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Amazon.co.uk Review
Well, filmmakers should aim high, they say. And Richard Kelly shot the moon on his highly-anticipated follow-up to cult sensation Donnie Darko, which expands the apocalyptic mood of that movie and blows it up tenfold. Set during the election season of 2008, Southland Tales proposes a series of apparently linked events: the reappearance of a vanished movie star (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson), now an amnesiac; the bizarre doubling of a policeman (Seann William Scott in two roles); the development of an energy source from ocean waves; and the presence of an Iraq War veteran (Justin Timberlake) who seems to be watching everything, and narrating some of it. Not that the narration helps; even with voice-over (reportedly added after the film's disastrous debut at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival), Southland Tales doesn't come close to making sense, let alone at the minimum level of dangling a carrot to lead the audience along (even Mulholland Drive had a semblance of murder mystery to be solved, or not). The cast is loaded with Saturday Night Live cut-ups, but only Jon Lovitz connects, and in other roles people like Sarah Michelle Gellar, Christopher Lambert, Bai Ling, and John Larroquette are utterly mystifying, by no fault of their own. In some of the musical sequences Kelly gets in stride, but it's easy to create drama in a three-minute music video, and harder to do over two and a half hours. Some top critics rushed to champion the movie, as though flying in the face of philistinism, so feel free to try out this incoherent pastiche for yourself. --Robert Horton
Synopsis
Director Richard Kelly's follow-up to 2001's popular Donnie Darko is a sprawling dystopian satire featuring an all-star cast and a storyline that splinters off into strange and unexpected places. The film begins with a nuclear explosion in Texas, which sparks a full-scale war between the U.S., the Middle East, and North Korea. Kelly's central character is action movie star Boxer Santaros (Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson), who is suffering from a bout of amnesia upon returning from the desert. His reasons for being in the desert are hazy, but he's hooked up with porn star Krysta Now (Sarah Michelle Gellar), and together they have written a screenplay about the end of the world. Santaros tries to prepare for the film by taking a ride with a cop named Taverner (Sean William Scott). But the cop is actually Taverner's twin brother, who is working for a shadowy group of neo-Marxists who are trying to overthrow the government. Meanwhile, a brilliant scientist (Wallace Shawn) unveils an incredible new energy source, the end of the world as predicted by the Book of Revelations draws ever closer, and Justin Timberlake (who plays an Iraqi war veteran) provides a voiceover that fills in some of the gaps. As the film builds to its explosive climax, the reasons for Santaros' time in the desert become clear, and the various strands of the plot are brilliantly woven together.
Southland Tales is packed with ideas, tangents, song-lyrics-as-dialogue (in particular, 'Three Days' by Jane's Addiction), cameos from established stars, and plenty of references to the post-9/11 political landscape. Kelly's film is bursting with imagination, and it will undoubtedly need multiple viewings for everything to sink in. Comparisons to films as varied as Richard Linklater's A Scanner Darkly and David Lynch's Dune are valid, but Kelly's movie inhabits a wonderful world of its own, and is a unique and inspiring piece of filmmaking.
Southland Tales is packed with ideas, tangents, song-lyrics-as-dialogue (in particular, 'Three Days' by Jane's Addiction), cameos from established stars, and plenty of references to the post-9/11 political landscape. Kelly's film is bursting with imagination, and it will undoubtedly need multiple viewings for everything to sink in. Comparisons to films as varied as Richard Linklater's A Scanner Darkly and David Lynch's Dune are valid, but Kelly's movie inhabits a wonderful world of its own, and is a unique and inspiring piece of filmmaking.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Blu-ray
I love tellng people about this film I usually go on for ages but this time I'll keep it short. Love the opening scene, really quite unnerving. The casting is genius and even justin timberlake is brillient in it. The music is very good (provided by moby) as are the other songs chosen. In fact the film has quite a musical theme, which includes my fav scene. It's a film about the nanny state, politics, revolution, religion, space and time, delusions, fame and black mail. It's got some funny moments in it too. Love the additions of music by BRMC and pixies both used to great effect. The format for the role that the internet/tv plays in the film is very interesting too, if you've ever seen starship troopers then well it's a bit like that. Sorry about the disjointed nature of my review but it's in homage to the film which I love.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
So here's the thing, the first time I watched this film I came away feeling a little confused, a little happy and a little sad but ultimately feeling like I had just watched something special.
