The Wait (2014)

This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

Just perfect...

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

I first heard about 'The Wait' from a friend of mine. He recommended it to me on the basis of my interest in the work of David Lynch, and also because he knows that I'd lived in the Pacific Northwest for a little while. The first time I watched the film, I admit that I didn't really get what was going on. The plot moves very quickly at moments, and very slowly at others. But, upon a second viewing I felt I really started to understand. The film is very rich, and the characters go deep. I feel like a common reading/viewing of 'The Wait' – or at least from what I've read in other critics reviews – is that the film lacks any kind of depth. I don't think so, I think there is a very strange coherency to the film. It's like a fever dream, the characters emotional movements like tectonic plates, in that they shift imperceptibly at times, but there always is a shifting and movement. I'm thinking particularly of Chloe's character Emma, her scene where she sees her husband again for the first time in a while. They're out on a boat, her mania is palpable. I found that shift to be really interesting. Thank you M Blash, and looking forward to the next one. –Howard

This is the first time I have been moved to write a review immediately after seeing a film. "The Wait" is well-titled, because I kept waiting for this thing to get to the point - any point. Other reviewers are seeing artful imagery. I'm seeing self-indulgent clichés. We see film shot out of a car, from the side window, as the scenery flies by too fast to make out. We hear dialog delivered with unneeded, meaningless pauses that seem to be there just to slow things down even more than they already were. We see a tantrum of a phone conversation that makes no sense whatsoever, never explained, and not contributing to the plot, such as it is. Or isn't. Finally, the credits rolled, and I sat there for a moment, wondering what in the world was the point? So there's the spoiler, folks. Nothing. Happens. I can almost hear the makers of this film laughing "made ya look!"

I knew nothing about "The Wait" when I started watching it. Since I knew that it stars Chloë Sevigny, I assumed that I might like it. Boy was I wrong! The movie has NO plot. It claims to be about some young women who keep their mother in the house after she dies, believing that her soul will stay home, but NOTHING happens in the movie. Once again, a movie filmed in Oregon proves to be a complete embarrassment for the Beaver State: "The Postman" and "Men of Honor" are other examples (I never saw either of those but heard that they were terrible). And then there's the musical that they didn't film in Oregon but it takes place in Oregon: "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers". That one has as much to do with Oregon as any Kardashian has to do with talent. When I reviewed in on IMDb, I took the time to mention "Django Unchained", just to trash "7Bf7B".In conclusion, this is especially an embarrassment for Chloë Sevigny since she's appeared on "Portlandia", a realistic representation of the City of Roses. It's also an embarrassment for Michael O'Keefe (of "Caddyshack" fame). I don't know who M. Blash is, but he's going to have a make a REALLY good movie to make up for this.

The Wait is the type of independent drama that the critics always love and that I usually hate. I decided to watch it though, because of one very special cast member, who is really coming into his own, Devon Gearhart. Even since I saw this young man in the movie Canvas, I knew he was really something special. Gearhart's unique ability to get the viewers to empathize with whatever character he is playing, gives him a strength that very few actors have. I knew from the description that the character of Ben, in The Wait, was a perfect outlet for him to express this ability and he does not disappoint. As for the rest of the film, it is a dark, eclectic film, full of odd symbolism and strange music, that to be honest is a bit over my head, but it's also a film that most audiences can relate to. The family portrayed, whose last name we never know, is pulling together and preparing for the tragic death of their terminally ill mother. The family is preparing themselves for the worst, that could happen any day, when they come in contact with a psychic. The psychic tells them that their mother is special and destine to come back from the grave, leading the family to not only hold off on making any funeral plans, but the prediction leads them to prepare a welcome home party. As I said the storyline is strange, the film is full of strange symbolism, and it moves rather slowly, but the cast here is unbelievable. Aside from Gearhart's out of this world performance, that will leave even the toughest person in tears, both Chloe Sevigny and Jena Malone are fantastic as the two eldest sisters. The sisters, always at odds are trying to pull themselves together for the inevitable, but are once again drawn apart by the psychic's prediction, leading to a dramatic rift in the storyline. The bottom line is, that The Wait, isn't a film for me, but I can see many people really enjoying it. The story is unique, the performances are terrific, and the future of Hollywood may be on display in this relatively unknown masterpiece.