Genres

Visitors Review

Lee 2012-05-21 01:55:06

U TURN MY STOMACH

How do you start with a director like Oliver Stone and one of the most impressive red carpet casts brought together in recent years and end up with a product that manages to be a little less than mediocre? Well, you need to have a very cynical storyline--'Everybody lies, everybody dies'--an assortment of characters who are impossible to like or identify with, and a whiny performance from Jennifer Lozez, the femme fatale who comes across more as banal. "U Turn" is chock full of well-known, highly talented actors who probably read the script and thought they saw an opportunity to create a memorable minor character. Billy Bob Thornton is bizarre but believable as an inbred hick scamming auto mechanic whose ruthless approach to business keeps Sean Penn stuck in a deadend Arizona town. Claire Danes is funny and quirky as the other town slut (Lopez's character wins first place hands down and ankles up), and Joaquin Phoenix is funny as her hyperjealous tough guy wannabe boyfriend. Throw in Nick Nolte, Powers Boothe, Jon Voight and even Liv Tyler in a nonspeaking cameo and you have a highly talented cast stuck in a film that tries to be the Coen Brothers but comes across more like the Smothers Brothers. Next time try giving the audience just one character whom they can identify with. Two hours with this group of losers is like a day at the reptile house watching cold-blooded squirmy things. The closing credits were a relief, but it's sad when you have to read all the way down to 'Foley Operator' before you find someone whose role you didn't outright detest.

2012-05-20 08:00:01

This film dominates

U-turn is classic. Toward the end of his career Stone is only getting better. It easyly holds its own with Pulp Fiction and alike. Use of the old western composer Moriconne was genuis. Why more people dont like this film is a mystery, i guess some people can't handle it. True pimps know that it dominates

KingJFS 2012-05-19 16:02:04

Stupid People

I just saw this movie and I almost couldn't finish it. The people are justso stupid that it gets on your nerves. I mean really, if you had a sackfull of money like Sean Penn's character has, would you move more than twofeet from your car and gun? And I'm not even going to start on why hewouldlisten to Jennifer Lopez's character about anything. Stay away, stay far,far away.

flingebunt 2012-05-19 11:28:17

Expect the expected

Somewhere online the way in Oliver Stone's career he decided to stopmaking stories and start making cinema. He began experimenting like astudent film maker but with a Hollywood budget and cast.The results are not always great but they are always intriguing.U-turn is one of these movies (Natural Born Killers and Any GivenSunday are other examples where he throws out the movie makers handbookto try something compelling).Bobby Cooper is that sort of guy. He wears a cool jacket, drives a coolcar and tries to cool. Unfortunately when you are driving throughArizona things get hot, especially with a busted radiator hose.So he ends up in the town of Superior. Where things go from bad toworse, to murder, betrayal, sex and ... well you get the idea.The plot twists come on thick and fast, so much so that some of them Icouldn't predict (though most were obvious). It is the style of filmmaking that matters here.I like the feeling of disassociation the feel gives, which is commonfor people who are tired and in a strange location. Also, while many ofthe characters are real bastards, you don't really hate any of them.They are part of the scenery of this location.Not the greatest story, but something different from the land of Holly.

Philip Van der Veken 2012-05-19 01:33:53

Dark, gritty and some very nice images

"U Turn" seems to be a movie that not many people have enjoyed and Ireally wonder why that is. I'm not saying that it was the best movieever, but it sure deserves better than what most people over here sayabout it.The story starts with Bobby Cooper (Sean Penn), driving somewhere inthe middle of the desert in Arizona, on his way to pay the bookies thathave already taken two of his fingers because he was too late to paythem. His car breaks down and the only option that he has is to leavethe main road and to go to a small, dusty town called Superior. In thistown live all kind of weird people. A blind Indian who doesn't do muchelse but drinking Dr. Pepper on a bench, next to his dead dog; a dumbgarage owner; a young macho, called T.N.T, who seems to come straightfrom the fifties and his nymphomaniac girlfriend... Bobby Cooper wantsto get out of there as quickly as possible. But he has one problem.He's got no money because he was robbed and the mechanic charges him anenormous price for the repairs. He can't do anything else but to stayin the village, to try to live with these weird people and to stay outof the hands of the bookies until he has found some money...I must say that I was quite surprised by this movie. The way everythingwas shot is really well done and the music (composed and selected byEnnio Morricone) gives it all an extra touch. Even all the acting wasvery convincing. With people like Sean Penn, Billy Bob Thornton,Joaquin Phoenix and Nick Nolte I don't expect anything less than a goodperformance. But it has to be said: Jennifer Lopez, who certainly isn'ta great actress, was actually pretty good in this movie.All in all this is a very good movie, plenty of dark humor, good actingand some very nice shots. Personally I think this is one of OliverStone's finer movies and that's why I give it a 7.5/10.

