`HURLYBURLY' PAYS LIP SERVICE TO BEING MEANINGFUL.Byline: Glenn Whipp Daily News Film Critic In ``Hurlyburly,'' Sean Penn's cocaine-addicted, loser casting agent has a habit of finishing every one of his endless, run-on prattlings with the words ``blah blah blah.'' The trait wouldn't be so annoying if anything that came before the ``blah blah blah'' was articulate, smart or even interesting. Instead, about an hour into this pseudo-intellectual exercise in ``truth-telling,'' everything uttered by the featured group of misogynistic mi·sog·y·nis·tic also mi·sog·y·nous adj. Of or characterized by a hatred of women. Adj. 1. misogynistic - hating women in particular misogynous ill-natured - having an irritable and unpleasant disposition poseurs starts to blur together like watercolors left to dry in a rainstorm. By the time it ends (and believe me, you must possess remarkable patience in order to remain in your seat), it all starts to sound like ``blah blah blah.'' And after enduring the movie's torrent of pretentious chatter, you will want to lock yourself in a closet for a month just to give your ears a rest. It's that bad. For ``Hurlyburly,'' David Rabe David William Rabe (born March 10 1940) is an American playwright and screenwriter. Biography Personal life Rabe was born in Dubuque, Iowa, the son of Ruth (McCormick), a department store worker, and William Rabe, a teacher and meat packer. has adapted his 1984 off-Broadway play for the screen, whittling Whittling is the art of carving shapes out of raw wood with a knife. Whittling is typically performed with a light, small-bladed knife, usually a pocket knife. Specialised whittling knives are available as well. it down from three hours to a more concise but still tortuous two hours of navel gazing, self-absorption and phoniness. None of the characters feel real, and even though they're all superficially different in a one-note sort of way, the psychobabble psy·cho·bab·ble n. Psychological jargon, especially that of psychotherapy. that comes out of their mouths seems all of one piece. Meg Ryan's stripper Stripper Slang for an individual homeowner who strips the equity out of his or her home through mortgage refinancing. Proceeds are generally not re-invested, but spent on consumer goods. Notes: Most people get rich by saving and investing wisely. (!) spews the same claptrap as the movie's misanthropic mis·an·throp·ic adj. 1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of a misanthrope. 2. Characterized by a hatred or mistrustful scorn for humankind. men. In that respect, ``Hurlyburly'' could just as well have been a one-man show. Certainly it wouldn't have been any less tiresome. The movie is centered around the Hollywood Hills The Hollywood Hills, an unofficial designation of part of the City of Los Angeles, California, are part of the eastern section of the low transverse range of the Santa Monica Mountains, which extends from the Los Feliz District and Hollywood, on the south side of the Valley, to home occupied by Penn's Eddie and his detached partner, Mickey (Kevin Spacey spac·ey adj. Slang Variant of spacy. Adj. 1. spacey - stupefied by (or as if by) some narcotic drug spaced-out, spacy unconventional - not conventional or conformist; "unconventional life styles" ), a man who feels nothing and readily demonstrates that absence of conscience whenever possible. Among their friends - and friendship is defined a little differently by this group - are a thuggish, wanna-be actor (Chazz Palminteri) fond of throwing women out of speeding cars and a smarmy screenwriter named Artie (Garry Shandling) who courts favor with his pals by dropping 13-year-old hitchhikers (Anna Paquin) off as ``care packages.'' (``Consider her a pet,'' Artie says.) Through all the drugs and swearing and instances of statutory rape Sexual intercourse by an adult with a person below a statutorily designated age. The criminal offense of statutory rape is committed when an adult sexually penetrates a person who, under the law, is incapable of consenting to sex. , Eddie desperately tries to make sense of his world. He has a girlfriend, Darlene (Robin Wright Penn), but has a tough time believing she really cares for him, particularly after she has a one-night stand with Mickey. Eddie's biggest problem, though, is his self-hatred - that and the fact that during a typical day he ingests enough drugs to kill the population of a small nation. None of the characters' whining leads anywhere, which makes sitting through the the film's two-hour length all the more frustrating. There are no revelations, no discoveries, no insights into the human condition. All we have is a bunch of disgusting men (and masculine women) behaving very badly for no apparent reason. Despite the fact that ``Hurlyburly'' is a complete mess, it isn't hard to figure out why such a stellar group of actors became involved. With its long, inflated stretches of dialogue, this is the ultimate vehicle for anyone who likes to hear the sound of his own voice. But if you're trapped watching the movie, it's like being stuck in the corner of some godawful party, held prisoner by the ramblings of a self-important windbag wind·bag n. 1. The flexible air-filled chamber of a bagpipe or similar instrument. 2. Slang A talkative person who communicates nothing of substance or interest. . Blah, blah, blah, indeed. The facts The film: ``Hurlyburly'' (R; constant drug use, pervasive strong language, sexual material). The stars: Sean Penn, Kevin Spacey, Chazz Palminteri, Garry Shandling, Meg Ryan, Robin Wright Penn and Anna Paquin. Behind the scenes: Directed by Anthony Drazan. Screenplay by David Rabe, adapted from his own play. Released by Fine Line Features. Running time: Two hours, three minutes. Playing: Laemmle's Sunset 5 in West Hollywood, AMC (Advanced Mezzanine Card) See AdvancedTCA. Century 14 in Century City, United Artists Westwood, Cineplex Odeon Broadway Cinemas in Santa Monica. Our rating: one star CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO Sean Penn, left, and Kevin Spacey play a couple of losers in ``Hurlyburly,'' David Rabe's play adapted for the screen. |
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