Steve Rhodes
March 16th 05, 07:21 AM
OFF THE MAP
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 2005 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): ** 1/2
"It was inescapable, my father's depression, like some fumigator's mist
filling our lungs," Cecilia Rose "Bo" Groden tells us in OFF THE MAP's
ever-present voice-over. Bo, a girl who signs her letters to a national
advice columnist, "Too Young To Be Depressed in New Mexico, Land of
Enchantment," is overplayed by newcomer Valentina de Angelis, who will
instantly remind you of Mika Boorem in HEART OF ATLANTIS. A precocious
motormouth, Bo is supremely confident and wise beyond her 12-year-old age.
De Angelis does demonstrate considerable potential, which could easily be
developed with the right material and guidance.
As directed by Campbell Scott (BIG NIGHT), OFF THE MAP is richly literary
while never being compelling or convincing. Sam Elliott, as Bo's father
Charley, isn't merely depressed. He's completely catatonic, saying not one
word until the movie is almost half over. What starts off as an honest
depiction of severe depression quickly becomes an unrealistic fairytale
version of the condition.
The overly long movie tosses in, and then just as quickly disposes of, all
sorts of subplots. In one of them, Charley and his wife Arlene (Joan Allen)
are shown to be practicing nudism around their remote house, which is off
the map in the New Mexico desert. But no sooner have we gawked at a couple
of nude bodies than everyone puts their clothes back and the plot shifts
again, this time to an IRS agent who suffers three days of delirium because
of a bee sting. Did I mention yet that the agent is an ex-lawyer who worked
most recently as a short-order cook?
Possessing little emotional impact, the movie has at most one moment that
produces any genuine effect on the viewers, a simple scene about a dead
coyote. Suffice it to say that this single scene plus the debut of a
promising actress, Valentina de Angelis, isn't enough to be able to
recommend the film.
OFF THE MAP runs a long and rambling 1:48. It is rated PG-13 for "nudity
and thematic elements" and would be acceptable for kids around 11 and up.
The film opens nationwide in the United States on Friday, March 18, 2005.
In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the Camera Cinemas.
Web: http://www.InternetReviews.com
Email:
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A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 2005 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): ** 1/2
"It was inescapable, my father's depression, like some fumigator's mist
filling our lungs," Cecilia Rose "Bo" Groden tells us in OFF THE MAP's
ever-present voice-over. Bo, a girl who signs her letters to a national
advice columnist, "Too Young To Be Depressed in New Mexico, Land of
Enchantment," is overplayed by newcomer Valentina de Angelis, who will
instantly remind you of Mika Boorem in HEART OF ATLANTIS. A precocious
motormouth, Bo is supremely confident and wise beyond her 12-year-old age.
De Angelis does demonstrate considerable potential, which could easily be
developed with the right material and guidance.
As directed by Campbell Scott (BIG NIGHT), OFF THE MAP is richly literary
while never being compelling or convincing. Sam Elliott, as Bo's father
Charley, isn't merely depressed. He's completely catatonic, saying not one
word until the movie is almost half over. What starts off as an honest
depiction of severe depression quickly becomes an unrealistic fairytale
version of the condition.
The overly long movie tosses in, and then just as quickly disposes of, all
sorts of subplots. In one of them, Charley and his wife Arlene (Joan Allen)
are shown to be practicing nudism around their remote house, which is off
the map in the New Mexico desert. But no sooner have we gawked at a couple
of nude bodies than everyone puts their clothes back and the plot shifts
again, this time to an IRS agent who suffers three days of delirium because
of a bee sting. Did I mention yet that the agent is an ex-lawyer who worked
most recently as a short-order cook?
Possessing little emotional impact, the movie has at most one moment that
produces any genuine effect on the viewers, a simple scene about a dead
coyote. Suffice it to say that this single scene plus the debut of a
promising actress, Valentina de Angelis, isn't enough to be able to
recommend the film.
OFF THE MAP runs a long and rambling 1:48. It is rated PG-13 for "nudity
and thematic elements" and would be acceptable for kids around 11 and up.
The film opens nationwide in the United States on Friday, March 18, 2005.
In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the Camera Cinemas.
Web: http://www.InternetReviews.com
Email:
************************************************** *********************
Want free reviews and weekly movie and video recommendations via Email?
Just send me a letter with the word "subscribe" in the subject line.