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With movies like Monster-In-Law (which may be
good, who knows, I won't) hitting the number one spot, you
have to wonder why a gem like Around the Bend slipped on by
all of us like a Mariano Rivera fast ball. Strong,
poignant, funny, strongly acted and very original,
writer/director (debut director, mind you) Jordan Roberts
has created an incredible watch. Lucky as
hell for a first timer, Roberts scored big time getting both
Michael Caine and the all important Christopher Walken in
his debut film, not to mention the very able Josh Lucas.
Rounding this cast out is a great young actor Jonah Babo and
the beautiful Glenne Headly, who was beautiful in Dirty
Rotten Scoundrels and is beautiful now. The entire
cast is on point through the whole movie and all do a great
job. But the star of the film is the story, a
tale of four generations of men, fathers and sons, sons and
fathers and the great mystery of lives and deaths.
Ultimately, this is a tale of forgiveness and family, but to
boil it down this quickly is to underrate it.
The movie is funny, very funny, when it wants to be funny.
Sometimes this is because of some very clever moments put
together by Jordan Roberts, sometimes because hearing Chris
Walken utter anything at all can bring a smile to your face.
His answer to the questions, "Paper or plastic?" at the
grocery store would probably thrill the hell out of me.
The film is also heavily poignant, not heavy handed, please
understand, but heavily emotive. The damage that
family can do to each other and to itself is well
represented with little sugar coating when it comes to the
reality of the story. The love comes into play when
that reality is not scooted over but stared dead in the face
and acknowledged. I loved this movie. I
loved the soundtrack. I loved the acting and I loved
the entire experience of watching it. Unfortunately,
my girlfriend passed out for the night after "Meet the
Fockers", a much less successful and meaningful family
story, so I don't know if this movie is a "Male Thing" or
not. I do know this: It made me want to take a
road trip with my best friend and my Dad. It made me
want to talk to my mother about things, all kinds of things
that need to be talked about, it made me want to run away
and never deal with family again, and it made me know that
that wouldn't be the right decision. It also made me
laugh with one of the best Star Wars references every on
film. Screw rental. If you've got a father, a
son, or a family, or you simply love to see Chris Walken in
good movies, buy this... now. And then get
the soundtrack. |