finnadat-2 2012-05-18 06:14:48

yet another indication that Stone's career has taken a U-turn

A very promising cast, interesting plot twists and an exceptionalperformance by Billy Bob Thorton couldn't save this film from theheavy-handed and predictably methodical directing style of Stone. Thestoryis, at it's best, decent, and the now trademark Stone imagery begins tograte on the nerves after a while.While there are some redeeming qualities to this film it is little morethana talent drain and a canvas of misfires.

2012-05-17 03:08:51

U-turn

This is good entertainment. Great movie for seeing interesting performances. The small roles are really developed and fit in well in the overall pic. Without giving too much away there is alot of good actors playing quirky roles. I think this is about cool actors having fun. If u are a fan of hollywood this is one of my favourite Actors movies. Good Cliche movie, fun stuff.

2012-05-16 09:38:29

Most twisted movie ever.

This was a very well made movie, which I really enjoyed. All the characters were filled with personal demons, and Sean Penn, who is the best actor ever, actually makes you feel sorry for him, even though he was a complete slimeball, along with the rest of the characters. I think critics who didnt get the humor of the movie are not multidimensional.

2012-05-15 19:01:41

A tawdry web of deceit, lust, and tragedy.

It all starts when Bobby Cooper drives into Superior, Arizona. Certain car parts are broken. The owner seems kinda shady. But young reckless Bobby gives him the keys and heads for the diner, promising to come back. He walks down the street when a mysterious blind man asks him for a coke. Bobby gives him the drink when he sees a beautiful spanish brunette walking down the street heading for her car, carrying a load of boxes. He offers to carry her boxes and does so. She offers to drive him home to take a shower (hint, hint) and get a glass of lemonade(HINT, HINT!). After the shower she walks to him barefoot and asks him to hold her while she is putting up drapes. She finishes the deed and without warning, she jumps down and kisses him passionately. They are on the couch about to make love when her HUSBAND barges in on them. That's when all hell breaks loose. Grace (the hispanic brunette), and Jake (the husband) each ask Bobby to kill each other. There's much betrayal,profanity, nudity and sex in this movie but I'm sure you will enjoy it. This movie has an all star cast with Sean Penn, Nick Nolte, Jennifer Lopez, Claire Danes,Jon Voight, and a cameo by Liv Tyler. Watch it and drool! (Jennifer lopez is naked!)

2012-05-15 07:19:56

How long can this go on?!

One expects self-righteous, pretentious, holier-than-thou from Stone. What one doesn't expect is sheer, torturous boredom. This movie never ends. You'll know how it will end very soon into the movie. Unfortunately Stone feels it necessary to use the Chinese water torture on his audience and make them slowly suffer. I give it one star because I can't rate it lower and because Nolte and Billy Bob Thorton give amusing turns.

2012-05-10 08:05:28

Wow...just..........Wow

This review is from: U Turn (DVD) The best of Sean Penn and Jennifer Lopez; and Nick Nolte is in true form as a brutal and eerie sexual mongrel similar to his role in "Affliction".Sean Penn gets "trapped" in this indescribable town full of dreamy hallucinatory events that are shockingly real.

centurymantra-2 2012-05-09 21:36:21

Modern noir with a dark twist...

