A poignant journey that gets stuck pretty deep in absurdity
Added 2/23/2010
The setup for Stuck seems pretty ridiculous, but it's actually based on a true story. After a night of partying, the young Brandi (Mena Suvari) commits a hit and run on a homeless man (Stephen Rea). Such a tragic mistake, and here's the horrible kicker--the guy is wedged tightly in the windshield of her car! Quite a crazy predicament, and Brandi is of course stricken with panic.
So what does she do? Drives home, drops some more ecstasy and has sex with her boyfriend. Just leaves the poor guy bleeding to death in her garage? Well, I suppose we all deal with stress in different ways.
I can appreciate the dark comedy of this story and realize it might be a statement about the current mindset that seems to be prevalent in our culture. People having a reckless pursuit of personal happiness along with a selfish disregard for responsibility. It also plays other stereotypes out to comical effect.
But the humor eventually goes from being subtle (a cop unaware of the car passing behind him with a bloody passenger on the hood?) to extremely silly (death by a ball point pen?) (ah geez). Oh well.
Overall, this was somewhat entertaining and original. This movie includes profanity, violence, drug use, and nudity. Written and directed by Stuart Gordon.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Stuck on STUCK
Added 2/10/2010
The less you know about this film, the better. I caught it while channel-surfing one night. I missed the first five minutes...but once tuned in, I could NOT tune out. This movie (all the more incredibe because its main premise is based on a true story, sad-to-say) is one of the most gripping films I have seen in a long while. I was watching the film in real-time and needed to take a bathroom break - but could NOT leave the chair: the movie is that gripping. Rent it - buy it - borrow it - but most definitely watch it. Not a dull moment in the film and it makes you think about the biggest issues imaginable...which is a rare thing for movies to do nowadays.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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A shocking, darkly humorous morality play and survival thriller.
Added 2/7/2010
Stuck is a short, tightly crafted, low budget survival thriller on the surface. Stephen Rea stars as Thomas Bardo, a seemingly weak older man who is having quite possibly the worst day of his life. Forced onto the streets without any home to return to or job to assist him in regaining any quality of life, he is then literally thrusted into an even worse fate as the victim of a hit and run by a young, nurse/elderly caregiver who is high on ecstacy. What makes matters even worse is that he's still lodged in the windshield of the inebriated, young woman's car as she proceeds to panic and drive home unnoticed, then parking the car in the garage! The film avoids stereotypes and presents characters that you really believe could exist. Sadly (and bizarrely), this film is based around a real incident that happened in Texas in 2001. Once the film introduces it's principal characters and the plot kicks in there are simply no dull moments to be found. It is a violent, unflinching look at the blatant absurdity of some aspects in our culture which at times is able to bring about humor within the film. Aside from strong performances from Mena Suvari and veteran Stephen Rea, who can both conjure up feelings of sympathy, disgust, hatred, and even empathy in viewers, this dark thriller-comedy is loaded with subtle and not-so-subtle statements about the conditioning of our own society that causes people to commit to poor, sometimes truly irrational actions when they are faced with difficult choices. Is any human being's life worth ignoring and sacrificing for your own gains? The rest of the cast is equally effective as is the film's pacing. The film is directed by Stuart Gordon, who seems like an odd choice with his past filmography, but he has struck a winner with this completely effective film that may divide audiences due to it's resistance to follow typical thriller conventions as well as the film's brutal violence and bleak, but mostly authentic story. Since it is based on a true event the film presents a challenge to it's audience: Always face your fears in your own life, despite the consequences, and survive by making the correct choices and carrying them out even at the worst and most desperate of times. While you watch the film you will begin to wonder what you would do in any of the film's main or supporting character's situations. It's also a notable reminder to not "judge a book by it's cover" as any individual can surprise you in positive or negative ways. The disc also has a good documentary showcasing interviews with the filmmakers as well as the actual reporter who covered the real life case.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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AN IMPRESSIVE BLACK COMEDY!
