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"Complex and rich..."

Customer Rating:
I won't go into a deep analysis of the films theme. Amazon calls it, "Complex and rich." That's true. Problem is, there's just too much of it. They could have shaved at least twenty minutes off this film, leaving out some of the dragging dialogue in the third act which added nothing of substance to the film that hadn't already been previously introduced, and had a much better film for the effort. The first 60% of the film had me very interested, but somewhere around the last 45-60 minutes it just started to bog down in unecessary dialogue, dragging from scene to scene, and by the last 30 minutes I found myself just fast forwarding through a couple of the more irrelevant draggy scenes, something I very seldom do. It is not a bad movie, the themes are relevant, and the acting is satisfactory. It is just that the execution lacks.

rehash

Customer Rating:
I had just watched a new movie, Staten Island, and thought, hey, this is a really solid, great all-around film. Not particularly groundbreaking, but it's really very nice to have a good up to par status quo, and it was quite enjoyable. Sometimes I'm just not in the mood for groundbreaking. And I then I thought of this film, Lone Star, because that's what I had heard about it when it came out. So I decided to go back and re-watch it. I didn't agree then, however, and I don't agree now.

As soon as the fonts of the opening credits come up I get the feeling that I'm watching something a little campy. It's like a soap-opera graphic novel, a dimestore Jesse James sortof deal that puts on airs of modernity without being some really cool modern comic like Watchmen or something. Despite some fairly detailed and believable caricatures, things seem to drag, and it doesn't actually go anywhere. What seems like some sort of attempt at redemption of the sins of the father (as the saying goes), in fact just ends up a rebirth of a whole new generation of messed-uppedness, and all criticisms about the past or trying to pretend like it didn't happen are thrown out the window by more attempts to pretend like the past didn't happen.

What are sold as tiny victories are really just little surrenders. Caricatures that really only start out in faded colors become increasingly bleached out to charcoal sketches and the wild-west flavor becomes an excuse to throw up your arms and simply rely on the outlines. "Everything is too chaotic!"--even though nothing is particularly chaotic or unexpected in any of the film. Somehow the color of this film ends up making everything black and white.

In the end, all ideas of reconciliation are just plain chucked out the window in the last half hour or so of the film. I'm sitting there thinking, hey, how are they ever going to make any sense out of this mess, much less make it right? Well, they don't. It just becomes too inconvenient.

Frankly, I like a movie like Out of Time, which I think has some similarities genre-wise, because it's less campy and more redemptive. But maybe the comparison isn't apt because of the 7 year gap between the two films. Lone Star's worth a watch, I guess, and more complicated than maybe the box cover lets on, but, in my opinion, way overrated.

It's time to dust off this shining star and give it its due...

Customer Rating:
I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I sat down to watch this film, but what I got was far more than I bargained for. One of those dusty western films that is far from dusty, `Lone Star' works more like a crime noir with a dash of thriller and volatile romance thrown in as apposed to a western by definition. It is rich with startling character development (whoever said these people are stereotypical caricatures needs to get a reality check) and engrossing from beginning to end.

`Lone Star' is by far one of the best films of the 90's you may have never seen.

Chris Cooper (complete with sunken demeanor and pent-up sorrow) plays Sam, a young sheriff who starts asking too many questions when a skeleton wearing a badge gets uncovered outside his town. Sam starts sticking his nose where it don't belong (well, it belongs there, but townsfolk think otherwise) and begins to unravel a tale that answers some longstanding questions about his own father and the life he once led.

The film is very easy to follow, but it carries with it a twisted tale, so your attention is demanded. Don't be too worried about that, since the payoff is very rewarding, and the final scene between Cooper and the luminous Elizabeth Pena is such a mindblow that it just warrants another viewing.

The films central morale, of self discovery and acceptance, is gloriously handled throughout the film, and the script just covers every base without feeling too stuffed, too rushed or too flimsy. It is the perfect balance of emotional connection and political correction. The controversial subjects such as race relations, family development, political corruption and misguided loyalties are all explored adequately and carefully so as to appear fluid and complete as apposed to an amalgam of ideas with no real sound structure.

The film couldn't have been made any better.

And then we have the performances, all of which are stellar. Chris Cooper is brilliantly subtle here, gliding through each scene with a restraint that elevates his character's development. Elizabeth Pena harnesses a sensuality that she breaks apart here in order to convey the appearance of a worn and tattered woman who still breathes a fire that just cannot be extinguished. Kris Kristofferson is evil to a T here, capturing fear and handing it to the audience without hesitation, and Matthew McConaughey ACTUALLY DELIVERS here. This may be his finest performance, albeit a small one. He has the natural cowboy swagger (does that term work here) to make his performance work.

And we can all bow to the glorious Francis McDormand, who makes the most (and I mean THE MOST) of a beautifully fleshed out cameo.

So, I promise you, `Lone Star' is all the movie you need. If you haven't seen this brilliant film I urge you to seek it out as soon as possible. With the dirt covered grunge of a western, this crisply tailored exploration of humanity exceeds expectations and remains on of the best films of the 90's; easy.

stereotypes

Customer Rating:
the subject matter of this film is serious, it deals with race, murder and nationalism; but the characters in the film are simplistic and caricatured. it's unfortunate. the most upsetting thing for me as a viewer was the portrayal of the caucasian characters. many are shown as racists and neanderthals. it's very much a hollywood film with strong left leanings that make it difficult for anyone without similar views to enjoy.

The Peyton Plaza Movie

Customer Rating:
The film opens with a view of a desert and cactus. Two men find a skeleton in a shallow grave. The sheriff arrives to take charge. Men hang out in the street (unemployed due to illegal immigrants?). There is talk in the restaurant among elder men about events from long ago. Did the old Sheriff take too much? [Is this scene believable?] Next an army officer talks to his men about the closure of the post. Next there is big trouble in a bar. The next scene shows an argument in a schoolroom about the teaching of history. [Is it believable?] A boy is in trouble after helping a friend. Three army men are exercising in the dry country. The Medical Examiner inspects the bones. No sign of trauma. Its Charlie Wade because of the badge.

A school class is taught about the history of the early 19th century. Is it cut and dried? Sheriff Sam Dees investigates the found skeleton. [Why does this Sheriff travel unarmed? Realism or idealism?] They tell something about small town life in the past. Is it still true? Are there payoffs other than in cash for political support? Can zoning make fortunes for the politically connected? There is talk in a restaurant between a mother and daughter. Are things changing in town? Will the Army post be turned into a jail or a mall? Are there many fights in a bar where young men blow off steam? Will the town build a new jail to benefit contractors with political connections? The people talk about their life. The Sheriff checks out old records. "It's a complicated issue." The Sheriff learns about past history. [The film has been dragging for a while.]

The Sheriff talks to an old girlfriend about why he came back. The old jukebox plays an old song. They become friendlier. The girl mentions her father's name. [Were you surprised?] We learn a little history about the Seminoles and the Black Indians. The Sheriff has an idea about solving the old murder. One Army private may get an Article 15. Or would that reflect on the command? [Does the film drag?] The Sheriff visits his ex-wife. Is she on her meds? The last scene provides a solution to the murder. [I found it unbelievable.] Will it remain officially unsolved? "Goodnight fellas." There is another shocking surprise to this story. The film ends with a yodeling song. [Was this brought to Texas by the German immigrants of the 19th century?]

This story is partly unbelievable and surprising, slow and weird. Even if individual stories reflect reality. It is rich in personal characters but has a poor storyline. John Sayles may need a new line of work or a better writer. Were the actors wasted in this film? Does it remind you of the 50-year old Peyton Place movie, which was also about local politics?