User reviews

I'm not quite sure exactly how I felt about Down in the Valley. At many times I thought it was a gorgeous film, shot perfectly, but at others I felt uncomfortable and shocked. We are given a love story between a troubled young man and a high school girl trapped in a family that could self-destruct at any moment. These two have been on a journey to find themselves, and in each other's kindred spirits finds another to help steer them onto the right course. However, a relationship like this cannot last. Whether or not you throw in the hot-tempered father, the shy brother lacking in gumption, or the voice inside our lead's head, the tale is one ripe for tragedy. I guess that means it all hinges on the story that gets you from the beginning to the end and whether it is one that was worth the journey. Despite the numerous moments that seemed out of place, and those that stirred discomfort, I will have to conclude that the path is ultimately one I'm glad I took. The great moments were a sight to behold and the tough ones did their job because I still can't shake them.

If nothing else, the acting is top-notch. Evan Rachel Wood is truly amazing for a girl her age. From the little girl in Digging to China, to the rebellious teen in Thirteen, I can't believe how poised she is in all she does. Whereas someone like Anna Paquin fell off the map, as she got older, I think Wood will be around for quite awhile, and I can't wait for Across the Universe later this year. In this film, she encompasses the role of a young woman trying to break free from her stifling yet loose family life into a relationship that is too much for someone of her maturity to completely understand. When she slowly realizes what she is a part of, it is too late, and her mixture of fear with the love she still holds is heartbreaking. David Morse also brings a brilliant performance to the table. A long time character actor, he plays the formidable, sheriff type well, yet has the emotional range to portray the compassion he has underneath the rough exterior. His role is a man that is doing his best, but only when tragedy strikes does he realize how much love he has to give. Rory Culkin rounds out the supporting cast showing nice restraint in a confused young boy unable to differentiate good from bad as the good does what seems bad in order to protect and the bad puts on the façade of good to win him over.

In the end, the real force of the movie is Edward Norton. It's good to see that after his little hiatus from acting, he has come back better than ever. His character Harlan is a complex man with a past that has made him regress into the age of chivalrous western ranches. You can see it in his eyes that the world wronged him in some way and he needed to become a part of a moment in time where people mattered and not material objects. When he ends up in an old west film set and watches the extras dancing and enjoying life in its bear form, the ecstatic look on his face shows it all. Harlan doesn't know who he is and the love of this very young girl puts him into a world that threatens the façade he has worked hard to build. The drugs and the selfishness and the pain wreak havoc on his mind and he begins to let his past anger rise back to the surface. Every moment as he continues on his journey is true to him; when he changes reality to suit his survival, he believes every word he is saying. Something is broken in him, and no one could have portrayed it better than Norton.

I do think, though, that the acting is too good for the film. Morse and Norton are so effective in showing the dual nature of their characters that you end up feeling cheated never finding out what happened in their lives to get them to the points they are at when we are introduced to them. The script never allows us to see any of the characters' motivations, only the slice of life we are shown on screen. Is Harlan the son of a Rabbi? just a troubled youth with a criminal record? both? and if so what happened to make him try and forget it all? These are questions that the movie makes you ask, but never gives any answers to. To have a beautifully shot scene of Norton and Wood out in the country with a wonderful transition sequence involving a swing-set and then at the end progress to an outlaw gunfight chase is all at once jarring and effective, and yet insufficiently explained. These characters are so complex, I just wish the film did more to help us understand them all rather than just show us what happens when their cultures clash in the game of love. Definitely worth a look, but ultimately an underachieving film that had the makings for greatness.

Like many other posters have stated, I wanted to like this film; it seemed to have a lot going for it (great cast, interesting plot, terrific visuals). So I dug in and stayed through to the end, hoping it would at least come to a satisfying conclusion. Well it didn't. For one thing, it was about 30 minutes too long- from the opening scenes when Tobe (Wood) meets Harlan (Norton) you know two things are guaranteed: they are going to fall in love, and something tragic is going to happen. Problem is, the director throws in so much unnecessary filler (trippy scenes at a club, repetitive family squabbles) that the focus of the story gets off track.

