| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
| Spin on Entertainment |
............ |
|
| Movie Review |
..... |
|
 |
|
Running
with Scissors 
- In theaters October 27th 2006
- Rated R for strong language and elements of sexuality, violence
and substance abuse
- RunTime: 116 min
- Website
- Matt's rating - 1 out of 5
- Cindy's rating - 0 out of 5
Matt's Review
Many will call the new film “Running with Scissors” brilliant.
They will use words like artsy and inventive and clever. But they
will say it only because it seems like the cool thing to say.
They are scared to be grouped with those who “don’t get it”. Well,
I have been cool and trust me, it’s overrated. I am now a fan
of honest. This film is horrible. There I said it. Rally around
me all those who dare.
Based on the book of the same name this new film follows the early
years of Augusten Burroughs (Joseph Cross) as he copes with an
alcoholic father (Alec Baldwin) and a fame hungry mother (Annette
Bening). He is reluctantly pawned off on the family of his mother’s
shrink (Brian Cox) where he finds a whole new brand of crazy.
The film is one episode after another of him dealing with his
mother’s unstableness and his longing for normalcy. All these
events surely made for a great book of memoirs, but the film fails
miserably. It tried so hard to be cutting edge and funny and out
of the box. Problem is that once out of the box it had no rhythm
to dance to and therefore staggered around for two hours.
Again I question the curse of abundant casting. Confucius, or
maybe it was Yoda, said, Beware the superb credits less you find
compensation for rotten story and plot. Jill Clayburgh, Evan Rachel
Wood, Gwyneth Paltrow, Joseph Fiennes, Gabrielle Union. Names
that normally deliver and they do what they can with what they
have been given. But it still isn’t enough to salvage one non
redeeming scene after another.
Leaving the screening I heard a young woman behind me timidly
say to her friend, “I liked it”. But she said it as a question
as if by admitting she didn’t would be an admission of uncoolness.
Alas there will always be people who praise these films for
the same reason eunuchs drive hummers. I could film myself in
the act of projectile vomiting and they would rave about the
use of shapes and color. So I am here to free you all from this
vicious snarl by stating unashamedly, this movie stunk.
Running
with Scissors is rated R for strong language and elements of sexuality,
violence and substance abuse. It is definitely not for those under
17 and most will find something offensive about the film. For
me the offensive part was the movie as a whole. Not for any one
element but all the random pieces strung together. I hate the
comparison game but in this instance it has to be made. Little
Miss Sunshine did in 90 minutes what this film failed to do in
120. I give it 1 out of 5. 1 simply to throw the cast a bone for
a decent performance. Oh and the soundtrack was good too. With
a look at Running with Scissors, I’m Matt Mungle
|
Mungleshow
Productions
Matt Mungle
|
|
|
|
|
