Down in the Valley
So I finally am starting to get back to my Little roots. I've spent way too much time in the mainstream theatres and have missed too many smaller indie/international films that I wanted to see. So I've rededicated myself to getting to the Little more often. It also helps that this week is the international film festival (missed the Latin movies tonight, and will miss 3 of the French ones tomorrow, but I plan on catching the fourth French film along with some of the other ones during the week).
Anyway, Down in the Valley. I was told it was a love story at first that takes a darker turn at the end (which is what you'd expect from an indie film), and that is very true. The thing is deciding whether that turn works and all that. And I'm not so sure about that. Not to spoil too much, but the major part of the turn is foreseeable. The older man and younger woman are in love, the father doesn't approve, their relationship gets strained, the older man turns creepy. It's all rather well done by Ed Norton (always a good choice, especially for a character that is kind of clean and sleezy at the same time). And the supporting cast is solid as well with Evan Rachel Wood as his woman and David Morse as her father. Also, like all indie movies now it seems, there is the obligatory Culkin child in the movie as well (this time Rory Culkin who does a decent, but rather dry job).
I must say that the first half of the movie doesn't have much of anything that stood out, other than the slightly odd cowboy personae of Norton (and some cool/funny gunplay). Other than that it was sort of like most romance stories I've seen. It just didn't bring anything new, until the turn...
I'm not going to say too much, in case some of you want to see it, but it's definately a bit different. Things just sort of seem to be taken to the extreme. It's almost to the point where it's so over the top that I was just sort of sitting there thinking, "what?" It's not bad, just sort of odd, even for me.
RATING: Worth a Cheap Ticket, Worth a Netflix (but probably not a full rental)