User reviews

Greetings again from the darkness. For those of us who grew up with 1970's cinema, it's been painful to watch Al Pacino's career over the last two decades … with only a couple of exceptions. We have longed for the actor who became Michael Corleone, and cringed with each outing that seemed to parody his Oscar winning performance in A Scent of a Woman (1983). Along comes the latest from director David Gordon Green and with it a reappearance of that actor so worshipped by John Travolta's character in Saturday Night Fever.

A.J. Manglehorn is an elderly locksmith who lives each day under his self-designed cloud of despair. His droopy eyes, droopy shoulders and droopy social skills are eclipsed only by his love for Fanny the cat, and his daily letters to Clara – the long lost love of his life. The only other signs of life in Mr. Manglehorn are displayed when he is telling a customer that it's time to wash their car, when he is hanging out with his granddaughter, or when he is exchanging Friday flirtations with bank teller Dawn (a sparkling Holly Hunter).

Director David Gordon Green is best known for comedies such as Pineapple Express (2008), The Sitter (2011), and TV's "Eastbound & Down", and while this one (filmed in Austin, Texas) has some awkward and offbeat comedic moments, it would have to be categorized as a drama. Symbolism is everywhere as Manglehorn keeps his emotions "locked" away from his snooty yuppie son (Chris Messina) and retreats into his imaginary relationship with Clara, rather than embracing Dawn's brave come-on.

There are a couple of extraordinary scenes … Pacino and Messina talking around, rather than about, their relationship and the type of men they are; and the excruciatingly awkward and heart-breaking first date between Pacino and Hunter. The forlorn Manglehorn remains behind the locked door and allows the shadow of his dream girl to cast a pall, despite having a real life dream girl sitting across the table.

Pacino recaptures his mastery of the close-up. Such emotion from so little apparent movement is the work of a once great master who proves he still has it. Some may be put off by the lack of big action, but these are people living life and trying to make the best of it. There is a line from the movie, "When you choose this life, there is no one". It's a line that tells us so much about Manglehorn's daily approach. Whether he finds the right key matters to us for one reason … Pacino makes us care.

Manglehorn was warmly received at Austin's SXSW Film Festival. It isn't Al Pacino's best work. Of course, he is no longer the Pacino of Dog Day Afternoon, Godfather, Serpico, Scarface, Scent of a Woman and Heat, but he is still better than most. The script is solid, but not extraordinary. The film is mostly a one-man show. However, I honestly believe I would enjoy watching a film about Al Pacino watching paint dry. Pacino is just a pleasure to watch even now as an aging legend his intense screen presence remains. He is remarkable to watch when he is changing a light bulb or feeding a cat. In this film he plays an elderly locksmith who has been wounded by a long lost love and is trying to learn how to trust again. His on-again off-again attempt to build a relationship with Holly Hunter and to reconnect with his estranged son – played by Chris Messina - is certainly enjoyable. Underneath his tough interior there seems to be a heart of gold that is often only shared with beloved cat. He has so often played larger than life characters, but here he has taken on a much more ordinary and blue collar identity. The charisma is still there, but so much more of the character's emotions are internalized. We are left to wonder about all the events that have led up to who he has become. Recommended for all fans of good drama and of one of the greatest actors of our time.

Manglehorn is an art piece with capricious writing. Al Pacino's role as Manglehorn is lavish. Pacino graces the film with his present, saving the movie from becoming forgettable. The supporting characters are very generic, as they weren't given quality material to work with. The supporting characters serve as background noise to the conundrum that is Manglehorn. Despite this, the supporting cast does a great job portraying these characters. The cinematography of this film is rich, matching the poetic tone of Manglehorn's love letters. The film's biggest flaw is it's writing. Manglehorn is written as a character who no one can fully understand or entirely relate to. The character contradicts himself on all fronts. Some of the supporting characters are entirely irrelevant and pointless. Manglehorn is portrayed as a "great man", when in reality he's stubborn and incredibly hateful. The story following Manglehorn is nonsensical and the central conflict resolves itself in a lazy manner. Overall, Manglehorn is a poorly written film with strong acting and graceful cinematography.

"You look great. Like a racehorse." A. J. Manglehorn (Al Pacino)

The above quote is a mixed compliment given to a lovely lady, Dawn (Holly Hunter), on a disastrous date. Manglehorn, a aging locksmith, can't seem to connect with his son, his ex love, really everyone but his cat, who has ingested one of his keys. Manglehorn as film is a drama about the challenges of an old man who just hasn't gotten it right.

