One More Time (2016)

I love Christopher Walken but I can't finish this garbage. I've skipped most of the first 40 minutes of this and can't torture myself any further.The main actress cannot act and fails miserably at embracing her character. All other actors also leave much to be desired, except for Walken, who does what he can with his character.Much of the first 40 minutes is a lot of talking about nothing, pretending to be one of those movies where the dialogue is actually good and worthy of filling up 40 minutes of anything.

I was looking at the time constantly while watching this movie - not a good sign. Not much character development, or plot either. The overriding theme was that everyone was smoking pot in nearly every shot, even while driving. What kind of message is that? I enjoyed seeing Walken again, and am glad this is not his swan song. He seemed deliberately upstaged by the lead actress who was mysteriously channeling Kat Dennings.I half-expected Thor to make an appearance looking to score some weed, and should have left the theater the instant Amber Heard entered a scene wearing a guitar slung on her back.This movie definitely needed more cowbell ... c'man.

Although there are story elements to "One More Time" that I liked and it's a real shame that the film hampers itself by making it so difficult for the audience to care about the folks in the picture. To me, it's almost impossible to make a really good film given this serious handicap.When the film begins, Jude (Amber Heard) is awakening from a one- night stand. She's overslept and is late for work...and folks are waiting and waiting for her to arrive. Apparently, this isn't unusual for Jude. What is unusual is her soon leaving New York City to go stay with her father, famous old-time crooner Paul Lombard (Christopher Walken). Apparently, their relationship is stormy but she has no choice as she's about to be thrown out of her apartment for not paying her rent. But things aren't all rosy back with dad as their relationship, and every relationship in this odd family, is severely strained. Paul is a serial philanderer who only thinks of himself, Jude's sister is a demanding and rather high-strung young woman and the step-mother is nicknamed 'Satan' by her step-kids. Through the course of the film, most of these folks remain true to their life patterns...destroying themselves and those around them. And, by the end of the film, there's a vague suggestion that perhaps Jude is tired of all this. If this summary sounds a bit bleak and depressing, then you pretty much get the picture, though it at least has some nice singing throughout the film.The movie has some nice acting. While I found it hard to believe Walken could be a crooner, it was an interesting character and a nice stretch for him. Heard also was able to show that she could not only act but sing rather nicely. But nice acting and an interesting location shoot in the Hamptons aren't enough and the film is one I wouldn't rush out to see but might perhaps might catch when it appears on Netflix one day when you are looking for an undemanding film. Not bad....but also not particularly enjoyable either.

In an era of recycled comic book sequel films and films praised more for their technical aspects than their substance, 'When I Live My Life Over Again' is very refreshing. First of all, Amber Heard is great in this breakout role for her, and I have no significant qualms with her performance, or really, anything in the film. Christopher Walken, however, steals the show, delivering his best performance in years, and is probably my personal favorite of his. He perfectly personifies the aging, listless, dad, and his low key style blends perfectly with Amber Heard's more loud and reckless style. Ultimately, this film, without giving away too much, is everything an independent film should be, and seeing it at the TriBeCa Film Festival was quite the treat.