Brilliant & hallucinatory cinematography, impeccable use of music, and ahandful of dark, edgy character sketches all work together very nicely tomake this bleak, dark-humoured desert noir an overlooked highlight ofOliverStone's career. The highly evocative atmosphere plays out against theArizona desert in a way that (in addition to foreshadowing some of theworkdone in Terry Gilliam's own twisted little masterpiece 'Fear & Loathing inLas Vegas') seems to mirror, in a more subtle and tasteful manner, muchofStone's work in 'Natural Born Killers'. However, rather than hitting usover the head with whatever socially charged 'message' he may have beenattempting to convey in that film, here he is simply content to let itbuildup a thick and steamy ambience that moves our hapless comrades on towardstheir own impending personal apocalypse. Nick Nolte, Sean Penn, andJenniferLopez all turn in great performances and Billy Bob Thornton's eccentriccharacter sketch elevates what may be defined as a bit part to a far morerelevant status. Modern noir with a few dark twists and a taste all it'sown that's well worth digging into...for those who have a taste for thiskind of thing, if you know what I mean.

dbdumonteil 2012-05-07 05:46:23

"U Turn" away from this movie

With "U-Turn", it seems that Oliver Stone (Platoon, 1986, JFK, 1991,Natural Born Killers, 1994) wanted to prove his ability to shoot athriller with simplicity and efficiency. I must acknowledge that Icouldn't wait to discover his 1997 film because of its offbeat, eeriestory. It's a real downward spiral for his main character Bobby (SeanPenn) who after a car breakdown has no other choice than to stay in asmall isolated town amid a desert landscape. A short stay that willsoon mutate into an overlong nightmare for him.Unfortunately, the result finds itself very below my expectations. Theopening credits show Penn driving his car with a flood of fastclose-ups showcasing details of him or the surrounding landscape. Thiscinematographic process sets the scene for the rest of what willfollow. "U-turn" is in its major part marred by a flashy form whichdepletes the interest and ends up annoying the viewer. It was notexactly the required treatment to film this kind of story and to assessthe absurdity, the madness it conveyed. The psychology of thecharacters is given a rough side and so is suspense. The scene of themurder of Nick Nolte falls into the grotesque. Without mentioning anendless, exasperating end at that with Penn and Jennifer Lopez who killeach other the former doesn't trust the latter and than it's Lopez whowants to abandon Penn and so on...Yes, Sean Penn is one of the greatest American thespians of these lastyears but here, the secondary roles steal him the show, particularlyBilly Bob Thornton as a nonchalant garage mechanic. But is itsufficient to spend your time with them in front of this black comedy?

Sean Gallagher 2012-05-06 11:26:05

What the hell happened to Oliver Stone?

Oliver Stone is the best - hell, maybe the ONLY - political filmmaker inHollywood right now, but I guess after the beating he's taken over greatfilms like PLATOON, JFK, and NIXON, he decided to retreat into the world offilm noir. Trouble is, the technique he uses so well in his political filmsseems overheated (like it did in NATURAL BORN KILLERS), and I get bored real quick. It really seemed like he was spinning his wheels, and that's sad,because he's a talented filmmaker. The actors were all playing caricaturesand competing for the "Look Ma, I'm Acting!" Award, except for Sean Penn,who deserves better.

Nimbo 2012-05-05 15:28:04

Excellent cast, weird story, VERY weird

I enjoyed it but I feel the ending was just too much of adrag.Sean Penn really was not a bad guy, only a guy driven to insanity by andinsane small town in Arizona. I sat rivetedand was constantly being bombarded by rights and lefts and intermediatejabsfrom the plot. I just could not predict ANYTHING. Yes, 'Red Rock West' wasthe forerunner and was superior, but that plot still is untiring. I lookforward toanother Stone adventure. He is so unpredictable.

Dr. Robert Clarke 2012-05-04 21:04:14

Mean...just plain mean...but fun

In the tradition of other movies that have come before it with similaroutlines, this movie stands on its own. As a Stone movie, it is widelyunder-appreciated...and MEAN. A well-done tale of snowballing. Littleinequities become oversized, PAINFUL thorns. It plays like a dark versionof Scorcese's "After Hours". Griffin Dunne's character is played (in asimilar pathetic but undeniably endearing fashion) by Sean Penn. UnlikeDunne's bad luck, Penn's involves all manner of atrocities. Where Dunnepaid psychologically, Penn pays on all levels. The characters driving hisvoyage add to the strange uneasiness of his every step. Much better thanIexpected. Definitely one for those people who need to satisfy theirdarkside on a late night.