Added 12/28/2009
Wow! I watched this film by chance and I was really surprised how good it was. I know 5 stars???...... Well YES! I give it 5 stars because I think the film maker was able to get all he could out of this premise. The film starts quickly and never lets up for it's entire hour and 25 minute running length. It's captures the complex conflict of right and wrong and shows the fine line between human compassion and self preservation with some interesting contradictions all rolled into an intense black comedy that will have you filling with rage one minute and laughing hysterically the next. It's a little gory and repulsive at times, but it's sure to keep you glued to the screen. This is a film that I think will become a huge cult hit and it's way above average for films of this nature.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Stuck DVD
Added 12/20/2009
A very interesting and well-made film with good acting by Mena Suvari and Stephen Rea. The DVD has excellent picture and sound.
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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A poignant journey that gets stuck pretty deep in absurdity
Added 2/23/2010
The setup for Stuck seems pretty ridiculous, but it's actually based on a true story. After a night of partying, the young Brandi (Mena Suvari) commits a hit and run on a homeless man (Stephen Rea). Such a tragic mistake, and here's the horrible kicker--the guy is wedged tightly in the windshield of her car! Quite a crazy predicament, and Brandi is of course stricken with panic.
So what does she do? Drives home, drops some more ecstasy and has sex with her boyfriend. Just leaves the poor guy bleeding to death in her garage? Well, I suppose we all deal with stress in different ways.
I can appreciate the dark comedy of this story and realize it might be a statement about the current mindset that seems to be prevalent in our culture. People having a reckless pursuit of personal happiness along with a selfish disregard for responsibility. It also plays other stereotypes out to comical effect.
But the humor eventually goes from being subtle (a cop unaware of the car passing behind him with a bloody passenger on the hood?) to extremely silly (death by a ball point pen?) (ah geez). Oh well.
Overall, this was somewhat entertaining and original. This movie includes profanity, violence, drug use, and nudity. Written and directed by Stuart Gordon.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
|
Stuck on STUCK
Added 2/10/2010
The less you know about this film, the better. I caught it while channel-surfing one night. I missed the first five minutes...but once tuned in, I could NOT tune out. This movie (all the more incredibe because its main premise is based on a true story, sad-to-say) is one of the most gripping films I have seen in a long while. I was watching the film in real-time and needed to take a bathroom break - but could NOT leave the chair: the movie is that gripping. Rent it - buy it - borrow it - but most definitely watch it. Not a dull moment in the film and it makes you think about the biggest issues imaginable...which is a rare thing for movies to do nowadays.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
A shocking, darkly humorous morality play and survival thriller.
Added 2/7/2010
Stuck is a short, tightly crafted, low budget survival thriller on the surface. Stephen Rea stars as Thomas Bardo, a seemingly weak older man who is having quite possibly the worst day of his life. Forced onto the streets without any home to return to or job to assist him in regaining any quality of life, he is then literally thrusted into an even worse fate as the victim of a hit and run by a young, nurse/elderly caregiver who is high on ecstacy. What makes matters even worse is that he's still lodged in the windshield of the inebriated, young woman's car as she proceeds to panic and drive home unnoticed, then parking the car in the garage! The film avoids stereotypes and presents characters that you really believe could exist. Sadly (and bizarrely), this film is based around a real incident that happened in Texas in 2001. Once the film introduces it's principal characters and the plot kicks in there are simply no dull moments to be found. It is a violent, unflinching look at the blatant absurdity of some aspects in our culture which at times is able to bring about humor within the film. Aside from strong performances from Mena Suvari and veteran Stephen Rea, who can both conjure up feelings of sympathy, disgust, hatred, and even empathy in viewers, this dark thriller-comedy is loaded with subtle and not-so-subtle statements about the conditioning of our own society that causes people to commit to poor, sometimes truly irrational actions when they are faced with difficult choices. Is any human being's life worth ignoring and sacrificing for your own gains? The rest of the cast is equally effective as is the film's pacing. The film is directed by Stuart Gordon, who seems like an odd choice with his past filmography, but he has struck a winner with this completely effective film that may divide audiences due to it's resistance to follow typical thriller conventions as well as the film's brutal violence and bleak, but mostly authentic story. Since it is based on a true event the film presents a challenge to it's audience: Always face your fears in your own life, despite the consequences, and survive by making the correct choices and carrying them out even at the worst and most desperate of times. While you watch the film you will begin to wonder what you would do in any of the film's main or supporting character's situations. It's also a notable reminder to not "judge a book by it's cover" as any individual can surprise you in positive or negative ways. The disc also has a good documentary showcasing interviews with the filmmakers as well as the actual reporter who covered the real life case.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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