Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by jamesgarvin (A) on March 26, 2007 at 15:37:20

In Reply to: I expected a lot, having read several positive reviews such as yours posted by tinear on March 26, 2007 at 15:03:20:

"Howard's character I found so empty I couldn't really appreciate the performance."

I think for the first two-thirds of the film, his character was empty. His life is one of selling products. To the johns, his hookers. To drug addicts, his drugs. His life is on autopilot. Which, in turn, leads to the lives of those around him being on autopilot.

Where I think the film goes right, in a very subtle way, showing small events which begin to transform him. The scene where his pregnant hooker tells him that her small role has given her life meaning, her giving him a chain, his retreat back to the house to give a very tender, parting kiss, his white hooker's remorse about what she does in the backseat, culminating into a very honest discussion, and him eventually placing her in control of his marketing, etc.

I think you can see the change in him when he goes a few houses down to tell a neighbor whom he has had some confrontations to ask him to turn down the music. I think that his life is one of detachment from those around him, because those around him would steal from him and kill him if it served their needs. In that respect, I think his character is honest to the environment.

"but I found the film poorly written."

Not sure what you mean there.