Sadly Over-hyped

Did you people see the same film I saw?

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

I went to see this piece of crap at a really nice art-house in Newton MA and I couldn't believe how ridiculously bad this film is.Think plan 9 From Outer Space and if you have seen this POS and think not shame on you because films are suppose make you care in some way or another and I can think of nothing less important than the creeps bums and assholes depicted in this film and not very well depicted at that.One dimensional sets crappy creepy dialog stupid plot: it is all there.The last time I laughed at a funeral scene was when I saw Cat Ballou and it was meant to be funny but not this one.I was surprised to find out that it was supposed to be touching.Touch this morons!

I could go into a long exposition about this movie and why I disliked it...but I won't. The characters are truly horrible people, real as they may be. I found myself detesting them completely. I can't relate to this film in any way. The only thing I can conclude is that it must have been made by self centered Hollywood types FOR self centered Hollywood types. Palminteri's character is probably one of the worst screen characters I've ever seen. As I mentioned earlier, most of my stomach wrenching was in direct result of this guy. It's a bizarre film, and in the least, it'll leave you being thankful for your "normal" life.

There are lots of things to like about this. The constant stream of verbiage is great, a continuous barrage of words that almost make you want to run for cover. Like the people in the film, very entertaining for a couple of hours but you wouldn't want to spend your life with them. The texture of the film is dream like, as if the whole world was drugged up and though the camera doesn't move much from the main characters' house it all feels disjointed and not quite real.Then there is the acting. Sean Penn is the stand out. You can enter into his confusion, his needs, his despair and his fractured humanity. Kevin Spacey's role's comparative normality is well done too. He is a charming surface with a vacuum underneath. Chazz Palminteri is also great, never putting a rational thought together, scary and vulnerable at the same time.It is an actor's piece and all of them give a good account of themselves. Having seen the film one wouldn't mind seeing it on stage. It seems to need a live audience. As for what 'Hurly Burly' is really "about", well it was beyond me.

**Some spoilers**I can't believe that this garbage still gets viewing seven years after the fact. This thing had a great cast, and absolutely the worst story, dialog, etc. Typical late 90s trendy artsy "if you don't get this, you're just a Philistine" garbage. A rating of one is actually too high. I wanted to put this at about a negative 2, but the folks at IMDb have to draw the line somewhere, I suppose. I saw this movie with a guy who worships David Lynch, and he HATED this movie. If that doesn't tell you something, nothing will. This piece of garbage would occupy 2 slots on my worst movie list, and I'm stupid for having paid money to see it.Advice: If anyone arrives at your doorstep with this turd, and says "Hey, I've got a great movie to watch" :1. Inform the person you have to spend the next two hours cleaning your toilet (more productive) or you've got a kidney stone to pass (more pleasurable). 2. Inform said person that if they were truly a friend, they would never have brought this movie in the first place. 3. Tell same friend to return the movie, demand his money back, and seek professional counseling the next day. If you need to watch the messed up, drug-laden lives of others, THEN YOU NEED HELP. 4. Promptly close the door on the former friend, and go back to what you were doing, content with the knowledge that anything...yes even passing a kidney stone...is more enjoyable than watching Hurly Burly.