After watching Southland Tales multiple times I am staggered at how many ideas have gone into this film and actually link up to make it one of the most mind boggling and sheer brilliant films I have seen in some time. I'm not going to discuss the plot as you will find enough of that on here but I will point you in the right direction with some things that aren't apparently obvious.
Southland Tales is a modern day adaptation of the book of revelations played out in a post apocalyptic reality. The characters and scenes play out various set pieces that bear symbolic references to the book of revelations. Southland tales also encompasses a lot of Karl Marx's (famous philosopher) theories about social uprising. Without any knowledge of both of these you can miss the unravelling of Southland tales but still appreciate it for the beautiful film it actually is.
Southland Tales is not for everybody and while some may find it pretentious, I personally found it extremely engaging and thought provoking and in my opinion is a misunderstood masterpiece.
After watching Southland Tales multiple times I am staggered at how many ideas have gone into this film and actually link up to make it one of the most mind boggling and sheer brilliant films I have seen in some time. I'm not going to discuss the plot as you will find enough of that on here but I will point you in the right direction with some things that aren't apparently obvious.
Southland Tales is a modern day adaptation of the book of revelations played out in a post apocalyptic reality. The characters and scenes play out various set pieces that bear symbolic references to the book of revelations. Southland tales also encompasses a lot of Karl Marx's (famous philosopher) theories about social uprising. Without any knowledge of both of these you can miss the unravelling of Southland tales but still appreciate it for the beautiful film it actually is.
Southland Tales is not for everybody and while some may find it pretentious, I personally found it extremely engaging and thought provoking and in my opinion is a misunderstood masterpiece.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This film has really stuck with me. At first I didn't want to see it because the cast sounded awful (Buffy, a wrestler, that guy from American Pie, Justin Timberlake) but it blew me away. Absolutely bizarre, totally pretentious and tremendous fun. It aims for big, big things and doesn't quite pull it off. But I love it for being so obstinate and audacious in a world of boring, predictable films!!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
I like it but not completely sure why
Where to start? This really is a film
that people seem to either love or
hate. But I really can't seem to
make up my mind about it. Read more
that people seem to either love or
hate. But I really can't seem to
make up my mind about it. Read more
Published 7 months ago by KH
Satirical Sci Fi Magic
Southland Tales accounts the last days of the Earth as we know it. Although seemingly a complex story, it is important to remember that there is a constant parallel to the book of... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Capital Villain
Experimental Wizardry
With the approaching elections of 2008, Richard Kelly chose to produce a 'high art' and controversial movie, which is one of the craziest and most complex works in the history of... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Upstage Left
Again with the 4th dimension!
I was a big fan of Donnie Darko, but for me Southland Tales is a poor follow up to Richard Kelly's 2001 cult classic. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Ernie
Southland Tales
If you plan to watch/buy this movie, please make sure you buy the extended or directors cut version otherwise, like me, you will be completly dumbfounded as to what is going on. Read more
Published 24 months ago by Mr. A. Jones
Over ambitious turkey
Oh dear. I gave up half an hour in as it was so turgid and badly made.
The script feels like three years worth of ideas jotted down onto scraps of paper (a character... Read more
The script feels like three years worth of ideas jotted down onto scraps of paper (a character... Read more
Published on 9 Dec 2009 by BS on parade
Film equivalent of prog rock
This is the twisted savant love child of an unholy orgy between Phil K Dick, David Lynch, Terry Gilliam, Robert Anton Wilson etc. Read more
Published on 11 July 2009 by N. Carley
Too much power
Like Spielberg's "1941" Donnie Darko Director Richard Kelly seems to have ended up with too much power on "Southland Tales". Read more
Published on 12 April 2009 by J. S. Meins
Help!!
Well what I can I say , I unfortunately bought this film and boy do I regret it , a load of old waffle , confusing story , just bad bad bad , I gave up halfway through.
Published on 3 April 2009 by Dave M
What the ****?!
This is THE most incoherent pile of dog doo that I have ever had the displeasure of sitting through. Read more
Published on 18 Jan 2009 by Sandman
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