accounts of those on scene after the death of Matthew Shepard. This collection of notes is a real eye-opener.

oalvarez-2 2012-04-26 15:56:01

See the play

While this film is very powerful for those unfamiliar with the incidentand/or the play, I think it loses quite a bit of the depth that thestage version has. The play is a sparkling piece of experimentaltheater that invariably is produced by small ensembles taking on six toten roles each. The set is minimalist, usually containing no more thana few chairs and a table. When you take away the visuals, and you takeaway the famous actors, what are you left with? The words. I think thatthe movie version takes away from that, with the flashy camera anglesand editing. The characters (as they became in the movie; they are moretrue-to-life in the play) were pretty well-portrayed in the movie, withsome disappointing exceptions (Jedediah Schultz, for example). Thestory still gets through, and you still understand that this is anissue of enormous gravity. But I reiterate my opinion that the play ismuch better.