The Brown Bunny
|
List Price: Our Price: $6.57 You Save: $8.42 (56%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $2.69 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
Movie Reviews of The Brown Bunny
Movie Review: Report from the Sunshine...
Summary: 5 Stars
The now well-documented fiasco at the Cannes Film Festival's screening of "The Brown Bunny" formed a wake behind it so fierce, that it seemed to raise the real question of whether any of us on this side of the Atlantic (or any of us outside that particular screening room in Cannes, for that matter) would ever see a proper theatrical release of Vincent Gallo's much anticipated follow-up to his highly lauded "Buffalo '66."
The aftermath of the Cannes screening fed the film media's hunger well, and venomous criminations were widely reported on both sides (Gallo's description of Roger Ebert, who happens to be married to a black woman, as a slaveowner was a particular favorite of mine). What this prolonged sideshow/pre-show provided to those of us with a sincere interest in viewing the film was a boatload of time...time enough to calibrate and recalibrate our expectations for the nefarious film in question. So tonight, as I finally lined up with others outside the Sunshine Theater's showing of "The Brown Bunny," my well debated and thoroughly decided upon attitude was to expect, or rather more specifically, to hope, that I was in for one holy mess of a movie.
This backward optimism I walked in to the theater with was not precisely the desire to be let down by the filmmaker who moved me so with "Buffalo '66" (readily by overcoming and transcending every pretension that film otherwise espoused with a truly beautiful love story). Instead, this negative hope found its roots in my desire to find myself living in a world where the few worthy bits are not missed, or worse yet, derided and sent out of town on a rail by a cantankerous population. So based on all the advance aspersions cast, my model was simple...if "The Brown Bunny" was a great film, then this was a sh** world.
It is with regret in my heart then that I report to you from the Sunshine that it's a sh** world alright, and the plain fact that "The Brown Bunny" is a ravishing masterwork is the proof I offer. With "The Brown Bunny", Vincent Gallo, out of a hat, conjures up a beautifully sad, radiant universe and then adheres to its uniquely demanding nature faithfully and rightfully to the final frozen shot. His vision is singular AND monumental, understated AND thrilling. The unconventional narrative smolders more than it unfolds, and its devices are as lovely as they are odd and elusive. And if it matters much, the plot genuinely surprises. The only rumor to be believed about "The Brown Bunny" is that the sex is not at all simulated and therefore quite graphic, but it also happens to be artfully captured and of the utmost consequence to a flawless moving picture, and we are all adults here anyway. Or so I thought.
I simply CANNOT IMAGINE how a critic, let alone a large contingency of critics, could hate this film. There is a realm beyond opinions...there are intrinsic rights and intrinsic wrongs. How could a film so undeniably different and captivating and true go so punished by a critical establishment whose only purpose in existing is to identify said elements and then preach the word to an unknowing public, so that taste and goodness may stand a fighting chance in a modern culture that's got blood on its hands for creating both nazis and "American Idol" within the same seventy-odd year period? To hate "The Brown Bunny", one would tiredly have to hate the medium of film itself, which indicates to me that there are some critics among us(without naming names)who ought take up farming as a new profession; sharecropping or other.
Movie Review: Maybe even 6 out of 5 stars. So there.
Summary: 5 Stars
Yes, well, of course most people don't like this movie. If people don't realize by now that Brown Bunny is aimed at a limited audience--especially after all the hullabaloos (hullabali?) raised by this film--I don't know what to say about the movie-viewing public. The following are the facts of the matter; let them serve as either a warning or invitation to prospective viewers.
(1) The film is (materially) uneventful. By this, I mean that nothing much "happens" as far as dialogue, events, or otherwise obvious Hollywood razzmatazz. There are no car chases, explosions, fist fights, cute romantic foibles, jokes, sight gags, or secret government plots. What there is, is a lot of driving--of a van, across the U.S. There are minor, nearly wordless encounters scattered around, but the film is predominantly a mood piece, meditative, allusive, cathartic, evocative... If this doesn't sound appealing to you, then by all means save yourself the hassle and avoid this film like the plague. But to all those who think this is nth degree in a director's self-indulgence, this movie doesn't even come close. See a movie like Goodbye Dragon Inn or, for that matter, any of the major Taiwanese directors, and then you'll see a slow movie! (But not necessarily a bad one, however.)
