Rating: 
Summary: Poor Poor and more Poor
Review: James Franco plays a very attractive former military man who returns home to his less than stellar family. I loved this movie. It was original and something different. James Franco deserves some indy awards buzz for his portrayal of Sonny. Nicholas Cage did a great job with his directorial debut. There is not much I didn't like about this film. It was something different and I appreciated that. Nick Cage also shines in his brief cameo in the film.
Rating: 
Summary: Something Different
Review: James Franco plays a very attractive former military man who returns home to his less than stellar family. I loved this movie. It was original and something different. James Franco deserves some indy awards buzz for his portrayal of Sonny. Nicholas Cage did a great job with his directorial debut. There is not much I didn't like about this film. It was something different and I appreciated that. Nick Cage also shines in his brief cameo in the film.
Rating: 
Summary: Sonny Not Caged In By First Time Director
Review: Sonny marks the directorial debut of actor Nicholas Cage. Right off the bat, I must confess that I am not a fan of Cage, so I didn't quite know how I would feel about this film. Now, I can honestly say that, thanks to strong performances, it turned out better than I thought it would.Sonny Phillips (James Franco) has come home, after being discharged from the Army, to steamy New Orleans. In the past, Sonny made a name for himself as a hustler, working for his mother Jewel (Brenda Blethyn). Now that he has returned, he wants very much to start fresh, leaving his torid past behind him. He meets one his mom's "girls", Carol (Mena Suvari), and he is almost instantly taken with her. He admires her for, like him, having hopes and dreams of a better life--outside the "Job". However, Sonny soon realizes that the promise of stability, may come at a high cost. Cage, to his credit, assemled a solid cast, that also includes Seymour Cassel, Harry Dean Stanton, and Brenda Vaccaro. All of whom give their best. I could have done without Cage putting himself in front of the camera as "Acid Yellow" though. The main appeal of the film though is Franco and Suvari. After making quite an impression playing James Dean and in Spiderman--he turns in another intense performance. Suvari lights up the screen and both have great chemistry with each other. They ARE the reason to watch Sonny. The DVD extras include 2 commentary tracks. The first, by director Cage and producer Norm Golightly, is ok but not great. I can only take Cage in small doses. I enjoyed the second commentary by writer John Carlen much more. Cast and crew information and the theatrical trailer top off the extras. Despite having one of my least favorite actors behind (and in front) of the camera, Sonny is worth a look. Franco and Suvari continue to be two stars on the rise
Rating:
Summary: Poor Poor and more Poor
Review: the big question is...who finances these movies. somebody wrote a horrible story and recruited horrible actors.....
seriously, I am definitely more stupid after having watched this movie.
Add it to the long list of bad movies for 2003!!
Rating: 
Summary: A FANTASTIC ACCOUNT OF THE UNDERWORLD LIFE IN NEW ORLEANS!
Review: THIS FILM IS AN EXCELENT ACCOUNT OF THE TRUE REALITY OF THE UNDERWORLD LIFE THAT EXISTS IN NEW ORLEANS. I AM NOT TAKING THE SIDE OF THE FIRST TIME DIRECTOR NICHOLAS CAGE BUT SPEAKING BY EXPERIENCE. I HAVE LIVED IN NEW ORLEANS FOR 12 YEARS AND AS A PHOTOGRAPHER, I CAN TRULLY SAY THAT THIS FILM IS EVERY BIT TRUE TO THE REAL NEW ORLEANS. FOR A FICTIONAL STORY IT IS VERY CONVINCING AND THE CHOICE OF ACTORS COULDN'T HAVE BEEN BETTER. NEW ORLEANS HAS BEEN NICKNAMED "THE CITY THAT CARE FORGOT" AND THE STORY IN THIS FILM SIMPLY SHOWS THAT. THE CHARACTERS IN THE FILM AND THE REAL LIFE RESIDENTS COULDN'T BE MORE COMPARABLE. THEIR PERSONAS IS WHAT GIVES THIS INCREDIBLE CITY ANOTHER NICKNAME: "THE BIG EASY". FOR THOSE WHO WERE QUICK TO JUDGE THIS FILM, I SUGEST THAT THEY PACK THEIR BAGS, GET OUT OF THEIR SANITAZED WORLD AND TAKE A TRIP TO NEW ORLEANS AND GET A REALITY CHECK. THERE'S MORE TO REAL LIFE THAN PRETTY PICTURES.
Rating:
Summary: Great direction + Good acting = 5 Stars
Review: This is a great movie, with great direction from movie superstar / academy award winner Nicolas Cage (Adaptation, Windtalkers, Leaving Los Vages, Face/Off, Con Air, Raising Arizona and the list is toooooo long! For a first time try behind the camera, it is a great effort, but not as good as seeing him infront of the camera! The acting wasn't the best you have seen, but with Nicolas Cage showing them the ropes (and having a cameo/small part which was something good itself) it wasn't too bad at all!
Alround a great film worth seeing, renting or buying!
Rating:
Summary: Dreadful!!!!
Review: This is an absolutely awful directorial debut from Nicolas Cage! There are so many things to dislike about this turkey, not the least of which are a bad script, overacting on the parts of Blethyn and Franco, terrible music, predicatable plot and a host of other problems. Blethyn's southern accent is so overdone that it is actually humorous. And a scene with Franco in which he discovers that a woman he just had sex with is addicted to cough syrup is outright silly. This is a terrible, dreadful, awful, insipid waste of time. See "Showgirls" instead; it's bad as well, but at least it provides some good laughs!
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