Having not seen or heard of the 1968 version of this movie, I went in blind and full of expectations. However, very quickly, I realized I was watching a real stinker, albeit a stinker with two of my favorite Hollywood names (can't say actors, as they're not). A chemistry that worked pretty well in the Devil's Advocate is totally absent from Theron-Reeves here. And here there is no Al Pacino to play off.
This movie has no sense of direction, no real story, no characters you care about, and fails to explore anything with interest potential. It cannot decide whether it is a comedy, a tragedy, a catharsis, or who knows what.
The two attractive stars give perhaps their worst performances. Neither character is believable or even likable. Even the score pirates snippets of other pieces and does not see them to their musical maturity.
Paths not taken: 1)The neighbor kid Abner is not explored or exploited and you wonder why the kid even remembers Nelson, 2)The wise gay neighbor is a powerful ad exec, but we hear no more about it, even though he is a direct competitor of Nelson's, 3)The dysfunction in Theron's family is manifest only by half a phone conversation, 4)It is never clear why Reeves relents and goes to stay with Theron for the title month.
This is a real loser!
This movie has no sense of direction, no real story, no characters you care about, and fails to explore anything with interest potential. It cannot decide whether it is a comedy, a tragedy, a catharsis, or who knows what.
The two attractive stars give perhaps their worst performances. Neither character is believable or even likable. Even the score pirates snippets of other pieces and does not see them to their musical maturity.
Paths not taken: 1)The neighbor kid Abner is not explored or exploited and you wonder why the kid even remembers Nelson, 2)The wise gay neighbor is a powerful ad exec, but we hear no more about it, even though he is a direct competitor of Nelson's, 3)The dysfunction in Theron's family is manifest only by half a phone conversation, 4)It is never clear why Reeves relents and goes to stay with Theron for the title month.
This is a real loser!