Rating: 
Summary: Grainy, bleak portrait of the hopelessness in all of us
Review: I'm a huge Wilco fan which turned me on to this movie and soundtrack. Despite the bitter reviews by folks hoping for every plot twist and character to be instantly revealed to them in a snappy ending, this film is brilliant. Arent the best songs ones that when they are over seem too short? Arent the best books the ones that end with the fate of the protagonists as yet undetermined? Such is Chelsea Walls, a film about starving artists and tortured souls living a day in their lives. The performances, soundtrack and lighting are genius....if you like movies such as Memento, Usual Suspects, etc....where you are left wanting more...this movie is for you. If you like cheesey copouts like Lethal Weapon or Lord of the Rings....dont watch it.
Rating:
Summary: Grainy, bleak portrait of the hopelessness in all of us
Review: I'm a huge Wilco fan which turned me on to this movie and soundtrack. Despite the bitter reviews by folks hoping for every plot twist and character to be instantly revealed to them in a snappy ending, this film is brilliant. Arent the best songs ones that when they are over seem too short? Arent the best books the ones that end with the fate of the protagonists as yet undetermined? Such is Chelsea Walls, a film about starving artists and tortured souls living a day in their lives. The performances, soundtrack and lighting are genius....if you like movies such as Memento, Usual Suspects, etc....where you are left wanting more...this movie is for you. If you like cheesey copouts like Lethal Weapon or Lord of the Rings....dont watch it.
Rating: 
Summary: Give it a try
Review: I'm not going to disagree with people who feel this film is pretentious. If it's not your kind of thing, I can see why you'd feel that way. But I think I can understand and appreciate what Ethan Hawke was trying to do here. The Chelsea hotel in NYC is unique--so many famous writers have lived and worked there that the place should be a literary landmark and tourist attraction. I guess to a certain extent it is, but it's also a squalid pit whose residents are a mixture of disenfranchised people and artists/writers trying to follow in the footsteps of previous Chelsea denizens. It's this contradictory atmosphere that Hawke is trying to capture, and I think he did a good job. True, there's not much of a plot. It's mainly just a glimpse at several people as they struggle with life and whether their creative impulses are fulfilling enough to sustain them in such a marginalized existence. I thought Robert Sean Leonard, Kris Kristofferson, and Rosario Dawson gave particularly moving performances. And there is a plot, in a way--watch the policemen at the beginning of the film; they'll be important at the end. There's no question that the screenplay (written by Nicole Burdette, not Hawke) is somewhat flat and inert, but the acting and directing rise above it. Months after I watched it, I keep thinking about this movie. I'm going to have to rent it again or maybe even buy it. If you don't like unconventional films, I think you can probably already tell that you're not going to like this one. If you like to see different, experimental movies, however, give this one a try and make up your own mind. At the very least, you'll be supporting independent film in this country, which needs all the help it can get.
Rating: 
Summary: Walk away from this movie!
Review: Puh-leeze. Spare me the tortured artist hooey. I don't care for mainstream Hollywood movies *and* I'm lucky to have some artistic souls in my circle of friends *and* I still found this movie to be pretentious. First and foremost, the major problem with this movie (and I assume the play as well) is that you never get to know these people. Neither the playwright nor the director needs to rely on backstory, but how about giving the audience a point at which to move forward or something to care about? Just being An Artist doesn't cut it. A solid cast is wasted on half-written scenes, stilted lines and stereotypes. Speaking of the cast, Uma Thurman seems to be included only--other than being the director's wife, of course--because she wanders around in a tight tank top. In addition, the idea of mood in Chelsea Walls is distinguished by lighting. How original. You've got your young attractive lovers in cool blue, your disaffected midwestern songwriter in red and your alcoholic writer in brownish yellow. Since when did Paint By Numbers become the accepted formula for a good film? On the plus side, even if Amazon.com offered a rating of 0, I would still give it a star because of Jeff Tweedy's score. In addition to the background music, there are two new Wilco songs you can't find elsewhere. His musical genius is the best thing about this movie. I would recommend picking up the soundtrack and avoiding the film entirely.
Rating:
Summary: Walk away from this movie!
Review: Puh-leeze. Spare me the tortured artist hooey. I don't care for mainstream Hollywood movies *and* I'm lucky to have some artistic souls in my circle of friends *and* I still found this movie to be pretentious. First and foremost, the major problem with this movie (and I assume the play as well) is that you never get to know these people. Neither the playwright nor the director needs to rely on backstory, but how about giving the audience a point at which to move forward or something to care about? Just being An Artist doesn't cut it. A solid cast is wasted on half-written scenes, stilted lines and stereotypes. Speaking of the cast, Uma Thurman seems to be included only--other than being the director's wife, of course--because she wanders around in a tight tank top. In addition, the idea of mood in Chelsea Walls is distinguished by lighting. How original. You've got your young attractive lovers in cool blue, your disaffected midwestern songwriter in red and your alcoholic writer in brownish yellow. Since when did Paint By Numbers become the accepted formula for a good film? On the plus side, even if Amazon.com offered a rating of 0, I would still give it a star because of Jeff Tweedy's score. In addition to the background music, there are two new Wilco songs you can't find elsewhere. His musical genius is the best thing about this movie. I would recommend picking up the soundtrack and avoiding the film entirely.
