Nathyn
Low Budget Ninja
There's movie called "Smooth Talk" with Laura Dern and Treat Williams (Treat Williams! You know it's got to be good). It's based on a story called "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been", by Joyce Carol Oates. But this is the thing, when I'm flipping through cable I happen upon this movie a lot and I always come in on either the middle or the beginning and can't watch it or the end and have nothing to connect the dots.
Today I watched the whole thing. It's a gem I tell you. The movie gravitates between soapy and corny very made for TV kind of feel. Treat Williams plays this weird guy whose sees Dern's character (a troubled teen girl) and informs her he's "keeping his eye" on her. We only see him only once or maybe twice in the film and only for a few seconds.
Eventually he comes over to offer Dern a date. Keep in mind Dern's character is about 15 and William's charater is at least in his mid thirties or so. Over the course of the last 15 minutes we watch Williams deliver corny dialogue, with movements that only help the showcase the corniness of what he's saying. And the whole scene is laughable, but the Dern character obviously enjoys the attention...then it all becomes really creepy. I mean seriously creepy and all too clear that this dude has a problem. Aside from the fact he's mackin' 15 year olds (though Dern is very cute here), dude is seriously off in the head.
Dern does a great job at playing it straight and doesn't do the stereotypical victim thing, while Williams is awesome at creeping you out as it dawns on you that something is wrong. Dern manages to still be somewhat strong in the choice she makes and it's great when you see what actually comes out of the character. It's an old film but I think it's pretty good. It keeps your interest (even without big guns or explosions WTF!) and it's soapy but well acted, even by Williams whose only corny until you understand he's just not right. It's so good I had to write about it here. LOL.
-Nate
Today I watched the whole thing. It's a gem I tell you. The movie gravitates between soapy and corny very made for TV kind of feel. Treat Williams plays this weird guy whose sees Dern's character (a troubled teen girl) and informs her he's "keeping his eye" on her. We only see him only once or maybe twice in the film and only for a few seconds.
Eventually he comes over to offer Dern a date. Keep in mind Dern's character is about 15 and William's charater is at least in his mid thirties or so. Over the course of the last 15 minutes we watch Williams deliver corny dialogue, with movements that only help the showcase the corniness of what he's saying. And the whole scene is laughable, but the Dern character obviously enjoys the attention...then it all becomes really creepy. I mean seriously creepy and all too clear that this dude has a problem. Aside from the fact he's mackin' 15 year olds (though Dern is very cute here), dude is seriously off in the head.
Dern does a great job at playing it straight and doesn't do the stereotypical victim thing, while Williams is awesome at creeping you out as it dawns on you that something is wrong. Dern manages to still be somewhat strong in the choice she makes and it's great when you see what actually comes out of the character. It's an old film but I think it's pretty good. It keeps your interest (even without big guns or explosions WTF!) and it's soapy but well acted, even by Williams whose only corny until you understand he's just not right. It's so good I had to write about it here. LOL.
-Nate
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