"Leaves of Grass" is an oddity. It's a film that can't decide what it wants to be, and its makers don't quite have the chops to blanket all the genres they wish to. Director Tim Blake Nelson ought to be admired for his scope of vision, but the finished film is just too scattershot. A stretch of scenes lead the viewer to believe they're watching a quirky comedy, but then a grisly murder happens. It's schizophrenic. Edward Norton is game, playing the roles of antithetical twin brothers. He is solid, and winning. Keri Russell is luminous as the inevitable love interest. She memorably spouts passages of Walt Whitman while gutting a catfish. But the work as a whole is unfortunately too much of a stretch. And the ending is lame. L-A-M-E. Things come full circle with all the characters in a way that is far too tidy, belying the chaos that preceded. "Leaves of Grass" may be a mess, but it does have its worthy moments.
No comments:
Post a Comment