Lost in the Dust

Every once in a while a movie comes along that replaces a TV program you were expecting to see, so you watch this movie instead and you think to yourself, My God! This is an unexpected treasure! I'm going to buy it on DVD, I like it so much. Unfortunately, the opposite Effect happened to me from this exact instance of Cause. And I've got a bone to pick with you, IFC! You hear me? See, they had Henry's Film Corner listed on the grid this evening, and I was told it was a pretty hilarious episode, and would I burn a disc of it for them, but instead they went straight into the next movie, a turkey called Dust. It's the sophomore feature from the dude who made Before the Rain, which I guess in the movie world is one of those Titles like All the Pretty Horses or Different for Girls or Castle Freak that's also a pretty good movie, too. Anyway, I don't know what it is! It's one of those deep, unanswerable philosophical questions: what makes a bad movie bad? In the case of Dust, it just seems like a student film, and I've seen my share, believe me. It's like a feature length student film, with a big Hollywood soundtrack budget. But even student films sometimes have lessons to impart: Lesson 1, never rob an old person's house. They're just gonna wanna tell you a story. Lesson 2, ... well, guess that's the only lesson, really. Unless it's about soundtrack. Yeah, the way they use James Brown's I Feel Good... I think there's a lesson there somewhere of how NOT to use a song: at least, not one as ubiquitous as I Feel Good. The protagonist, or the dude who's milque-toast enough to draw us into the movie because we can relate to him/her, (Anonymous from Primary Colors, ironically enough - I kinda thought that was him! And that this role was beneath him somehow...) draws a gun when a street thug draws a knife. I know we're supposed to celebrate the little victories, but puh-leeze!!!

...still watching it. yecch. Boromir's brother is in another major gunfight. Only the finest for the movies. I thought everyone was going to start laughing again, but now he's just shooting everyone. There's about twenty dudes with rifles and he's just picking them off one by one. I guess the rule is that the group has to wait until he shoots half the guys before they can attack. Defies all logic.

See, it's all in this story within a story where these two brothers fall in love with the same French whore and ... ah, what's the point. Trust me: Dust blows.
* 1/2

Good double bill with: Sunshine.