best movie i've ever seen.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

Came across this one by chance and decided to give it a try. This is a nicely made coming of age story that takes place in a small dead- end town in Nevada. We have seen stories like that many times before but this one still stood out for me for its feel.The pace is just right so the film never gets dull despite the fact that it's a slowburner. The camera work is absolutely wonderful and definitely elevates certain scenes. Another thing worth mentioning is the soundtrack. If you love indie/alternative type of music (Chromatics, Part Time) you will be very pleased. The songs perfectly match the scenes. The one that especially stands out in my opinion is the desert scene with the snake, everything comes together nicely there making it almost hypnotic.The acting is solid. Dianna Agron (The Family, I Am Number Four) and Paz de la Huerta (Enter the Void, A Walk to Remember, Boardwalk Empire) work well together and it's nice to see Dianna Agron doing something different and daring from her previous roles. The stand- out performance would have to be Chris Zylka though (Kaboom, The Leftovers), an obvious scene stealer in this one. If you are a fan of indie films then I would recommend Bare. Just let yourself slowly be immersed in it and it will take you away a little for those 90 minutes.

This is not exactly a glowing review, but I do want to address something before I get down to any critique.Giving a film one star even though you think it deserves more is just a crass and cynical thing to do, and the guy who admits he did so should be ashamed of himself for doing it. There are people who absolutely loved this movie. Fans of the actors in particular, which is to be expected. I myself absolutely loved it when I first saw it at its world premiere, and even rescheduled my flight to go back and watch it again a few days later. The cinematography is brilliant, and the role that Dianna Agron plays is far removed from anything else she's done. Her character is very passive and quiet, and thus it falls on her to act as much with her body language and expressions as her spoken words. She pulls it off brilliantly. If you're like me, you may very well come away with an 8-star feeling on your first viewing.Having said that, after watching it a few more times I've started to see some of the shortcomings, though I do still think it's a good film. First of all, I think it helps to be able to relate to or imagine growing up not just in a small town, but in a town with literally nothing to offer besides mind-numbing lack of social life and completely menial nowhere jobs. If you can't put yourself in those shoes, you likely will not get a lot of the film's impact. If you've ever had a time in your life where drinking beer by the dump and then shooting at the cans was the highlight of your week, you'll definitely see where this comes from. That's not really a shortcoming, but it does limit what a lot of people can really get out of the story.As I said above, the cinematography was generally brilliant. The cameras and the way this movie was shot do a great deal to set the scenes, often as much or more than the actors. There are, however, times when this attempt at making art with the cameras actually resulted in scenes that were difficult to understand simply because they were too subtle. Too artistic rather than advancing the narrative. There are also a few times when the narrative is just plain interrupted with awkward dialogue that really could have been either done away with or done better in a perfect world. More on that below.The main actors, including Sarah's family and friends, were all brilliant with the exception (in my mind) of Paz de la Huerta. She was almost right for the role, but in the end her mannerisms just became too much; too distracting. There were a few scenes where her portrayal was almost like a record skipping in the middle of a song, and honestly she could have toned things down a bit and been better.One last issue is simply because of what the film is. An indie by a first-time director shot on a very tight budget and a very limited time frame. When you consider that, this really is an amazing end product. Having talked to the producers, I know there were scenes they wish they could have re-shot, dialogue they wish they could have smoothed out, things they wish they'd done differently. But unlike with major studio productions, you often only have one real shot at it. There's not room in the schedule to scrap a day of shooting and try it over again. There's not room in the budget to pay for the use of a location or the crew salaries to go back and do it over. You have to get it right the first time.They mostly did, and if you look at it like that this is definitely an achievement. It's a story that's overall well told and beautiful to look at. Of course it's not a brand new story nobody's ever told before, but it is overall well done and I think this one has enough going for it (and enough different about it) to be more than worth watching. Give it a try and see for yourself. It won't be some cinematic epiphany or holy experience, but you may just be glad you did.

I thought the movie was good. I thought the acting was amazing, in my opinion. I hope this review helps some because the others are pretty harsh, but everyone is entitled to their opinion. I'm not saying anyone is wrong, just that this movie may not be for everyone. Sorry this is long.Acting: Paz and Dianna play the part well, they are so convincing that, I would have thought that, this is how they act in everyday life. Paz is perfect for the part of pepper, her mannerisms how she speaks all her idiosyncrasies. Dianna's character Sarah is the sweet, somewhat naive townie whom is non-confrontational. Her scenes are captivating, because you feel and see how her character Sarah transforms/develops and really comes into her own when she dances on the pole later in the movie. You see how Sarah feels by looking into her eyes you can see the emotion Dianna is trying to evoke and bring to life for her character.Story: The story itself was interesting. Yes there is the stereotypical storyline; mystery person somewhat causes good girl becomes stripper, which leads to doing drugs, drugs cause her to get in trouble, leading her to an epiphany. However, its not like the character Sarah magically has it all figured out and lives happily ever after. She realizes there is more than the town she's from. She was a no one working at a store, to a stripper/dancer making a lot of money and had potential to do something so daunting/outside of her norm. So, it's sort of in a way her breaking the cycle and going her own way in life, by whatever means necessary. She is more confident by the end of the movie, and see's if she try's she can make it happen, she is willing to work to see the world or do whatever she wants. She is into "random stuff" like abstract type art, Africa documentaries and non-domesticated animals. She is a bit of a dreamer and with pepper, she feels she can achieve or do anything. Pepper makes her feel free, special and adventurous. Overall: I truly did enjoy and like the movie, was it stereotypical in some ways, yes, to a degree. This story touches on someone's life. A lot of stereotypes are based on groups that experience the "same thing" in the most simplistic way to phrase it. I would say if your up for a different kind of movie that wants you to sort of think about life and realize we are in control of it. Go for it. The movie gives you the hope that things can change and can become better but how you get there is your decision, maybe its not legal, maybe you learn your lesson's in life the hard way. But if your willing to work, try and live. The possibilities are endless, but you gotta try and take risks, otherwise the world will make your decisions for you. At least thats what I got out of the film.

Greetings again from the darkness. The debut feature of writer/director Natalia Leite takes on the all-too-familiar territory of a disenchanted teenager being smothered by a claustrophobic small town, and twists it into a nocturnal awakening that changes some lives, while leaving others forever jogging in place.Sarah (Dianna Agron, "Glee") is a bored, young local in a small Nevada town. She gets fired from her job as a supermarket checker and spends her time hanging out with her boyfriend (Chris Zylka) and their group of equally unambitious friends. One day she stumbles upon Pepper (Paz de la Huerta, "Boardwalk Empire") who is sleeping in an abandoned store owned by Sarah's father. Intrigued by the drifter, Sarah allows herself to be drawn into Pepper's world of drugs and strippers. A quick trip to Las Vegas really opens up Sarah's eyes to the great big world, and also leads to some amorous feelings toward Pepper.Clichés abound here as the mysterious stranger awakens the spirit of the small town dreamer; the taboo love story; the judgmental family and friends; and the "one last shift" to earn enough money to flee this small town and discover one's true purpose while living a carefree life. Pepper tosses out some philosophical musings and Sarah falls hook, line and sinker. We fully expect this to end badly for both.Filmmaker Leite does a nice job of creating the feel of the night without judging its participants too harshly. Dianna Agron has the screen presence to pull off the innocent girl's self-discovery, while Paz de la Huerta has the mysterious quality of one to whom someone like the Sarah character would be drawn. It's interesting how Sarah is allowed to choose her own path, and explore the possibilities of what might be. At best, the film is one for a sleepless night, and it does provide two disparate female leads and a director who has earned more opportunities.