The years he has mourned over the loss of his great love, Clara, because he foolishly let her go, seem countless. Each day he writes a letter to her, each day one returns unopened. His life has been reduced to a mess of regrets, a prison if you will from which he does not have the key. Opening others' locked doors is magic, not so with his own life.

Although Manglehorn is the solitary center of the film, those around him are prey to his bitter loneliness. Most lamentable is the way he dismisses the lovely bank clerk, Dawn, with rambling recollections of his lost love—not cool on the first date and not Seinfeldian funny. Just pathetic.

The performances make this small film worth seeing; it's as if the actors rose to Pacino's occasion, knowing the only way to emerge from this film is through good acting with one of film's greatest actors.

Director Joe Gordon Green has a flawless eye for the little details that tell much. In the case of the film's symbols such as the boat and the beehive, maybe too heavy. Yet as a literature lover, I appreciate the many obvious metaphors as a satisfactory attempt by first-time screenwriter Paul Logan to give gravity to an oft-told tale of an aging, lonely man.

For the audience, the film is a complex reminder of the need to approach old age with a light heart and an open one.

I had the chance to see this at the Toronto International Film Festival in early September and came away disappointed.

The movie is founded on a great premise and I was eager to see where it went. Playing a brooding, lonely old man obsessed with a past relationship seems like a good fit for the veteran Pacino. A sole proprietor key cutter was the perfect choice of profession for such a character. Giving Pacino full screen time was a good choice, as I can't recall a scene that didn't feature Pacino.

However, inconsistency in the Manglehorn character seems to overwhelm a good acting performance. Manglehorn seems at times senile or rude, and at other times the clever, likable character with good advice. It doesn't help that a good explanation for his obsession with a past relationship is lacking.

There are some solid random scenes and conversations, including Manglehorn's discussion with a child or the entertaining Korine telling stories of little league. These worthwhile scenes are surrounded by just as many scenes that fall flat and make you lose interest. Too often scenes are present as filler or make you feel like a better climax is due. Manglehorn's interactions with his son, played well by Chris Messina, feel like they belong in a different story arc.

I believe that Green has the ability to make a great, subtle film if it all comes together. In Manglehorn, the script Pacino is given and the characters he is surrounded with take him no where in particular, which is fine if you are entertained or enlightened throughout the film's duration. That's not the case here. Though the foundation was there, the payoff isn't worth the attention paid.

David Gordon Green's 'Manglehorn' is a strange film, about an unlikely protagonist, whose journey, despite some greatness, is half-baked. Fortunately, the protagonist is played by Thespian Al Pacino, who, with a strong Holly Hunter, leads this uneven tale.

'Manglehorn' Synopsis: Left heartbroken by the woman he loved and lost many years ago, Manglehorn, an eccentric small-town locksmith, tries to start his life over again with the help of a new friend.

'Manglehorn' is about loneliness & regrets. A.J. Manglehorn is a heartbroken, depressed old man, who finds hope in the form of a new friend. And some of it works. Its actually quite a decent watch, but the Writing lags at times. It gets loose & moves a bit too slowly.

Paul Logan's Screenplay isn't without merit, it definitely has a story to tell, but it lags. The protagonist's interactions with his fellow people, aren't always engaging. The best bits are when Manglehorn & his new friend are together. And yet, in totality, the result is uneven. David Gordon Green's Direction is alright. He's done better before. Cinematography is perfect. Editing is ably done.

Performance-Wise: Pacino is magic, yet again! As A.J. Manglehorn, The Acting Epitome, ignites the screen with an effortless, heartfelt performance. Holly Hunter is wonderful. Her scenes with Pacino are the highpoint of this enterprise. Its a delight to watch them.

On the whole, 'Manglehorn' is partly good, partly bland. Nonetheless, Watch it for the acting.

A character piece about the life of one grumpy old, senile man. His issues are laid-out in grandiose & overly sentimental melodramatics. We as an audience are slowly dragged from sad set piece to sad set piece where the conclusions are obvious if only the film would spare us the "drama" and arrive at them already.

Manglehorn is an Indie that knows its an Indie and is closer to "Prince Avalanche" than any of the Directors other works. Al Pacino kills it here but instead of focusing on the solid dramatic acting, Green decided to over-direct this right into "trying to hard to be pretentious" territory.

Manglehorn is trying to re-connect with a long lost love while slowly driving away the things he does have in his life. He's struggling to be happy. Where in that the Director feels the need to have "LSD flashback" type sequences is lost on me.

