**WARNING MAJOR SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW**
3 stars out of 10
I had the choice of this film and another film to watch this evening, and unfortunately, I chose this one.
If I hadn't previously read some reviews here on this film, I wouldn't have had a clue what was going on, as it was, the film was somewhat confusing.
Part of the problem was the characters, except for Florence, played by Mickey Rourke, all dressed almost alike. Okay, I'm not good at telling people apart at best, and when they're all young men, about the same ages, general build, and height and all wearing very similar suits, my ability at identifying them goes waaaaay down. I know that plays into the plot, but it also added to my confusion as a viewer.
The film also failed to clarify why the characters were doing what they were doing.
First we have the three young men, who are borderline still boys, who are wearing suits and hats and driving one of the lad's father's black Cadillac, without permission. Beautiful car - as this film was set in the late 1950's, back when cars were cars, if you know what I mean.
The boys think it would be great fun to pretend to shoot someone and then stuff him in the trunk and drive off - shocking numerous people who will witness the incident. One of them is to play the part of the man who gets shot.
However, their prank goes awry.
Then we have more confusion. Like why does Leon (Stephen Baldwin)hold the two boys captive and torture them? Why doesn't he just drive off in the Cadillac and carry on with the planned bank robbery? I never understood that.
Why the bit with a gangster coming into the bank and pretending he's with the FBI? Was that the way Florence thought he could get away with the money without being pursued by the police, or what?
Then we have a totally unbelievable sex scene between one of the boys and a female bank employee, following him kidnapping her and waving a gun at her. Yeah, the guy was nice looking, but gee whiz I'd think making out wouldn't exactly be the first thing on their minds given their tense situation, and the fact he has some cuts and bruises. The cops are out looking for them, and they've double-crossed some dangerous criminals.
Then when Florence finally shows up out at the fort where Leon is, Leon, who has already been blubbering, which seemed completely out of character for him, does still more bawling around, and Florence sort of comforts him in a rough kind of way. So were the two of them lovers, or what?
We discover Carol is really Patty, and then she hops a freight train?! She didn't even know she was going to be out there by the train tracks - after all the original plan didn't involve driving out to the fort. So what was her original plan? Or did she just see an opportunity and take it?
Whoever decides to watch this film, I wish them luck in getting more out of it than I did.
3 stars out of 10
I had the choice of this film and another film to watch this evening, and unfortunately, I chose this one.
If I hadn't previously read some reviews here on this film, I wouldn't have had a clue what was going on, as it was, the film was somewhat confusing.
Part of the problem was the characters, except for Florence, played by Mickey Rourke, all dressed almost alike. Okay, I'm not good at telling people apart at best, and when they're all young men, about the same ages, general build, and height and all wearing very similar suits, my ability at identifying them goes waaaaay down. I know that plays into the plot, but it also added to my confusion as a viewer.
The film also failed to clarify why the characters were doing what they were doing.
First we have the three young men, who are borderline still boys, who are wearing suits and hats and driving one of the lad's father's black Cadillac, without permission. Beautiful car - as this film was set in the late 1950's, back when cars were cars, if you know what I mean.
The boys think it would be great fun to pretend to shoot someone and then stuff him in the trunk and drive off - shocking numerous people who will witness the incident. One of them is to play the part of the man who gets shot.
However, their prank goes awry.
Then we have more confusion. Like why does Leon (Stephen Baldwin)hold the two boys captive and torture them? Why doesn't he just drive off in the Cadillac and carry on with the planned bank robbery? I never understood that.
Why the bit with a gangster coming into the bank and pretending he's with the FBI? Was that the way Florence thought he could get away with the money without being pursued by the police, or what?
Then we have a totally unbelievable sex scene between one of the boys and a female bank employee, following him kidnapping her and waving a gun at her. Yeah, the guy was nice looking, but gee whiz I'd think making out wouldn't exactly be the first thing on their minds given their tense situation, and the fact he has some cuts and bruises. The cops are out looking for them, and they've double-crossed some dangerous criminals.
Then when Florence finally shows up out at the fort where Leon is, Leon, who has already been blubbering, which seemed completely out of character for him, does still more bawling around, and Florence sort of comforts him in a rough kind of way. So were the two of them lovers, or what?
We discover Carol is really Patty, and then she hops a freight train?! She didn't even know she was going to be out there by the train tracks - after all the original plan didn't involve driving out to the fort. So what was her original plan? Or did she just see an opportunity and take it?
Whoever decides to watch this film, I wish them luck in getting more out of it than I did.