At its heart this film is a character study/slice of life piece. Tobe, a teenage girl rebelling from her overbearing, violent but caring father Wade (David Morse) and Harlan, a wannabe cowboy with childhood abandonment issues who lives in a delusional world, hook up at a gas station; she is immediately smitten with his "aw shucks" attitude and his focus on her. Harlan tries to ingratiate himself into her family life, attempting to smooth things over with dad and befriending her younger brother Lonnie (Rory Culkin in another mesmerizing turn), who has no male role model in his life (he is adopted, and neglected, by Wade). You know things are going to turn sour when these twisted lives intertwine, especially when we see that Harlan likes to act out old Westerns in his room, using real six shooters. Throw in the fact that Tobe's dad is a corrections officer, veteran, and avid gun collector, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that this crush is going to end badly. But when the tragic events finally do unfold, it's not in the manner I expected, nor hoped; plus the finale drags on to the point where I was praying for it to end already (not a good one to watch after midnight).

This one had so much potential, and there WAS a lot to like about the film: the performances were stellar across the board, the cinematography depicted beautiful images of the new San Fernando Valley where it collides with the Old West, and the ideas were ambitious and commendable. But with some editing and a tighter script, this intriguing little indie could have really been a keeper.

Edward Norton's troubled character is really strong, reminding somehow Taxi Driver's De Niro - though not so immense. The story is well-told and generates suspense and melancholy, plus David Morse is in my opinion a very talented actor and Rachel Wood's performance is nothing bad. That's why I reckon this revisionist Western is cryptic and enigmatic at the same time, powerful would say. On the other hand the lead actor is one of the best nowadays and this time, playing the role of a potential psychopath turning into a real psychopath, manages to be extremely believable. The Los Angeles setting as well is very appropriate.

Good post-modern cowboy stuff - ignore idea of romance, if your bloke thinks Harlan has saving graces you will need a serious chat. Evan R Wood is brilliant as an authentic teen working out stuff about life and boundaries, and uses her intelligence, where Harlan has lost his options in that area and functions off a thin script about life lived from minute to minute - and not in a good way. Wade is a fabulous hero, destined not to be noticed or given his credit, but I salute his morality and war-weary, inescapable world wisdom. The recurring filmic images of Californian environs and lifestyles seem to agree these days that no film set is required - think bleak, parched, sieged souls and a simple faith in those minute-by-minute lives.

Here, we see Norton taking on a role that puts him on a different level than what you normally see him in. His character, Harlan, a lonesome yet psychotic cowboy working at a gas station, meets with this girl named Tobe (Wood)and it's love at first sight for both of the two. Harlan decides to quit his job and head over with Tobe and her friends to the beach, and right away the two have began a passionate relationship with each other. This is disapproved by Tobe's father (Morse), who sees another side of Harlan right from the start, and things start to become tense.

Edward Norton, he's always impressing the audience with his exceptional talent. There isn't one moment where he fails to show us that he's put up a great performance in any movie. I believe he saved this movie from becoming a mediocre film. Sadly, I think it's only his performance that's truly memorable. Everyone else was okay, but Norton definitely stands out.

This movie is also something that I couldn't really get into, especially in the first 10-15 minutes. I don't care what others think, because this really wasn't the type of movie that I could get into. My friend recommended this to me (she loves Westerns), and she knows her movies, but this one was probably the most unusual choice she gave me. I started getting into the story when I realized how much trouble Norton's character was towards the father. It really made him become abusive towards his daughter and raised tensions between him and Harlan.

Definitely something different that I've seen Norton do. It was great and all, but I don't think I could watch this twice. Only once is fine with me, because in my opinion, it's not really memorable.

I had the opportunity to see this film at Cannes and then again at it's 'real' debut at the LA Film Festival. What a difference! Apparently the filmmakers were anxious to get to Cannes and had not finished the editing. Although I liked it before-- this version really hits the spot without the confusing extras that were still at Cannes. I'm glad I gave it a second chance and in fact I'm now anxious to see it again when it's released. The film is very layered and subtle. It is beautifully shot and the four main characters are original and yet painfully familiar in their alienation, anger, and despair. The Cowboy character played by Edward Norton seems so simple at first but as he is drawn into the family his character and the truth of his 'being' gradually unravels in ways that left me speechless at the end of the film. The character played by Rory Culkin, "Twig", says very little throughout the film and yet he conveys a sense of yearning and loneliness almost too painful to bare. But even he undergoes an unexpected transformation by the end of the film. My favorite though, was Evan Rachel Wood. I think she steals the show... without trying at all. Her emotions and rebelliousness are raw and totally authentic. She is a luminous creature on the screen. Her relationship with the Cowboy seemed unlikely at first and then became completely believable, especially in the bathtub scene. My main criticism is that the film is demanding. If you're not in the mood to sink into a fairly deep experience with some shocking moments and unpredictable outcomes--don't waste your time. This is a film for lovers of independent film and psychological kinds of cinema. There are also several scenes that border on surrealism. I'd be interested to know more about the making of this film and look forward to the DVD. I imagine this film may take awhile to be discovered but it holds tremendous rewards for those patient and thoughtful enough to venture into it.

