Gerry (2002)

One word sums up this movie - BORING! The opening tells you right there and then what to expect, that everything will be such a drag from thereon. It gives you this anxious feeling which is not one bit ok. The plot is flat and terrible. I will remember this movie as one the worst I've seen.

(slight spoilers)Gerry could be nominated for 'The Most Boring Movie Ever Award' and it would have a fair chance of winning in this category. So, if you'd like to have yourself a nice popcorn-munching movie night, Gerry isn't your thing. Yet, it has a unique artistic merit, which is worth a patient watch for those who are into that kind of an experience.First of all, Sant abandons all Hollywood clichés that would make this movie an exciting survival story, and instead focuses on creating the atmosphere of getting lost and being destined to die.On a deeper level, I don't even think Gerry has an actual plot in the real world. I had to realize that literally nothing happens during the whole movie. The two characters don't have any meaningful conversation, the hiking has no point whatsoever, since all they do is walk in a certain direction for a while and then turn back. All along, it's just the two (?) guys and the endless desert, the long- long walking, the dust, the thirst. And the not too motivated struggle for their lives, which consists of climbing up and down, going here and there, kicking some rocks. They seem to give up before it's even started.In my opinion, what we see are no physical, but mental landscapes, no outer, but an inner journey. And not too guys, but only one, and he is Gerry. Trapped in the infinite prison of his own deserted mind and lost identity.The scenes often show the two Gerrys as the reflection, duplicate or shadow of each other. Sometimes, only one of them can be seen, as if he were alone (he is).I don't think the movie is an allegory that can be directly translated to the inner struggling of a man, it rather transmits a feeling similar to that struggle. Because if you're lost in the desert, even knowing what to look for is hard. Should it be water, or high lands? East, west, north, south? No directions, nothing that could feed the spirit of life and assure you that your trying has any point. Exactly what I feel these days, looking for the right track.I have no sensible explanation for the ending or why it is so important to split Gerry into two characters. All I have is impressions, but good ones. Sant is trying to grasp something that is difficult to express and is brave to do that despite all natural demands of the viewer.

A lot of desert plan, lots of inner life of the characters, if they really have it. Personally I have not been able to get bored anymore. I thought how much they would have charged for making this movie, what a shame.It looks like the director was not very excited about the movie. Plans with the actors at distance of senseless distance.I wonder why it lasts what lasts and not half an hour or so, is there any special reason? Surely the director does not know.Spoiler: In the beginning he says it all. Eight minute clock following a car with two totally mute characters. They will have found themselves inwardly, I do not doubt it, I too, but with my dreams.Suddenly they are already in the car. You think what you want you already know that he will not reveal anything to you.

To say that "Gerry" is merely a "slow" movie is an extreme understatement. The film is INCREDIBLY slow!!! At times, it is genuinely boring, but it also is an interesting piece of art."Gerry" tells the story of two mean named Gerry who get lost in a desert with no food or water. Originally, they were walking to a place simply referred to as "the thing", but they never reach it. Instead they walk and walk and walk and walk and walk and walk and walk and walk and walk and walk and they also briefly run and walk and walk walk (in short: there's a lot of walking), until the tragic conclusion.Technically, the film isn't JUST the two guys getting lost and walking around in silence, if it was, it probably wouldn't have watched much more than 5 minutes of it. There is, indeed, dialogue which includes some brief discussion about video games and "Jeopardy!" There's also a suspenseful sequence in which one of the Gerry's has to jump off a really high rock. But, as the film continues, and the characters get more and more lost...they do less and less. They just slowly walk-and eventually they are hopeless. They're made to last so long with no food or water that they eventually don't have the strength to even utter a simple sentence. In the end, "Gerry" is a sad film that probably captures getting lost in a desert far better and more realistically than any other film ever made."Gerry" has some legitimate power, and the ending nearly moved me to tears. It really shows how horrifying the situation is in a hypnotic manner.But I will not deny that I really wanted to doze off during a few points throughout the film. While the amount of aimless walking adds to the tragedy and realism, Gus Van Sant easily could have cut out at least 10-20 minutes of the waling footage and the film would be just as powerful and good.Because it has such a slow pace, it's extremely easy to make fun of "Gerry" and call it "pretentious". It's definitely not the type of movie your average moviegoer will be willing to sit through. I cannot come up with many people I know that will want to watch a movie because it accurately portrays getting lost in a desert. I mean, sometimes it feels boring on purpose!