It's not original nor refreshing to slowly plod an audience around in drab and everyday circumstances, throw some folk music or a harp in the background and call it "subdued" and "special". I don't need Jurassic Park Dinosaurs or anything but I don't need to see him feed his cat 37 times to realize he loves it. I don't need to see him get his mail 32 times before you get to the point of why. I just need Pacino, with something to chew on. I just need his character to fight these demons already. I just need his struggles, his journey and his resolution.

Instead you meandered for 90% of the film and slapped it together at the end with some attempt at an thoughtful ending that landed with about as much intrigue as a happy meal toy. What a wasted Pacino performance. 3/10

Review: What an awful movie! It's really boring from the beginning to the end and I found Al Pacino's character quite depressing. I didn't really get the point of the storyline because it didn't go anywhere and the ending didn't make any sense to me. Anyway, Al Pacino plays Manglehorn whose a mobile locksmith with a cat as his only companion. He constantly writes letters to the love of his life, who left him years ago and he has a rocky relationship with his son who turns to him for money after he comes under investigation for tampering with investments. Manglehorn gets a hefty bill for an operation that was performed on his cat who ate one of his keys, so he's unable to help his son which doesn't help there distant relationship. The only joy in Manglehorn life is a woman at the bank called Dawn (Holly Hunter), who he eventually plucks up the courage to ask her out. She soon falls for his dry humour but he still has his ex on his mind and it puts a strain on there relationship. All of the letters that he sent to his ex are returned to his address and he eventually gets fed up with trying to rekindle a relationship with her. After burning all of the letters, he tries to get back with Dawn but she is really upset with the way that he treated her. That's about it! No major twists or anything exciting! There are some unexplained scenes like the bees in the mailbox, the random car crash and the miming character, so the sketchy script really didn't help matters. Pacino's average acting seemed very one toned and his character was more of an miserable old git than a interesting, happy go lucky fellow. I basically couldn't stand the movie and I got fed up with watching Manglehorn going through life without a hope of happiness or joy. My hopes of Pacino getting back to top form are really running thin and he seems to be picking awful roles that are not doing his career any good. Boring and quite depressing!

Round-Up: What has happened to Pacino's career? Whenever I used to ask people who they favourite actors were, they would always say Pacino and DeNiro but they both haven't made a decent film for ages. At 75 years old, Alfredo James Pacino has had a roller-coaster career but he has always been highly respected in Hollywood and movie goers around the world. After the appalling FrapaCino rap in Jack & Jill with Adam Sandler, his career has gone completely downhill but he has some impressive movies coming up, which include the Irishman starring Robert DeNiro and directed by Martin Scorsese, Marco Polo with the Rock, Beyond Deceit with Anthony Hopkins and the Trap with Robert Pattinson, James Franco and Benicio Del Toro. Hopefully, these movies will bring him back into the spotlight and earn him the respect that he has been missing for some time. Anyway, this movie was directed by David Gordon Green who also brought you movies like All the Real Girls, Underflow, Snow Angels, Pineapple Express, Your Highness, the Sitter, Prince Avalanche and Joe starring Nicolas Cage. For someone that has covered a wide range of genres, he really did make a mess of this movie and he didn't take advantage of the great cast. With 6 movies in the pipeline including the Innocent Man with George Clooney and Stronger with Jake Gyllenhaal, he should put this terrible movie behind him and put it down as a bad day at the office.

Budget: $4million Worldwide Gross: $132,000 (Terrible)

I recommend this movie to people who are into their dramatic movies starring Al Pacino, Holly Hunter and Chris Messina. 2/10

Director David Gordon Green, who gave us such such comedies as "Pineapple Express," "Your Highness," and "The Sitter" returned to a story that focuses more on the simplistic personal humanistic aspect of life, MANGLEHORN reminds us that David Gordon Green also gave us "Undertow" and "Prince Avalanche." Starring the great Al Pacino playing an old exhausted, slouching, and very reclusive Texas key-maker named A.J. Manglehorn, who spends his days helping people who are locked out of their car or apartment, and taking care of his cat. And in between, he often visits a bank teller named Dawn (Holly Hunter) who's interested in Mangelhorn but he can't seem to get over the heartbreak from the woman he loved and lost so many years ago.

