The Crossing Guard

Rating:
Summary: Deeper than It looks!
Review: I watched The crossing guard last night again for the 2nd time. It was 4:00am in the morning, and I had my ear phones plugged into the TV. What really hit home is the complexity that exists within this beautifully orchastrated film. The journeys each character takes, as people, dealing with their own inner feelings works in a way that I feel a lot of films don't do any more. I can't really critisise any acting in the film, although I do question Jacks ability to cry on celluloid! The end scene is a bit drawn out, and yet has a kind of zen about it. The soundtrack complements the film perfectly. And watch out for the opening sequence as Jack walks accross New York, I think the music complements him down to a Tee! Watch this film in a quiet room. But If you are feeling depressed, or somebody in the family just died, maybe watch Bambi... actually don't do that either! Watch Independence day, that always makes me laugh!

Rating:
Summary: Translation
Review: I wonder how many of the reviewers have read Bukowski.
I wonder if any of those who have read Bukowski understand him.
I wonder that no one has mentioned him before now in realtion to this film.
I think Penn was reaching for someting else here and did not quite get there.
I don't think anyone who has written a review before this one really understands that.
Bukowski would curse here and someone would be offened and report this and it would be taken down.
Sean Penn knows this and did the best he could without his work being taken down.
Where have all the Chinaskis gone?

Rating:
Summary: Very Disappointing
Review: I'm a big fan of the 2000 Penn-Nicholson drama "The Pledge". And when I heard about their earlier effort "The Crossing Guard". I got really excited and wanted to see it. But after a couple of views of this film I was terribly disappointed. "The Crossing Guard" is basically a revenge movie. Nicholson plays a jeweler obsessed with the death of his daughter 6 years ago and intent on gaining revenge on the drunk driver who killed her. However, the first scene between them is ridiculous! Nicholson comes into the drunk's trailer and the guy doesn't even act scared! He acts like he knows he's coming and he's not even surprised! Another part of the movie that just doesn't make sense is that if Jack's character is so obsessed with his daugther's death why does he spend all his time in strip clubs and making love to beautiful young girls? Penn never makes us care about any of his characters. Jack's character comes off as a selfish drunk playboy who just wants to get revenge for the hell of it. As the viewer I never felt compassion or understanding for his plight. He just seems like a guy who's out to get revenge to satisfy his own ego and not for his daughter. Just a very disappointing movie with a bad story and bad script. I guess even a legend like Nicholson can't save every movie he's in.

Rating:
Summary: Tragic and Beautiful... Like Life
Review: I've read all of Bukowski's work, but I'm not sure there's a connection here. Sean Penn dedicated this film to Henry (Charles) Bukowski because the two were friends and Bukowski died before this film was released. Anyway, this IS NOT a Bukowski-esque work in any way.

However, this film is a very believable and touching film about how rage and the desire for revenge can completely consume a person. It's also about the power and beauty of forgiving those who have wronged you.

I don't think the film contains a lot of cliches, in fact, I think there are many moments of fresh, believable dialog. Especially the scenes between Nicholson and Houston. Amazing!

This film shares many of the same themes as 21 Grams, which is also good, but not as good as The Crossing Guard.

Rating:
Summary: Unforgiven
Review: It's too long, too unfocused and way too self-indulgent. But in the end, none of this matters. Sean Penn's second effort as a director-screenwriter is compelling and emotionally resonant ways that more conventionally well-made films never manage to be. Jack Nicholson gives one of his finest performances as Freddy Gale, a jewelry store owner whose daughter was killed by a drunken driver six years before the story begins. Since then, the devastated Freddy has remained alive only by nursing the hope that he will be able to kill John Booth (David Morse), the man who accidentally killed his daughter. But as the guilt-racked Booth is released from prison, it becomes very clear that perhaps neither man really wants to live much longer. Throughout "Crossing Guard," Penn has a tendency to sledgehammer his way through walls rather than simply opening doors. Even so, he always gets where he wants to go -- to that dark corner of our hearts where we can forgive no one, not even ourselves. Co-star Anjelica Huston has a couple of terrific scenes as Freddy's ex-wife, a woman with her own share of guilt, fear and loathing.

Rating:
Summary: Great Jack and little else.
Review: Jack does his best to usher the viewer through a boring and sometimes downright dumb script. The chase scene.... Jack runs and runs and drags us along to nowhere. There's some nudity in there for no reason at all but should please some. At the end of it I just had no feeling about it. An hour and 45 minutes of inert material.

Rating:
Summary: 2 OF THE BEST PERFORMANCES OF THE DECADE
Review: Jack Nicholson gives his best performance since "One Flew Over the Cuckoos's Nest" as a depressed, revenge driven father and Daid Morse holds his own as guilt ridden man who accidetally killed Nicholson's daughter 6 years ago. This film, expertley directed by Sean Penn, is an excellant example of 2 of the greatest actors of our time at their best!

Rating:
Summary: 2 OF THE BEST PERFORMANCES OF THE DECADE
Review: Jack Nicholson gives his best performance since "One Flew Over the Cuckoos's Nest" as a depressed, revenge driven father and Daid Morse holds his own as guilt ridden man who accidetally killed Nicholson's daughter 6 years ago. This film, expertley directed by Sean Penn, is an excellant example of 2 of the greatest actors of our time at their best!

Rating:
Summary: LIFE WILL CRUSH YOU
Review: LOVED IT, Even thought the strip-club scenes were a little unrealistic. Also, if U like Robin Wright Penn (Princess Buttercup in the Princess Bride and the single mom in The Pledge) ---she is an indispensible member of the cast. Not for the squeemish, or those who love the anti-septic LA of TV.

Rating:
Summary: Sean Penn should have stayed at Ridgemont High
Review: Other reviews give a good overview of the plot, such as it is. The acting by Jack Nicholson and David Morse is superb as always, but their best efforts can't save this disjointed, pretentious film full of existentialist garbage. This is one of those films that never seems to want to get to the point! I thought it appropriate at the end when Nicholson and Morse were crying together: I think they might have been glad this movie was finally over so they could then use their talents for a director who actually knows what to do with talent when he sees it. Sean Penn, go back to being surfer dude; it suits you better.