|
 |
Luminous Motion
|
by Fox Lorber
Sales Rank: 109310
Price: $13.49
|
|
|
Bette Gordon, who made her directorial debut in 1983 with Variety, returned 15 years later with this adaptation of Scott Bradfield's novel The History of Luminous Motion about an alcoholic mother. "Only two things mattered to me — being with my mom and being in motion," says ten-year-old Phillip (Eric Lloyd), who teaches himself physics and biology as he's driven about by his mother Margaret (Deborah Kara Unger). After a car crash, they settle down with Hackensack hardware store owner Pedro (Terry Kinney). Phillip receives letters and phone calls from his dad (Jamey Sheridan). Eventually, mother and son leave Pedro to live on Staten Island — where the boy meets some strange teens (James Berland, Paz De La Huerta), Pedro appears as a ghostly figure, and Phillip's father turns up. Shown at the 1998 Locarno Film Festival. — Bhob Stewart
Viewer Reviews
Luminous Motion (Bette Gordon, 1998)
When you get Scott Bradfield adapting his own underrated novel for the screen and put Deborah Kara Unger (Crash) in the lead role, good things are to be expected from the film treatment. Unfortunately, not a single one of those good things is realized.
Mom (Unger) and her hyperintelligent kid Phillip (Eric Lloyd, who's recently been making his bucks in the Santa Clause franchise) lead a rootless existence, living out of their car and motels, feeding themselves with Mom's petty thievery and series of one-night stands. Until, that is, they meet Pedro (Amber Frey: Witness for the Prosecution's Terry Kinney). Pedro isn't exactly a knight in shining armor, but he's a nice enough guy, and Phillip's mom likes the idea of settling down. Phillip, on the other hand, is not happy with the idea at all. Things get even more complicated when Phillip's dad (Jamey Sheridan of Law and Order: Criminal Intent) shows up to try and make a go of playing family again.
About the best word I can come up with to describe this movie is "disjointed." There's a good deal going on under the surface here, but the surface isn't coherent enough for most of it to gel, and se we end up with more questions than answers after seeing it. The principals are all at least half-decent actors, but most of them seem to be railing against a blank wall rather than actually interacting with one another.
Not a worthy treatment of Bradfield's novel. **
Back To Top
|
Luminous Motion
Available from Amazon
|
|
NOTICE: All product prices, availability, and specifications
are subject to verification by their respective retailers.
Copyright © 2009, Dominant Systems Corporation
info@HowlingVideo.com
Privacy Policy
Last Modified : 1-7-2009
|