Rating:
Summary: The death of the Independent Film
Review: Rubbish. Pretentious rubbish. Words cannot describe how appalling this film is. Apparently it's adapted from some starving artists stage play so i'm not sure how much of this is the fault of Ethan Hawke. On paper the cast list seems quite intriguing. Everyone who is anyone in overpraised Independent Film makes an appearance: Steve Zahn, Vincent D' Onofrio, Kevin Corrigan, Frank Whaley, Robert Sean Leonard, Uma Thurman (wearing a silly wig) and Rosario Dawson. Cinematic dinosaurs Kris Kristofferson and Tuesday Weld and also in the mix to assure us that Hawke knows all the right 70s references. I'll assume Parker Posey and Janeane Garofalo were busy during the filming. French audiences will probably hail this a masterpiece.
BTW digital video films look terrible (but i'm sure that's the point).
...
Rating:
Summary: masterpiece
Review: so many films today hold no meaning, express no artistic vision, or do not simply "be." chelsea walls is the perfect film for those who prefer intriguing character studies, dim settings (and situations), and simple plots. before sunrise? tape? these are brilliant films. they should be the standards by which all films are judged. chelsea walls is a quiet, understated film that pays attention to character development. tweedy did for the soundtrack what elliot smith did for good will hunting, mellow and beautiful. these other reviewers seem to have no appreciation for what hawke (who deserves kudos) did, have no love for the glory of the independant film, and do not understand the concept of artistic poignancy. they must have polluted their minds with unoriginal, overblown hollywood epics. try it, go simple... just let it engage you .......and long live the independant film
Rating:
Summary: Chelsea Walls: Great cast; horrid movie
Review: This movie grabs your attention by the wonderful performers it promises you on the cast list, however, this movie is one of the worst pictures that has ever graced my eyes. The script is tired and lacking, the movie can be produced by anyone with a video camera and would get more truth about any of its subject matter by hanging around today's teenagers. If you want to know what life as an artist is like, become one. To waste money renting or buying this movie would be one of the biggest regrets of your money. If you must see this movie for your favorite actor or actress I suggest you fast forward to the parts they are acting in, because if you don't I guarantee that you will not make it through the whole movie and you will never see this movie twice. On a side note for Natasha Richardson fans you will be spared a great deal, she is in the first scene and the ending scenes. She will be fortunate to say that she did not have a big part in this horrific movie. For everybody else they will have to knock it off as a learning experience. If I could I wouldn't even give this movie a star but since it is required I will put one star up there. If this is what we have to look forward to from Ethan Hawke then he should reevaluate his career. If you're going to put something out there make sure it can at least be watched without wanting to hang yourself afterwards. I can see making this movie for people in the entertainment business but for the general public it is a constant reminder of why we stick to hype built movies. This is exactly why so many actors and actresses remain unnoticed for so long. They have been in great movies that have never hit the movie theatre and when by chance a customer decides to drift from mainstream to see other movies, they pick up something horrible like Chelsea Walls and never watch another movie that doesn't come to the big screen.
Rating:
Summary: Trying too hard to be artsy
Review: This was the worst film I've seen in a very long time. It was so bad I turned it off after an hour of pure unenjoyment. I've seen many bad films but I can usually make it through them, however in this case you couldn't pay me enough to watch any more. One main problem with the film is the fact that it features Kris Kristofferson. I have found his acting bad in the past, but he disappointed me even further in this film. In gut wreching emotional scenes between him and his lover he remains cold, distant, and even. Unfortunatley, this seems to be a style of acting tends to be a trend with all of the entertainers that appeared. I think the film was trying very hard to artsy and lacks any of substance to be considered an art film. Uuuggghhh it even has a "bum" doing spoken word between scenes or in the background of some main dialogue. All in all it's trying to be something that it's not. Avoid at all costs.
Rating:
Summary: A great indie film
Review: What's with all the hostility from some of the reviewers about this film? These are obviously people who're still (and only)impressed by blockbuster,mainstream feel-good films and have a narrow wolrdview.Hawke's bleak take on Nicole Burdette's play about a group of artists,writers and musicians living a New York hotel is done very well and with a gritty touch(thanks,once again,to the wonders of filming in digital video).Sure,some parts of the movie and the acting is a bit overdone(especially by Kristofferson at the very end)or amateurish(Kevin Corrigan comes to mind) but it's still a great "day in the life"pic that is features great background music by Jeff Tweedy of Wilco. The fact they actually filmed at Hotel Chelsea adds an even more cinematic gracefulness. The color-specified rooms and lighting for each of the characters,while not a unique move in cinemaphotography,is still a nice touch.The stories may seem to have nothing to do with one another but they all tie into one general theme that I won't ruin by telling here. All in all,it's the perfect movie to watch late at night.
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