Montana (1998)

I just saw Montana for the first time last night. The fact that my weak attention span was insistent that I finish it means I must have liked it at least reasonably well, but on a more conscious level I know this movie is not all that good. I really want to note that if the writing team and/or director stole from any director, it was probably much more Peckinpah than Tarantino. The story gives the violence a kind of nihilistic "this is the way we really are" quality that Tarantino has never addressed (nor does he need to; this is not a value judgement), but is Sam Peckinpah country. I think what kept me at it was outstanding acting all around, no wasted time editing (except for the one or two overly long firefights) and the possibility of new beginnings for very damaged people, which is neither Peckinpah or Tarantino in character. Just one more note, Robbie Coltrane's part does seem underwritten; one really irritating flaw in the movie.Gotta get back to tying the rebar. L

I picked up "Montana" on a whim, and was very plesantly surprised by it.I'll concede that there were some holes in the story, and some of the characters were very flat, but Claire and Nick made a VERY interesting study.There were enough plot twists that I didn't forsee to keep me surprised, and the main characters were definitely engaging enough to keep my interest.However, the violence and carnage were definitely worse than was necessary (comparisons to Tarantino seem justified).I'd give it a 8 - not great, but interesting and engaging.

Montana is not a hit, but is a good example of how to make an excellent movie. The plot is 'tantalizer', the actors/tress are level one pro, and the director (Jennifer) is brilliant. I kept glued to the screen all the time, and my dinner went cold...I'd like to see more of Jennifer's work, but it seems this is the only film she did. At least I didn't find more titles at the IMDb. I'll appreciate any hint.

When I rented "Nothing Personal" (that's what it's called in Australia) I half expected it to be a violent, unfunny version of "The Long Kiss Goodnight". But how I was wrong."Nothing Personal" was a funny movie in which the voilence wasn't overplayed and sometimes contributed to the humor. The Scene where the bald guy got shot through the wall reminded me of the scene in "The Big Lebowski" where Jeff Bridges puts the chair on the door to stop people coming in but the door opens the other way. Back to the point. The performances by Kyra Sedgwick, Robbie Coltrane and Robin Tunney, but the standout performance was Stanely Tucci in his role as Nick.While it won't recieve much attention, "Nothing Personal" was a well made light hearted movie that will do on a rainy day.