I thought I had seen all of Edward Norton's movies, but I couldnt remember having seen this one.

The bad: it didnt leave a lasting impression. It's not a bad movie, simply a lackluster one. Nothing much happens for the first hour and only at the end there is a bizarre violent final, which is out of place.

The good: Edward Norton is a great actor. He does his best to get into his character, but somehow I didnt buy into it...

The film's first 45 minutes to an hour are slow, but not without purpose. It sets the stage, allowing Norton to do what he's done well throughout his career; he outlines, builds, defines, and justifies his character's actions, thereby resulting in another intense yet effortless and simply riveting performance. Norton, IMHO, is likely to be doing this same thing three decades from now. He may well be the American Michael Caine, moving between leading man and scene stealing supporting actor in film after film and at a performance level that rarely dips below "spot on."

Evan Rachel Wood, while hardly stretching beyond her petulant, teen rebel persona, does a very credible job, as does Rory Culkin as Wood's younger brother. David Morse, as brooding, explosive, and understated as ever, is solid in his role as Wood's somewhat predictable, but no less authentic father.

This is a clever, crafted, and satisfying film that delivers. Again, it takes a while to get started, but it proves its mettle.

"Down in the Valley" is a reasonably satisfactory effort for an independent film & was worth the rental. It further cements my opinion that Edward Norton is capable of nearly anything as an actor, & I've grown to appreciate Evan Rachel Wood's abilities more as she's gotten older. David Morse is, as always, a force, & Rory Culkin plays his usual melancholy, "Wise beyond his years" persona well enough. Though they each have their dryer moments in the film, the performances from all were formidable, including a couple minuscule appearances from Geoffery Lewis & Bruce Dern.

The overall look of the film is not entirely unlikable, & the premise is admirable, though not completely focused, in either regard. There is an obvious attempt to lure the audience into a fantasized reality that is common in children & mental deviants, both of which this film supports, in abundance. I enjoyed the ideas behind the character interaction, though not necessarily their development. If the writer/director's intention was to try to combine the innocence of "Forrest Gump" & the penchant for gun play & pedophilia of "Taxi Driver", then I'd say he was fairly successful. However, if his intention was for the viewer to identify with any one of the film's characters, then I'm afraid he may need to work on that, or get out & meet different people

I give it a 6 out of 10 ranking, most of which is for the acting

Greetings again from the darkness. This quiet little gem will probably disappear pretty quickly from theatres. I am not sure what caused the delay in its release, but for those of us who appreciate indie film-making and the importance of a decent story, it is well worth catching.

Ed Norton's performance is right there with his best work ("Fight Club" and "American History X"). He plays Harlan, a cowboy wannabe, who is delusional in his belief that he is just about the only good thing left in the world. Obviously carrying some childhood baggage, Harlan falls for the near mystical sight of Tobe (Evan Rachel Wood) whom he first spots through the rear station wagon window while pumping gas. The shot is stunning in so many ways, it caused me to buy in to the film immediately. Also, watching Norton play with his guns is fascinating stuff.

There is little more I can say about Evan Rachel Wood than what I have said in my comments on her other films ("Thirteen" "Pretty Persuasion", etc). She is a shooting star with limitless potential. The best part about her (besides talent) is her willingness to take a risk on a great part, even if it is associated with a small film. She could easily take the Kirsten Dunst / Julia Stiles path and go mainstream Hollywood, but roles are what make a great actress, not box office. I can't wait to see what ERW accomplishes over the next 5, 10 even 20 years (she is only 18 years old!!!).

To give away too much of the story would be a shame because the story is a bit off center and definitely not formulaic. Watching Wood and Norton and Rory Culkin (so wonderful in "Igby Goes Down) grow into a near family pod is on one hand very cool, while on the other, downright creepy.

