Flesh and Bone (1993)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Sadly Over-hyped

Better Late Then Never

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

The Willets family finds a boy in their yard. The phone is out and they take him in for the night. His father Roy Sweeney (James Caan) comes in to rob the family but he ends up massacring them. Only the baby survives. Some thirty years later, Arlis Sweeney (Dennis Quaid) travels Texas filling his vending machines. On one of his stops, he encounters stripper Kay Davies (Meg Ryan) who pops out of a cake for a party at the bar. Instead she passes out and as a favor, Arlis takes her to his motel room. He keeps seeing grifter Ginnie (Gwyneth Paltrow) on the road and he gives Kay a ride. Arlis gets close to Kay but they don't know about their past connection.I like the haunted feel of the desolate Texas landscape. Meg Ryan is amazing as the broken Kay. I really like the feel of this movie but a couple of things bothered me a little. It's silly to keep running into Gwyneth Paltrow. Her scenes are better served if she's with James Caan. There's no real need that she keeps almost running into Dennis Quaid. The movie needs slightly more Caan. Gwyneth is good especially as a newcomer. The last act is just anti-climatic. It's missing something. I also don't understand what Roy was trying to do at the house. I guess he is simply a bad man who is torturing his son because Arlis could never tell Kay about that night. It's not like Roy wants something from Arlis. It doesn't make much sense.

This film reminded me of a combination of the work of two other people in film-making history:the haunting beauty of Terance Malick's DAYS OF HEAVEN with the sweeping cinematography and tense pacing, and that of HITCHCOCK's thrillers. The feeling of something similar to a pit- in-your-stomach something-bad's-gotta-happen keeps you glued to each scene because every shot, every glance unfolds like a great novel...uncertainty at each turn.The chemistry with the actors is visceral as well as the painful portrayal of someone so shut down, so emotionally guarded as Quaid plays it, is heartbreaking to watch. Highly recommend you go back and rent this one if you enjoy psychological thrillers. It also gave me a renewed respect for Ryan's capabilities as an actor.

I just saw this film and came away underwhelmed. After seeing the film I took a look at the comments on IMDb and was surprised to see comments like "wow!" and "awesome film!" I think the rating of 6.2 better describes it. It's not a bad film, but it sure isn't a great one. The acting is good, and it was shot well, quite well actually. The problem is, that it's just plain boring...the plot is uninteresting..I had a hard time watching it through to the end. This is a film that isn't a bad way to kill a couple of hours, but certainly wouldn't be worth going to the theaters to see.As far as the acting goes, Meg Ryan gives a typical Meg Ryan performance, as does Dennis Quaid. James Caan does a good job as a crazed character, although someone said Gwenyth Paltorows acting was outstanding (a good reason not to take drugs and watch movies at the same time), but I found her totally uninteresting....She doesn't do anything in the movie and doesn't factor into it at all really.

I LOVE this movie. James Caan gives one of the creepiest, most believable villain performances ever!Had anyone noticed that Scott Wilson, who plays Elliot, was also in In Cold Blood, which ALSO featured a family getting slaughtered in their farmhouse via shotgun? I find that bit of trivia quite interesting."That's nothing. It's just a little blood.""Her heart only beats twice a minute."Wow - what a great movie!I highly recommend watching it if you haven't already.As an added bonus, you get to see Meg Ryan in the buff way before she made In the Cut.Happy viewing.