Love and Distrust

In direct contrast to Staci's "review", this is a real movie, just not your typically formatted movie that you may be used to watching. Staci, maybe you should not rely solely on IMDb for your information when you post online.

What I know about this film so far is: It is being released straight to DVD on Nov. 2. It stars all those mentioned above, but spread out in 5 separate shorts that make up the 93 minutes runtime. All the shorts overlap in some way and fashion to tie them all together. Each short has a different director as well. "The Summer House" is the opening short, followed by (in chronological order): "Blue Poles"; "Grasshopper"; "Pennies..." and finishing with "Washington Square". I hope this clears up any confusion.

BTW Staci, why rate it 1 star when you haven't even seen it? Why rate it at all BEFORE you even see it? If Amazon should remove anything, it should be your uninformed "review"...well, it really isn't a review at all, now is it. I will temporarily rate this 5 stars just to balance out the previous "non-review". I will edit my rating (if I can) and add my insight/opinion after viewing this film, hopefully before the Nov. 2 release, as I already have an advanced copy of this title.

Post edit: The fifth short is called "Auto Motives", which is comprised of 4 or 5 mini-stories, one of which is called "Washington Square", and one with Robert Downey Jr. as a car detailer working for James Cameron. I would rate "Pennies..." (Amy Adams) the most interesting. You'll get hooked on the storyline...great acting by Adams with a twist thrown at you in the end. "Blue Poles" (farmboy picks up a wannabee hippie) & "Grasshopper" (businessman loses Trio on train, found by trashy-dressed girl), are interesting enough, while "Auto Motives" (just a complete mess) & "The Summer House" (girl is saddened by a lost love) are wastes of time. After watching, I change my rating to 2 stars. Besides "Pennies...", it is not worth going out of your way buy. Rent it and see for yourself first.

Just rented this movie....I don't usually review items but I feel if I can save even one person from the 93 minutes of horrible acting and pointless story line than I've done my part! Extremely disappointed in every aspect of this movie. Expected more since there are some big names. Glad I didn't waste money to buy it!

Just as there is a surge in the attention being paid to flash fiction (stories that are limited, in general, to 1000 words) and other evidences that we are running too fast through life to really commit to just about anything (relationships, long novels, thoughtful motion pictures, food that requires more than 40 seconds to 3 minutes in the microwave, instant weight loss, chats on the computer or cell phone rather than sit down conversations, etc), so here is a DVD that presents five stories with the loose theme of love. In some ways these vignettes work - quickie ideas that don't merit further exploration than what is offered - and in more ways they seem so poorly made that even the excuse of low budget can't cover the results.

This DVD is five stories, briefly described as one form of love and the results, given a name, and then proceeds to a short story attempted to make passable by the use of star names but self-defeating in the fact that they seem shot on home video gear - grainy, poorly focused, meaningless lighting, and embarrassingly bad script writing. SUMMER HOUSE (shot in Normandy we are informed in the credits stars a house with the incidental, very brief placement of Robert Pattinson in the deep shadows as the love who got away from Talulah Riley and who wants back. BLUE POLES is a truck ride in Australia with Sam Worthington on his way to Canberra to see a painting called 'Blue Poles' and offers a ride to Emma Randall whose naiveté crossroads don't seem to alter the driver's desires. GRASSHOPPER places James Franco on a train with Rachel Miner, a Goth-like sex kitten who retrieves Franco's cell phone and opens a thankfully brief silly near blackmail episode to retrieve the cell phone - with a corny twist at the end. PENNIES places Amy Adams in a diner, taking a job as a waitress to make enough cash to keep her daughter from being 'cut' - the 'cut turns out to be less than dramatic - and discovers the varieties of people's reactions to diner help on several levels. AUTO MOTIVES deals with cars - Michael Imperioli tries in vain to seduce girls into his car parked in Washington Square while Robert Downey Jr appears VERY briefly as a car detailer who wants to get in front of the attention of Director James Cameron.

Why make this five-part movie? Perhaps it is a project of a wealthy philanthropist who needs a diversion, perhaps it is payback for favors in the industry. The material is lack luster and it is surprising that the star actors took on the project. But then step back and consider the means: this is one way to get flash fiction on the screen for little money and a lot of hope that people will buy into the concept that from little seeds, gardens grow. Grady Harp, November10

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