(2) The movie is brutally depressing. If you make it all the way through (and many will not), you'll unlikely be whistling a merry ditty or feeling particularly chipper. It is certainly not a feel-good movie; in fact, it might qualify as a feel-very-bad movie, which I prefer anyway. A lot of people complain about depressing movies--they would rather watch something light and diverting. But here's the discrepancy: this isn't the cinematic version of Muzak, here to pacify the populace; it is art--which may (fear or fears!) be distressing at times. Life's like that. Get used to it. We have more than enough "entertainment" around to neutralize us into thoughtless zombies... pop music, magazines, TV, sports, and (ahem) the internet, just to name a few.
(3) Okay, here's another doozy, and this is the reason the movie has gotten any public notoriety whatsoever. There is an actual sex scene containing actual oral sex (apparently anyway) between Vincent Gallo and Chloe Sevigny. But, if you are visiting this page, you probably already know this. After all, why would 95% of people be visiting this page? If you are thinking of watching this film for the erotic factor, skip it. There are countless adult films better formulated to satisfy your needs. This scene is hardly what I would consider titillating. It's more sad, in a way. And, no, Chloe Sevigny hasn't destroyed her career by doing this, nor has she made an especially bad choice. (Notice that not many people accuse Vincent Gallo of destroying his career by doing the same thing. But of course many people strongly dislike Vincent Gallo anyway. I myself don't like his right-wing politics, but I still love this film.)
Okay, those are the three main obstacles preventing most casual viewers from "enjoying" (is that even the right word?) this film. If one or more of them seems unappealing to you, then save yourself the ninety minutes. It's as simple as that.
It was very appealing to me, however, and I imagine that some other people out in the world will find this film as important, moving, and meaningful as I have.
Movie Review: I Loved It. I Hated It. I Loved It. 90 out of 100
Summary: 5 Stars
There is a lot about the Brown Bunny that didn't make sense, but in the end I found myself haunted by it. I find it rather ironic, that Bud Clay loved Daisy despite the fact that she didn't make sense, and in the end he was haunted by her.
In any case, the Brown Bunny is a film about a motorcycle racer who travels across country for his next race which happens to be in California, near where the love of his life, Daisy, lives. There is little more I can say about the film without giving away spoilers, for this is a film with a minimalist plot. Bud does meet some women across the way; women he is attracted to, yet, who are not Daisy.
Many say that the Brown Bunny is junk, but it did a lot for me. Here goes...
First, the scenes with Bud and the woman were some of the best man - woman interaction I have seen on film. With little to no words, I felt myself attracted to them. Gallo does a marvelous job of using the camera to convey attraction. Despite the quirkiness of the 3 flowers, Rose, Lilly and Violet, I found myself oddly attracted to them. This was due to the filmmaker and the acting between Gallo and said actresses. In these 3 minimalistic scenes, Gallo shows us everything that can be good about film romance, and everything that Hollywood is missing. Call it a lesson on chemistry, if you will.
Second, the film felt familiar. It felt like my journey, and a journey I have taken. The journey built up suspense as to what Bud was up too, and in the end delivered. But more than that, the journey is familiar because each of us (or most of us) have had those confusing days where a relationship has wavered and we are trying to figure life out. Bud's journey is our journey, and the Brown Bunny, despite using little words, conveys that well. Those who have never had a dysfunctional or soul mate-gone-wrong relationship might think this point is silly.
Third, the acting was brilliant. The immersion, off the scale. The intangibles were huge. Often the camera seemed to say a thousand words when the dialog said little. The silence spoke volumes. Sunsets, scenery and sadness.
Lastly, I walked away from the film thinking and feeling. It made me think about love, and live, and those I have yearned for but lost. I went to bed a ball of mixed emotions. Few films do this.
In the end, Brown Bunny is minimalistic with little dialog, but it is a movie well worth seeing. It makes you think, makes you feel, makes you wonder, and leaves glad you watched the film, for better or for worse. Just like Bud Clay.
I loved it. I hated it. I loved it. If you don't understand dysfunction, Bud Clay, or the movie, you won't understand why I say this.
Total Score (out of 100) = 90
47 (out of 50). Enjoyment. A rating based on my overall enjoyment of the film.
10 (out of 10). Acting. How good was the acting?
10 (out of 10). Immersion. Did the movie suck me into the story?
10 (out of 10). Intangibles. Special effects. Movie pace. Is the movie forgettable, or something you will talk about and remember for weeks? Years?
10 (out of 10). Must see. Is this movie worth seeing/renting?
3 (out of 10). Must buy. Is this movie a must buy/purchase?