I guess the older you'll get, the lonelier you become in movies like "About Schmidt" and MANGLEHORN. So you either walk around and talk to people or simply be rude to every one you encounter by giving honest advice to them even if it's the last thing they actually want to hear. You really feel for Al Pacino's character in this film, but you don't get the complete picture as to why really he can't get over his past love, you get an idea of it, you can sense his heartache, but not the complete picture. The script is solid but nothing extraordinary, certainly nothing as extraordinary as Pacino's past work, it's as though he took this job just to show his audience and his fans that on the inside, the Oscar winner is now nothing but an exhausted old man and it worked, there were times when I was watching MANGLEHORN when I felt worried that any minute, Pacino could fall and die.

One thing that strikes a chord with me is the way MANGLEHORN deals with the father son drama, performed by Al Pacino and Chris Messina playing his son who feels that his father was never there for him but the father insists that he was always there and he even told him that the life or the path he chose was the wrong one, but clearly the son just wanted to be bigger and better than the other kids that his father seems to compare him with. It's your classic father - son dilemma, one that many can relate to. All the while, Manglehorn tries to figure out where did he go wrong with his past relationship, he wonders where he went wrong with his son.

MANGLEHORN is essentially a one-man show by Al Pacino, and you won't be as entertained as you are more enlightened by his arc. It's a man whose ambition is behind him, he's just trying to get by one day at a time, doing what he loves and conversing with others. A simple drama, one that could easily be forgotten the next day.

"'tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all." So wrote Victorian British Poet Laureate Alfred Lord Tennyson. People can debate the validity of Tennyson's words, but most who see "Manglehorn" (PG-13, 1:37) would probably agree to add "…unless you let the memory of that lost love consume you and make you practically unlovable by anyone else" (stated more poetically, of course).

Al Pacino stars as the title character, a reclusive locksmith in a small Texas town. He pines for a long lost love named Clara, to whom he constantly writes letters, only to see them returned to his mailbox unopened. Manglehorn lives alone in a modest house with his only real friend, an old long-haired white cat named Fanny. One of the townsfolk by the name of Gary (Harmony Korine), whose little league baseball team Manglehorn used to coach, still idolizes the old man, but Gary is kind of a mess himself and Manglehorn doesn't want to be bothered anyway. He has an adult son (with a woman whom he claims he never loved) but he only sees Jacob (Chris Messina) on occasion. Jacob is a wealthy commodities broker who is a bit of a jerk (kind of like his dad can be), but Jacob has a young daughter on whom grandpa Manglehorn dotes. A friendly bank teller (Holly Hunter) shows interest in Manglehorn as more than just another customer, but she finds out that he really isn't an easy man to love.

"Manglehorn" is enjoyable mainly as an actor's showcase. There isn't much of a plot, but, as we see Manglehorn drift through his virtually joyless life, we are reminded what a great actor Al Pacino is. Messina is also outstanding and it's a joy to see Hunter back on the big screen, especially when she makes such great use of her limited screen time. The movie itself is kind of dull and Pacino makes Manglehorn so unlikeable at times that you almost stop caring about him. Almost. It's a testament to Pacino's talent that, even as his character pushes away almost everyone in his life, the actor keeps showing us just enough of his character's positive qualities for us to remain sympathetic. To see Pacino play an aging father with regrets, "Danny Collins" is a much more entertaining film, but rarely has Pacino played a character more effectively than in "Manglehorn". "C+"

Manglehorn is in essence a small simple story. No CG-I, no huge twists or plot points but rather a amazingly woven story of a lonely man attempting to overcome the loss of his old love. Al Pacino plays a role very different from the norm, hes a sarcastic, sad and sometimes bitter old man who spends his days either alone at his locksmith or mourning over a love that "could have been". Without spoiling anything, Manglehorn our main character slowly learns to love life again with the help of a friend. David Gorden Green does an incredible job at making this simple story pop by making many almost surreal like scenes (Most notably the watermelon scene). There are even scenes that are downright poetic (Scenes sometimes play out as Manglehorn recites a poem in the back, this is better than it may sound). As the story progresses it get quite deep, going into interesting back-stories about Manglehorns family (Mostly about the father and son relationship) and even at times very magical elements are hinted at.

I was lucky enough to see Manglehorn at TIFF this past September. If you get the chance this is a film that needs to be seen.