Philip R Hall 2012-05-02 10:53:03

The funniest movie I've ever seen

Bobby Cooper is having a bad day. In fact, Bobby Cooper is having avery bad day. Stuck in a small Arizona town in the desert when his carbreaks down, he begins to meet the townspeople. And that's when the funbegins. It starts with Darrell, the mechanic who's working on his car.The mechanic from hell. Come to think of it, most of the townspeoplewere from hell. And like Dante, everything Bobby does sends him to adeeper section of hell. I found myself saying 'You gotta be kiddingme!' every five minutes. Nothing is what it seems. Even when you thinkyou've figured it out, it still catches you off-guard in places. It'ssomewhat similar to Red Rock in that way. The movie spoofs the wholeneo-noir genre and it even winks at itself. This is Oliver Stone at hisbest. I still can't think about this movie without grinning. As weirdas they were, the characters were believable. Over-the-top, butbelievable. This is the quintessential black comedy. And the mosthilarious.If you can get past the language, rent this one. It's a winner.

Tecun_Uman 2012-05-02 06:14:12

Big time talent and OK story

Nobody can argue Stone's talent as a director. The guy just shootsreally neat looking films, full of quick cuts and haunting music. Evenin films of his that I did not really care for, like NBK, I stillbelieved the films were incredible to look at. U-Turn is no exception,it is beautiful to look at, full of great Southwestern shots andscorpions and junkyards, etc. Moreover, you have major league actorslike Sean Penn, Nick Nolte, Powers Booth, Billy Bob Thornton, andJoaquin Phoenix. The comedy is sprinkled throughout the film, alongwith some rather dark subplots, I mean, really dark ones. I thoughtthat the film maybe dragged a tad towards the end, but it was such anambitious project, that you have to admire it. I give it an 8 andstrongly recommend it for people that really want to be transported toa surreal world, the one that Sean Penn must endure and nobody elsewould ever want to visit. Good stuff from Mr. Stone.

Primtime 2012-04-29 09:04:04

Not great Stone, still entertaining

I never really had high expectations for this film after hearing and readingso many mediocre reviews for it. That is what made this film such anenjoyable surprise for me. The acting is done fairly well, the direction ismore than adequate and the story actually works with plenty of plot twists.Throw in some of the acting greatness of Sean Penn and some great supportingactors like Jon Voight, Nick Nolte, Jennifer Lopez and Claire Danes and youhave a good film.The whole concept of a big-time drifter getting caught in a small town mayhave been done far too many times, however with the proper cast anddirection like in this film, it works. Penn's turn from a man trying to passsome time into a man who has experienced too much misfortune in one day isdone like few other actors could. Could Bill Paxton be quite as effective inthis role? Highly unlikely.The finale of this film is done well, if not a bit overdone and just goes toprove the point that when things start to go wrong and things start to getover-complictaed, no one wins. An exciting two hours that most shouldenjoy.7/10 stars.

Jackson Booth-Millard 2012-04-28 19:56:24

U Turn

With a very good looking cast, and directed by Oliver Stone, I couldsee no reason to miss this black comedy thriller. Basically drifterBobby Cooper (Sean Penn) has his car break down in the desert while onthe run from some bookies, who took two of his fingers, and he istrapped in a small deserted town full of strange people. Bobby can'twait to leave when mechanic Darrell (Billy Bob Thornton) has fixed hiscar, but then he meets and gets very close to married Grace McKenna(Jennifer Lopez). When he finds he doesn't have the money to pay forthe full repairs, Bobby considers the offer from Grace's husband Jake(Nick Nolte) to kill her, and then later, she hires Bobby to kill him.The stakes are getting higher and higher, and the film gets more andmore violent with the fight for the large sum of money that Jake hasand they try and get away with, which in the end, none of them do. Alsostarring Powers Boothe as Sheriff Potter, Claire Danes as Jenny,Joaquin Phoenix as Toby N. Tucker 'TNT', Jon Voight as Blind Man,Airplane's Julie Hagerty as Flo and Liv Tyler as Girl in bus station. Iwouldn't have guessed it was low budget, considering the amount of goodactors, but on the other hand, I can see it with the amount of violenceand quite a simple but effective concept. Very good!