The Yellow Handkerchief (2008) Reviews

• Beautiful movie with meaning

  moossaboossa2010-12-06

  There are movies, such as this and many others, that sometimes don't appeal to people do to the slowness of it all. Nonetheless, I was surprised to see the low rating that it received. The Yellow Handkerchief tells the touching story of three broken individuals, each with their own troubled past and lingering issues; who share one thing in common: the need to escape. The entire plot is centred around a long car journey, in which Martine (Kristen Stewart) and Gordy (Eddie Redmayne)slowly unravvel the mystery of Brett Hanson (Willian Hurt) an unhappy man, recently released from his sentence in prison. The movie is an Indie movie, and it does appear to be rather slow. The script isn't as chatty or invasive as the blockbuster movies we're used to, and there is a lot of scenery. But regardless, the theme of the movie is easy for people to relate to. You don't have to be a convict, or an abandoned child to understand it- the entire story, is about making mistakes. And eventually, the message becomes clearer: that the people who forgive you, and offer you a second chance, are those who love you the most. There are so many different ways to see this movie, that I will point out that that's only my interpretation. I highly recommend this movie, but only if you're in the mood for a more symbolic movie rather than fast paced; action packed thrillers..

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• Three Strangers Take a Ride

  ligonlaw2008-12-05

  This is a film about three oddly-matched people on a journey. They are strangers to each other, and they are quite strange. The film derives a lot of its early edge from the concern we have for the young girl who is in the company of two potentially dangerous and unstable men. Yellow Handkerchief opens in a cold prison where William Hurt's character says farewell to his fellow inmates. He is tough, hardened, and taciturn, a man well past middle age. As with any convict, you want to know what his crime was. He takes a bus to a small Louisiana town. There, you get a visual suggestion that his crimes may have been sexual, as the camera shows a gathering of young people outside a restaurant. He drinks his first beer at this diner as we eavesdrop on the teens' conversations. We wonder if he is there to find prey or these young people are there by happenstance. Hurt's flashbacks are many and frequent, and they begin in this dining room as he contemplates his first taste of beer in the first afternoon of his freedom. A pretty 15-year-old girl, named Martine, is receiving much attention from two boys her age. Martine is played by 18-year-old Kirsten Stewart, who, in her short life, has appeared in a dozen films and collected half a dozen acting awards. We overhear Martine talking with the more handsome boy. She had been with him the night before, and we hear bits of conversation which sound like the boy may have taken advantage of her. Martine is on her cellphone with her father with whom we learn she has a stormy relationship. He is a thousand miles away on business, and she lies to him about where she is. A goofy-looking boy, named Gordy, seems to be in constant motion. Gordy is smitten by Martine's charms, and he appears to have no chance with her. He says odd things and speaks inappropriately. He is in and out of the dining room as Hurt sips his beer enjoying freedom. The goofy kid wants to buy throw-away cameras with expired dates. He claims he is native American, but he looks Anglo. He is a bit weird. Hurt would later explain Gordy's behavior to Martine: "He is young for his age." Gordy is played by Eddy Redmayne, who looks much younger than his 26 years. A fine British actor who appeared in "The Other Bolyn Girl," "Elizabeth: The Golden Age," and "The Good Shepherd," plays a misfit with serious emotional problems in this movie. The goofy-boy, the pretty girl and the ex-con leave this small Louisiana town in Gordy's old convertible. Their destination is uncertain except that they head south. It was bad judgment in the extreme for Martine to go away with the two men. A romantic girl, she is strangely attracted to the ex-con who is three or four times her age. The journey proceeds in serendipitous and unpredictable ways. Along the way, layers of our first impressions peel away as these three reveal much about themselves. Critics have said that American films are about objects like cars, guns, houses, airplanes and ships, while European films are about people and relationships. In this poverty-saturated section of Louisiana, the only thing to see is the human interaction. Tension pulls us into this film because what we know about these characters makes us apprehensive. We are further drawn in by curiosity; we want to find out who these strangers are and why they are together at all. An odd coupling, not one is much like the other. As the drama unfolds, we learn more about each one and find reasons to like and admire them. This is the kind of film that actors crave; they can strut their stuff and show their chops. William Hurt,one of America's finest actors, does not disappoint. The Oscar-winner's fellow travelers are excellent. Maria Bello has a supporting role which comes through Hurt's flashbacks. She plays another quirky, hard woman with a soft core. This film is one of those fine dramas which was a risk for the producers. It was too good not to make, but it is a film that could tank at the box office because it does not feature car chases and gratuitous explosions. This is drama for intelligent people which probably deserves Oscar nominations but it could pass under the radar of film audiences and critics. Each year Hollywood sends us some rare gems that we must look to find. Great films go unnoticed and are unfairly ignored. A short list would include "Antwone Fisher," "My First Mister," "Life As A House," "What We Lost in the Fire" and "Finding Forester" - all deserving Oscar consideration in several categories, but lost in the shuffle at the end of the season. This might end up on the list of great films you never saw if you don't go see it.