Movie Review: Don't believe the hype
Summary: 5 Stars
I lost a lot of respect for Roger Ebert for bashing this film the way he did. As Vincent Gallo himself has said, it was irresponsible of such an influential film critic to attach the "worst movie ever" stigma to a film like this. Sure, Ebert used the minor edits to this film as an opportunity to atone for his irresponsibility and make a complete about-face, but the damage was done by then. This film's reputation was damaged, very possibly beyond repair, forever. Now you have people attracted to the film just because they want to see a trainwreck; a lot of people who wouldn't normally have been inspired to see a film like this, who very likely wouldn't have understood it anyway, just wanting to laugh at and rip apart the alleged "worst film in the history of the Cannes film festival." A soulless Hollywood blockbuster type film can withstand that kind of criticism; a difficult, "not for everyone" indie film, especially one made by such a polarizing figure as Vincent Gallo, cannot. I've seen worse movies than 'The Brown Bunny'. I've never seen 'Gigli' or the '05 'Dukes of Hazzard' starring an all-star cast of master thespians like Johnny Knoxville, Stiffler from 'American Pie' and Jessica Simpson, but I strongly doubt this film is worse than either of them. It isn't even worse than 'The Dreamers', 'Elephant', 'Garden State' or most of the other bullcrap that gets praise in the indie film world today.
As for the film itself...it's nothing like what you've heard. Many people watched this film and saw a tedious excersize in narcissism, "endless" driving scenes, and finally, graphic oral sex. I saw a fascinating portrait of a broken man's confusion, complication, emotional immaturity, and his resultant misery and emptiness, set against some beautiful scenes of the American landscape. 'The Brown Bunny' is not for all tastes, but in no way is it among the worst films ever made. It's not even close. To me, this film stands as proof of three things: first and foremost, Vincent Gallo is still a misunderstood genius (now more than ever); major film critics have incredible power when it comes to the reputation of independent film; and finally, people love to whine, complain and tear things down, and any time you give then an excuse to do so, they'll jump all over it. If you can't take "independent" cinema that is truly unconventional and creative, go watch 'Garden State' or something. Everyone else should watch this film, try their best to forget the naysayers, and remember that many great films, music, and other pieces of art were misunderstood and written off upon their initial release because people weren't ready to understand or accept them. If you don't like it, you don't like it. But calling Vincent Gallo's 'The Brown Bunny' the worst movie ever? To paraphrase the man himself, "save that for when they make 'Rocky 10' and put Nicole Ritchie in it."
Movie Review: Ingenious
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie has a lot of moments that can make the viewer feel awkward or uncomfortable, with very slow pacing and, especially towards the end, with material that seems more [...] (I don't think it could have possibly been a real body part, by the way). One starts to wonder what is this all leading up to? This movie, however, needs to be seen in its entirety and then all of its parts will make sense, nothing is really done without reason; only then will the viewer realize what a masterpiece it is.
It is kind of like a retelling of Huckleberry Finn, the plot consisting of nothing more than a journey, except in this film, with the loss of childhood innocence. It is interesting to note that when the young Bud and Daisy first made their way to the wonders of California, escaping the drudgery of their life in rural Buffalo, NY, they really ended up in the same place from where they started, back to suburbia hell, except this time with palm trees and smaller houses. One can also look at this movie as a retelling of the Great Gatsby, as well.
Pay close attention to the different narrative styles. Throughout much of the film, Vincent Gallo's character is telling his story, which is really more narrated to himself than to an audience; the filming is very choppy and at times out of focus or some of the action is actually off-screen (so much so that it makes you think that Gallo just set up the camera and is actually doing all the filming himself). There's not a whole lot of talking, as he travels from one motor bike race to another. He seems almost lost, even though he knows the route. At the end of the film, when he meets up with Daisy and they talk together, for the first time we see Vincent Gallo's character and much of the action in clear focus in the full frame and there's more of a dialogue. Gallo has done an excellent and thoughful way of presenting the characters, by portraying inner and personal dialogues, feelings, thoughts, emotions that all go on inside the person versus an outside perspective, how one appears to others from the outside, that can still be revealing about a person.
I thought the female actreses were all great, especially Cheryl Tiegs and Chloe Sevigny. Gallo uses the "flower" girls/women cleverly to represent the different stages of Daisy's life, and yet shows that as a person, Daisy is irreplacable.
Gallo has made an incredible film, exploring an area of life most directors wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole, and yet affects us all, or at least some aspects of it.