Beyond the City Limits (2001)

Spoilers herein.Yes, this movie is a disaster. Yes, it has clumsy cinematography and direction. It has uninspired acting from the women who are at the center of things. So do most movies. What this lacks is a success where it takes its big risk, and that big risk is worth noting.A game these days for writers is to play with shifting narrative. You can do the time folding thing, or folding the narrator (by shifting among different perspectives), or folding the story (by having several parallel threads) or folding the genre (for instance comedy into horror, here "women's film into con game). You can additionally, if you are very clever (as in "Donnie Darko" and "Ghost World" and even "Boondock Saints") fold irony.These guys try all of them. No genre is more flexible for this sort of thing than the con movie, unless it is a mockumentary about performance. And they follow in the footsteps of "Bound," which works some of this territory successfully.They fail, I think, because the director just doesn't have the vocabulary to manipulate and fold that space between the story and our mind. But they get extra credit in my mind for trying to go beyond "Go."Along the way, we get the rule of doubling: two of everything, and reflections of every relationship and event. That's why you have the shifting POVs, the dual lesbian stuff, the two pairs of thugs, the "extra" girl (Sophie) and the apparently useless heroin segment.Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.

I've watched some doozies in my time,but this movie takes the cake!The acting over all was horrible!(Alison H.was the only bright spot in the film just barely)`The plot is as thin as toilet paper.I tried to watch this movie twice: The first time I fell asleep after the first 15 minutes or so I think(my brain was trying to protect me,but did I listen? No) The very next day I tried again and now I'm convinced that I could survive chinese water torture while laying on a bed of nails.Don't make my mistake. Don't rent this movie. Don't watch this movie!!!!

As far as I'm concerned, this movie has one good thing about it, and that is, of course, Alyson Hannigan. Her performance was great. I think she should consider doing more different style roles than the her typical Willow/Michelle roles. The rest of the movie, however, is pretty bland. It progresses rather slowly. The editing wasn't properly done, there were parts of the movie where the sound didn't sync with the video. The plot is nothing new. The acting was good at some parts and really bad at others. And alot of the time it was difficult to see where the movie was going, at least until the heist at the end.Bottom line, worth at least one viewing for Alyson fans to see her as something other than Willow or Michelle, but otherwise you might be happier with something else.

I finally saw Beyond the city limits after a long search it has been released here in the Netherlands in the video rental. Not the best movie I have ever seen, it was certainly not the best performance the actors ever did, except for Jennifer and the lovely Alyson who are the real stars of the movie these two make the movie worth looking. Beyond the city limits will be released for sale in the Netherlands on 21st of may.