27 lines
2.2 KiB
Plaintext
27 lines
2.2 KiB
Plaintext
an indian runner was more than a courier .
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he * became * the message he was carrying .
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what danger is a bear , to a message ?
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i used to think sean penn was an immature , arrogant , photographer- punching , madonna-marrying , loudmouth .
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but all that has changed now .
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the guy has grown up .
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and that's not all .
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it seems that sean penn has talents both as a writer and a director , if this film is any indication .
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one might imagine a movie with plenty of ruthless rage and showy machismo , given penn in charge of bronson and and hopper .
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but , no .
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this film is about a real struggle , and the victories and defeats are not simple .
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penn lets the story unfold at a pace dictated by the lives of the characters , without unnecessary rush or flash .
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the focus of the story is two brothers .
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david morse is the brother who has grown up in the small midwestern town in which they were raised , tending a failing farm and finally becoming a police officer .
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viggo mortensen is the wild brother , whose wild behavior seems to be a reaction to some ancient pain that he can't name , much less resolve .
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the film picks the story up on the day when mortensen returns from vietnam , and morse coincidentally encounters an armed youth fleeing for the state line .
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it becomes clear that some kind of conflict threatens the link that the brothers once shared .
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the film is unobtrusive , simple , direct , plain , and sincere .
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it isn't exactly perfect , but its sincerity is well invested in the struggle of the two brothers to identify the sickness before it destroys them .
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life seems to move forward a little faster than they can get a handle on their problems .
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this is a good film without big budget sets , or big name stars pushed into your face .
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in fact , i'm reviewing it because i suspect that it may not get much marketing .
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there were perhaps 10 others at the showing i saw .
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i thought the structure was clean and not oversimplified , though there are a few free-form sections which also work very well .
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the obligatory 1960s music seemed a little cliche , but what are you going to do--this movie * does * take place in the 1960s after all .
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in my opinion , it is worth full-price admission .
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