Taking another in his grinding teeth and jutting jaw Mr. Intensity roles is David Morse, who has come light years from his timid wimp doc role in the fabulous TV series St. Elsewhere. Also contributing to the film is the fine, sparse sounds of Peter Salett. His ballads are a very nice touch to the unusual sites director David Jacobson shows us in the San Fernando Valley. Who knew there was that much greenery remaining? The only thing preventing this one from being rated higher are the few scenes that dip into melodrama. Jacobson does not quite have the chops to pull off the full two plus hours of running time and there are some draggy scenes. The good news is there are many more excellent scenes and overall the story is fresh and original and well presented.

Independent drama announcing the return of Norton the actor as opposed to Norton the sleepwalking paycheck casher. No sooner is this announced then with the blatant pre-title "Edward Norton in" before announcing any other credits, which I found to be slightly arrogant, nowhere near the hubris of a "Quentin Tarantino presents", but nonetheless an egotistical gesture. To Norton's credit, he does find some of his most heartfelt, subtle, and perceptive work since his compelling material days, through the troubled and mysterious rancher that he plays here. Unfortunately, the "Edward Norton in" aspect does become apparent when all is said and done; clearly this was a repositioning role Norton had staked a lot in (even putting his neck out there to raise hell when the film had trouble getting picked up for distribution) to help give his career a much needed indie boost. Although the performance is uniformly solid, actions described during the latter half of this odd script do tend to take away any serious consideration for the character invested viewers were making up until that point. While things veer from enjoyable, even painfully beautiful and rife with bittersweet sentiment, to uncharacteristically ludicrous with one swift motion, one still never looses sight of the passion Norton and company held out until the ambiguous resolution. It is this moral ambiguity that perhaps defined the film and it's subsequent controversy of not being able to "find a market" with US distributors, but ultimately this grey zone that could have yielded far more fruitful results ends up loosing relevance and potency due to the seemingly lazy transgression of events, tied into an underdeveloped sub-plot.

I thought the movie was a little weak on providing action and I thought it had a bit of dryness in it but overall it had good substance and it was compelling after Norton's character shot Evan Rachel Wood until the rest of the movie.

I thought Rory Culkin also did a fine job and I think he's got much more potential than MacCauly ever did.

Norton's character was sort of an antagonist but not as much as the preview made it out to be. I would've expected him to be a serial killer or something. He pretty much seemed like a guy who was confused and in a midlife crisis more than a bad guy.

I must confess: I bought this film in Italian DVD version for two small reasons. First, for the unspeakable beauty of Evan Rachel Wood, as long as her talent, which spreads over the film together with her seductive sight. Second, thinking about the reasons why it was not given a plug to this film here in Italy. Or at least I never heard much of it.

I think so because it is a low budget film, in which there are no explosions, no hyper-exposed superstars, no self-explaining "all-the-same-faces subcultures exploiting easy comical political financial police & lawyers' sci-fi" drama.

This is not what people expect to be played in cinemas few weeks before Christmas...

It is a great small film. Really well played.

It was sheer chance yesterday I played Contact DVD with great David Morse. GREAT actor. Unfortunately he is always given the role of the good family father. But it is another story.

I think also that Edward Norton is a great actor too. And, for my pleasure, I think he could reincarnate the magnificent role of Jon Voigt in Midnight Cowboy, with it's load of disillusion and violence.

Evan Rachel Wood is the great talented teen I was waiting for since the appearance of a too fast grown Natalie Portman in Besson's The Professional (Léon). She appeared to me in Thirteen to be the angel I am waiting for since I understood why women were created... And in this film I must say she is passionate, and warm, and real. And, despite her beauty, she is normal.

There is something odd in Culkin brothers' DNA. They are greatly talented when in childhood... May Rory be greater in his future than his brother was.

This is a film about something which is not normal, as well. And this abnormality permeates all the story from the beginning. Is this violence or love? Maybe both. But this is a spoiler story...

The first hour of this movie was deeply engrossing. Harlan was a wonderful romantic living by the "cowboy code," while Tobe was convincing as a rebellious teen pushed to the edge by her father's over-protectiveness. The naiveté that exists both in Harlan's simplicity and Tobe's youth ignites a brilliant chemistry that has made me unconsciously scout out local gas stations for my own Edward Norton-look alike cowboy to make out with on the way home from the beach. I fell in love watching this movie. Not with anyone or anything in particular, just the concept of a chance encounter that leads to fun and a passionate romance. Not many movies can have that kind of effect on me. I wanted Tobe to run away with Harlan. I didn't get scared of Harlan when he stole the horses or taught Lonnie how to shoot. If anything, I thought that he was being a better father figure that Wade was. The first hour was long and drawn out enough (it felt like two hours), that it could have been its own movie. The second hour was different. The second hour hardly made sense. The second hour was filled with allusions to separate plot lines that must not have made it into the final cut. In the second hour, the claims that the DVD jacket made of Harlan not being who he seemed were revealed without the fanfare or shock the we might more or less expect from an Edward Norton film. It could best be described as an "oh, well" moment. Couple that with the fact that we are led on an uninteresting chase through the hills of the Valley, and this movie ends up leaving you an "oh, well, that was interesting" feeling and a definite craving for the first hour. As if I could make another complaint, the movie was so slow placed that it felt much longer that its 114 minutes.