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• When slow is good, and actors shine

  ken_eisner2008-01-19

  A perfect crescendo. During an admittedly slow first half of the film, the audience is drawn in to the actors and the cajun background, its lush greenery and its languid place in Americana. The actors hold up brilliantly at this pace -- William Hurt is a standout and a more-than-worthwhile Oscar candidate as the sullen, "ghost"-like ex-con and Eddie Redmayne jumps to the fore as a bizarre, overgrown child. The scenery and the pull of post-Katrina New Orleans is powerful, forcing personal choices and sticking in the back of our minds. Then, when the action turns, and the plot suddenly speeds forward for the latter half of the movie, the viewer has already been drawn so deep inside these rich, pained characters and the twisted swampland that its emotional force, punctuated by minute changes in Hurt's eyes, knowingly elicits empathy and sympathy. The force of the movie is the slowness, the languid pace that draws the viewer in, and the acting, as good an ensemble as anything that I've viewed this year. It is slow, but slow can be good, good as a cajun conversation.

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• The faith only teenagers have in love

  cassielarke2010-08-13

  If you are planning on seeing this, DO! It is a bit slow but you will come to love the characters and their flaws. It is not average road-trip to self discovery it is more. The lead characters have a tense and fearful journey ahead. As they open themselves up to each other we see the story take a journey that reminds me of To Kill A Mockingbird as we see the film from two innocent teenagers points of view. The writing is sarcastic and not at all Hollywood flashy it is down to earth and heart warming. A truly uplifting story to all who to let your teenager nature over-run them for 2 hours. You just might believe there is a happy ending in life for everyone. You should watch this movie, it is not one to miss!!

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• Not just another road movie

  richard-19672010-02-03

  We saw this as part of a preview cinema club we belong to. And we're happy we did. The Road Movie is one of Hollywood's long-standing (some would say overused) idioms. From It Happened One Night through Butch Cassidy, Bonnie & Clyde, and Thelma & Louise, to Little Miss Sunshine, good road movies can be a joy. Bad ones, though, are a major drag. This is a GOOD road movie. Three things make it special. First, it's about three losers, or -- let's just say it -- weird people. None of these characters start out with much appeal (except Kristen Stewart's great looks), but each grows right in front of our eyes throughout the movie. By the end, we like and find ourselves rooting for each, for different reasons. (In this way, the film reminds me most of the wonderful Hackman/Pacino 1970s vehicle Scarecrow, a much under-appreciated film.) Second, there is splendid acting throughout. Kristen Stewart is headed for stardom, William Hurt does justice to a role only Jeff Bridges could play as well (have we forgotten what a great actor he is?), and the most surprising piece, young British actor Eddie Redmayne, does a terrific turn as a strange kid with a car. Third, there's the film's perspective, about tolerance, acceptance of things as they are, and forgiveness -- for loved ones and above all for ones self. Watch it!

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