Rick (2003)

It is surprising that an indie film was able to attract the talent of such talented actors, designers and crew, but over looked a critical element which is the film score. The music composed and arranged for this film was a very amateur work. So much so that it pulled you out of the story each time the poorly done music was played. You have to fight to not listen to it, so that you can keep your head in the story and action of the film. This is not the purpose of film music, it needs to work with the film, not against it.The art direction was right on, as was the location shots of the film including the offices and the apartment. It is too bad that this wasn't done with a composer of the talents equal to the rest of the level of this film.

Routine, slightly interesting story of "what goes around comes around" variety. A rap music piece with extremely offensive sexual lyrics plays in an office scene, early on, and then blasts for 5 minutes or more during the office party scene.Unnecessarily crude, vulgar, demeaning, obscene, profane and tasteless. Enough to make the movie a "must NOT see."Beyond that, the lighting and mood is noir, most of the characters are self-centered, rude and arrogant, and their come-uppance, if it ever comes, is only briefly implied. For a morality play, 'Rick' certainly lacks morals.

This movie was a little drawn out, but isn't life. I think that a movie that is action packed is a little far fetched. Life is not always full of action at every moment. There are the days that drag on forever as it may seem. In this movie, I think the boredom that some have spoken about is needed to get the full effect of Bill Pullman's character. The daughter, is any normal teenager who has an insane amount of money. Rick, stuck-up, secretive... Very well played by the young actress. The boss is just a joke. I work for a corporation and trust me, I can see some young kid like him taking over one day. The part where Sandra Oh curses Rick is, how can I say, a little underachieved. She rambles on and on about how he is a evil person. That kind of curse is just outdated. I think it was a bad part of the movie. The club they are in is cool. Spy cams all over. Kinda scary when you think about that aspect too. Everyone watching everyone. But then again, that is also life. Everyone is always watching everyone. The daughter is talking to the boss, via sex chat, unknowingly, and Rick finds out. She then goes to a Christmas party to meet up with the BIG BOSS and do the deed. The whole time the boss thinks the daughter is Rick's wife. Stupid him. Well, Rick was planning on having the boss killed that night, and it just so happens he tells the man who is going to kill him that the boss is wearing a yellow ski jacket and a Santa hat. Little did Rick know that she wore the jacket and hat after her and the boss did the deed. All I can say is just be careful when you plan things. She ended up murdered at the end and Rick has to live with the fact that he killed his daughter and paid for it to happen. Life is crazy.

I saw this movie at a screening during South By Southwest in Austin. While I couldn't put my finger on any one thing that I don't like about this movie, I just didn't leave the theater with a good feeling about this movie.**SEMI-SPOILER AHEAD**This might be because the movie offers absolutely no redemption at the end - the bad guy doesn't get it, the good guy does, etc. I also was uncomfortable with the amount of sexual tension that was created between Rick (Pullman) and his daughter (Bruckner). I understand why it was included, but think it was unnecessary.**SPOILER OVER**There were a lot of things that could have been better, and a lot of things that could have been worse. Bruckner is going to be big, I think - watch for her! Pullman doesn't quite pull off his performance, but is watchable.