MovieChat Forums > Down in the Valley (2005) Discussion > Could have been brilliant

Could have been brilliant

posted 18 years ago by honda4takter
22 replies | jump to latest

Don't get me wrong, I really liked it, especially at the beginning. The scene in the ocean was beautiful and I really liked Norton's character, well played and easy to relate to. But then he decides to [spoiler]shoot the girl[/spoiler], and at that point it was no longer possible for me to feel any sympathy for the protagonist. I'm all for independent movies that take a different approach, but this just didn't work. If they wanted a quirky feel and a shootout at the ending, couldnt they have done so with keeping the father as the 'bad guy'?

What do you guys think?

[–] Johnboy1221 9 years ago

I didn't mind the shooting, as I felt it was unintentional, but my biggest issue with the film is that too much was left unanswered. Such as:

1. What happened to their mothers......Tobe, Lonnie, and Harlan?

2. Harlan was so broken that I didn't feel I could trust anything he said to be factual. He said he was from South Dakota, but was he really, or was that part of his broken image of himself?

3. Was his father, Joe, Jewish? Did he steal from his father, or someone he thought was his father?

4. Were Ward and his buddy lovers? It was hinted at, but never explained.

I liked Harlan, most of the time, and secretly hoped he might find salvation, but in the end he just imploded.

Do I like the movie? Yes, I do, but mostly due to the fine acting in the film.