This movie could have been something special. It was well cast, the plot was quirky and clever(at times), and the characters felt organic - like they belonged in 'God's Pocket'. It was definitely entertaining, and the story engaging, but it felt a bit rushed. I think the movie could have gone on another 25 minutes or so.
There were also some serious plot holes. I won't spoil any details, but some characters' motivations made little sense, or COULD have made sense had they been given a bit more development. It all felt so unnatural at times. I can't speak for how faithful the movie is to the novel, but I don't imagine the author forcing things along that quickly unless it was a 150 page book aimed at a teenage audience...
It screamed low budget at times, with modern vehicles abundant throughout (I think it was supposed to be the 70s/80s). Some fight scenes were incredibly cheesy as well, where a punch clearly misses, but renders the victim unconscious. Granted, these weren't major parts of the plot, but it might be distracting depending on how observant you are.
5/10. Hoffman/Turturro were good as you'd expect, and it was definitely entertaining, but not something I'd recommend to a film buff.
There were also some serious plot holes. I won't spoil any details, but some characters' motivations made little sense, or COULD have made sense had they been given a bit more development. It all felt so unnatural at times. I can't speak for how faithful the movie is to the novel, but I don't imagine the author forcing things along that quickly unless it was a 150 page book aimed at a teenage audience...
It screamed low budget at times, with modern vehicles abundant throughout (I think it was supposed to be the 70s/80s). Some fight scenes were incredibly cheesy as well, where a punch clearly misses, but renders the victim unconscious. Granted, these weren't major parts of the plot, but it might be distracting depending on how observant you are.
5/10. Hoffman/Turturro were good as you'd expect, and it was definitely entertaining, but not something I'd recommend to a film buff.