Rating: 
Summary: Brillant thoughts through exceptional dialogue
Review: Every actor in this piece is priceless in their portrayal of hollywood types living on the edge, discussing the existential dilemma of modern man's existence while under the intoxication of pot, cocaine and alcohol. It's powerful, emotional, and superbly funny all at once, while never selling out for cheap laughs or over-dramatic feelings. It's raw, real, and extremely entertaining. Sean Penn delivers one of his best performances, and Kevin Spacey is money as always, sporting bleached blonde hair, and dripping with sarcasm. It's a movie to watch, quote with your friends, and one to have in your video library.
Rating:
Summary: the most intelligent movie in a while
Review: Hurlyburly is by far the funniest, most intelligent, and well written movie that I have seen in a long while. Although it's a "dialogue" movie (previously a play), the dialogue never gets boring. Sean Penn and Kevin Spacey....phew...possibly their best performances. Many excellent one liners you've always meant to say, but were never articulate enough to spit out. So there you have it. Watch it. Love it.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing: HurlyBurly Ambitious but just Burls on....
Review: What a fine cast, but disappointing film. Yes, I too was very excited about the possiblity of having Sean Penn, Kevin Spacey, Anna Paquin, Chaz Palmintery, and Meg Ryan together in a film. Ultimately it's David Rabe's script that's not very accessible to it's viewers. I can see this working as a play (which it originally was), but it does not work in the medium of film. Rabe's dialogue is nice in the fact that Sean Penn can play the heck out of it, but ultimately we can't relate, sympathize, or empathize for that matter because Rabe's writing is so overanylytical and self-indulgent that it begins to wear you down. Eventually you don't care about what happens to Sean Penn's character or the other characters in the movie and ulitmately the story itself. I can understand a film with absurdist elements, but this doesn't even fall into that category. David Rabe is an accomplished writer and playwright, but we all have misses. And unfortunately, this one misses its mark and...its point.
Rating: 
Summary: Incessantly aggravating, yet...
Review: Finally caught the movie on tape the other night and all I can say is... well not much. I usually gauge a movie on its watch factor, that being the number of times I look at my watch to see how long it's been and attempt to guess at how much longer it'll be. This had a watch factor of at least 10. Spacey and Penn's performances were tremendous though Spacey didn't really do more than "be cool". Penn was pretty damn phenomenal though, literally torturing me with a comprehensive vision of a man I would probably slap, simply on principle. Notable performances as well by Chaz Palmenteri(sp?) and especially Garry Shandling who managed to make me forget that he was ever in his own show (the old one, not the HBO pseudo talk show).In short, dark and depressing. I'm not sure what the trend is in glorifying or at least giving credence to the particular brand of L.A. insanity represented in the film but given movies of its ilk such as Short Cuts and The Player (both exceptional Altman films), I'd venture that it'll be with us for quite some time.
Rating: 
Summary: A good film, although you have to really follow closely...
Review: This film is not for everyone, unlike that annoying "blockbuster" of 1997-98, Titanic. This is a slice-of-life-film about the shallowness of Hollywood and the kind of people who get sucked into said shallowness. There are a few memorable scenes, such as the one where Artie is talking to Eddie through the table glass while snorting cocaine, and the one where Phil head-butts Donna in disgust over her lack of knowledge about football. Also one has to admire Meg Ryan for her willingness to tackle a new kind of role, though even as a down-and-dirty club dancer who snorts coke, she's still adorable. Overall, this is a movie for people who want to try and understand of the behind-the-scenes culture of Tinseltown. If that's possible, that is.
Rating:
Summary: It's about the mythology, stupid!
Review: Since most of the reviewers just don't get it, here it is in what I hope is plain english. The characters are the modern day myth makers, they make films, the stories that are suppose to help us make sense of our times. Hmm. The stories they make are shallow and pandering. They see no meaning in their lives. They take drugs in a desperate attempt to obliterate their angst, ambivalence, shame, confusion, fear (of women among others), paranoia, blah, blah, blah. After the suicide, Penn's character attempts to make sense of it with anagrams etc. A feeble attempt to find meaning in a meaningless note from a lost soul. He has no relevant myths to help him deal with the loss or anything else for that matter. As Penn's character says to Ryan's, "Do you think the ancients had these problems?" Hell no, they had valuable and relevant myths. Why? 'Cause they weren't trying to make money for a film studio! Is technology changing our culture so fast that we can't make up the mythology quickly enough to deal with it? We have the technology but do we have the mythology? Blah, blah, blah!
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Awful!
Review: I don't hate too many movies, but this is one of them. The movie is absolutely awful, with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. It drags on (and on and on...) and I kept wondering what the point was. Unfortunately there is no point. I was singing praises to the Almighty when it finally ended! If you have 2 hours to waste, buy this movie. If not, SKIP IT!
Rating:
Summary: And the point is?
Review: Can a movie be artistic and still have a plot? What is with these movies that have style but no substance? I found HurlyBurly (just like most of these other reveiwers)to be nothing more than just a bunch of great actors babbling about nothing! And I'm sure that I'm not the only one who finds it disgusting whenever they place an adult actor in bed with a actress who is barely out of her teens. If you like your movies to be "artsy" and still be watchable, then I recommend "In the Company of Men". If you value your time, I suggest that you skip this one.
Rating:
Summary: I'm with the 5 Star Crowd!
Review: Looks like you either loved or hated this movie. Well, I loved it and will purchase it to go with the few other movies I've ever wanted to keep: Pulp Fiction, Apocalypse Now!, The Tin Drum and Run Lola Run. My guess is that the 1 Star group just didn't get it. The acting was superb, with Sean Penn and Kevin Spacey at their absolute best. Even Garry Shandling and Meg Ryan gave us all they had. Anyway, see the video blah blah blah, if you like slightly off-beat movies with a killer script and stellar acting!
Rating:
Summary: Funny, witty and very intense
Review: Hurlyburly is a wonderful portrayal of contemporary life in the Hollywood hills. It's a frighteningly dark film filled with cynical and sarcastic humor. As long as you pay attention to the non-stop dialogue, you will laugh and cry. A must see for any dark humor fans.
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