Land of Plenty is the initially funny but ultimately extremely sad story of Paul (John Diehl), a Vietnam veteran who survived the war, but has to live the rest of his life in a world full of crushed dreams, pain, terror, paranoia and conspiracy, just like post 9/11 America.
The message is simple and not that subtle. Still, the movie does a decent job at balancing the political commentary with the personal drama of Paul. Also, it's nice that the events are viewed from two different perspectives, Paul's, a tortured individual and a die-hard patriot, and Lana's (Michelle Williams), an eternal optimist and a committed pacifist.
Despite the limited budget, the setting is also key, as in pretty much any Wim Wenders movie. It starts with the dark and ugly side of Los Angeles and then we are out in the wild and desolated landscapes of Trona.
The message is simple and not that subtle. Still, the movie does a decent job at balancing the political commentary with the personal drama of Paul. Also, it's nice that the events are viewed from two different perspectives, Paul's, a tortured individual and a die-hard patriot, and Lana's (Michelle Williams), an eternal optimist and a committed pacifist.
Despite the limited budget, the setting is also key, as in pretty much any Wim Wenders movie. It starts with the dark and ugly side of Los Angeles and then we are out in the wild and desolated landscapes of Trona.