I read the "goofs" section here on the board, and went to back to view that section of the movie. The person who wrote the summary on the "goofs" has made a terrible goof. QUOTE: "Goofs: Crew or equipment visible: During the old western ceremony near the end of the film, crew and equipment are visible numerous times. A cameraman on a lift can be seen from Lonnie's P.O.V. when he wakes up, looking out at the music and dancing from the balcony. When Harlan admires the fiddlers, the same cameraman on the dolly is right above them, sitting with a camera, wearing sunglasses."

This western scene in on a movie set in the San Fernando Valley, where there are many such sets. They awoke to a film being made. The camera and props are there on purpose: They are central to the frame and the scene. The person who wrote the summary on the goofs has made a huge idiotic mistake in describing these things in the scene as a "goof". In fact, I just had to comment, because it's so obvious!

It takes a certain mindset to appreciate DOWN IN THE VALLEY, a quiet little movie about little people who want something more than what their environs offer. The film is long (just over two hours), could use some editing, allows a rather pedestrian musical score to cover the dialogue far too frequently, and for much of the film the camera exposure makes everything so sun drenched (even for the San Fernando Valley where the story takes place!) that it feels bleached. But those aspects feel secondary in the presence of some very fine performances by an excellent cast directed with vision by writer/director David Jacobson.

Life is exceedingly boring in the bland town where Tobe (Evan Rachel Wood) and her little brother Lonny (Rory Culkin) live with their sheriff father Wayne (David Morse) - we never know why there is no mother around though Wayne brings in sleepover subs at random. Tobe has girlfriends with whom she cruises guys and on one afternoon's trip to the beach she meets gas station attendant Harlan (Edward Norton), a drifter who claims to be a rancher form South Dakota and has all the genteel manners of a gentleman raised to respect women. Harlan lives in a trashy motel, plays and dresses as a cowboy, and has an innocence about him that makes us want to believe he is not the borderline personality he is. Tobe picks Harlan up, they begin seeing each other despite Wayne's better judgment, and Tobe and Harlan include Lonny in their pursuit of a world that borders on make believe Western drama. Wayne objects more strongly, discovers Harlan is tempting Tobe away from her home, and confronts Harlan until Harlan finally decides the only way to move forward is to rescue Tobe and Lonny from their bad homelife. Harlan's dark side emerges and his cowboy play becomes real, gunshots are fired and the ending of the film is a mélange of old Western movie make-believe and contemporary tragedy of a young man out of joint with his world.

Edward Norton gives a stunning portrayal of an out of touch drifter: we never know his background except for suggestions that his childhood was spent in detention homes, foster homes, and other dysfunctional modes of getting by. Evan Rachel Wood is radiantly beautiful as the needy teenager who ultimately cannot cope with her desires to leave the home nest. Rory Culkin has few lines but his presence is palpably worrisome. Bruce Dern is on board as a crusty old contemporary 'cowboy' and David Morse again turns in a performance that is three dimensional and credible (it would have been helpful to know why he is a single parent). The film is not without its flaws (as mentioned above plus more), but it manages to give Edward Norton yet another chance to demonstrate his considerable skills as an actor who can make the most peripheral characters stick in our hearts. This is a fine little movie, much underrated. Grady Harp

I was really impressed and thought this was a powerful scene. Very well shot and chimed with eerie echos of reality. Even when he was found the wrong guy the paranoia could be felt. That was a week hook he threw at the Rabbi. The whole scene seemed to snap me back into reality that Harlan didn't even believe in his-false persona anymore. The director was going to cut it. I'm glad he didn't. Norton was great as usually but it seems as if he borrowed from the Characters from 25th Hour when he has that long monologue with the mirror and Fight Club, the passive character who is actually violent. Ed Norton always find that fine line between the two that validates his performance. I really like the modern day western. I thought toward the end it got a little Spagetti but redeemed itself in the end.