David Gordon Green gave us 'Pineapple Express' but he also graced us with 'Prince Avalanche' and let's not forget he got Cage back to his best in 'Joe'. So can he do the same for Al Pacino, in a role specifically written for him, well yes and no. For anyone who has winced at Pacino's career of late I will say that this is one of his better roles but he essentially playing himself, a locksmith called Manglehorn who can't escape his past which won't allow him to live in the present. He spends his days with keys and his night with his cat Fanny and a whole heap of unhealthy memories. Friday he religiously goes to the bank where he meets Dawn (played brilliantly by Holly Hunter)and they start a strange friendship but will it be enough to pull Manglehorn into the now? The story is simple enough and has some truly great moments but there are also a few weird dream sequences that I'm not sure worked as well as they could. The cinematography is great and along with the soundtrack, acting and direction the story of Manglehorn is watchable if not a little long and quite slow paced. Expect a few laughs but it's really a more sombre affair about ageing, memories and living and one that will make you think about life, love and mortality. So 'Pineapple Express' it isn't you have been warned.

Sure AL Pacino gave a good performance in it, up to the standards that the trailers and advertisements said it would be, but Pacino recently did a movie called Danny Collins where he showed the same charisma that you see in this movie, and Danny Collins was a far better movie.

If The filmmaker was trying to make point I did not really get it. Pacino plays the title charter, a grumpy old man who can't get over the women he let get away which is making his current relationships with people miserable. He has more connection with his sickly cat than he has with his own son.

Though Pacino did play one of the most interesting grumpy old men I've seen since Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino, the movie does not stick with you. I got no feeling from it. All I got was a butch of events that did not really effect me overall.

It's too bad too. I like Holly Hunter's supporting role as the odd love interest to Pacino, and Harmony Korine was fun to watch, but everything could have been laid out better. It just comes off stale altogether.

Perhaps this isn't your typical Al Pacino movie, but just to see the man on the screen is incredible. He can take any role and make it fascinating. It was a pretty simple sorry with a very complicated character. An older man who was trying to start all over again, which could be hard for even the young at heart. He does a good job of showing us how eccentric the character has become. From the cats, to the meetings with Holly Hunter.

I would recommend watching it if you are an Al Pacino fan and see a different side to the legend. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at his sheer skill especially since most of the movie revolves around him.

For die-hard fans of Al Pacino, "Manglehorn" must have come as a huge surprise. Most of the time you think of Al Pacino, you think about cop or gangster films...not slow romances like this movie. I am not saying it's bad...but it is a huge departure for the actor.

Manglehorn (Pacino) is a man who lives alone aside from his cat. He spends most of his time talking to his cat and lamenting that the woman he loved is dead. As a result, he lives a very sheltered and sad sort of existence. He simply goes through the motions of living life. However, when a younger woman, Dawn (Holly Hunter), makes ovations towards him, you assume the two will become a pair. But this isn't the case...at least not initially. Manglehorn is so damaged and his social skills so poor, he drives this lovely woman away and you wonder if there's any hope for him. Is there? Watch the movie and find out for yourself.

To say "Manglehorn" is slow is an understatement. He and Dawn didn't even go out together until 45 minutes into the movie. Before then, it's very slow...and you see Manglehorn mostly mumble, talk to his cat and do his job as a locksmith. It is an interesting character study, though I wasn't thrilled with the movie. It was okay and its biggest strength was that it was different. But it really needed the pacing to improve and a better script for me to highly recommend it to others.

Out of all the roles Al Pacino has gotten in his career, that of A.J. Manglehorn must be his most unusual one to date. This might put people off (as I suspect is the case, given the mixed reviews), but you know what? I think it's one of his best performances. Life is never easy, especially when there's a big obstacle slowing you down from trying to get through it. Something that you keep thinking about, can't STOP thinking about, maybe don't even want to. And this is the case for Manglehorn. No matter how hopeless it is, how meaningless it is to keep pondering about it, he keeps writing letters to Clara, the long-lost love of his life. His contact with people is very limited and the only true friend he has is his cat. He's working as a locksmith, but doesn't feel like he contributes much to society. His sorta pal keeps talking about his new salon, which he doesn't care about. He doesn't see his son very often either.

He keeps being isolated because he doesn't see much meaning in life as Clara doesn't respond to his letters.

This was a very fine, down-to-earth little character study about a man with low self confidence and tough luck. And it was beautiful. The conversations flowed well and felt natural, the cinematography made great use of imagery to illustrate feelings and most of all did Al Pacino blow me away completely. It was to the point that he didn't even play a character, he was... anyone. Anyone you could happen to know. There are plenty of people out there like Manglehorn and this actor gave such a figure not only flesh and bones, but also intestines.

You'd have to be a fool to skip out on such a simple, yet special and poignant film.

"Manglehorn" includes some of the most egregious examples of jiggly-cam footage in recent memory. There is definitely something wrong when the temblor scene is one of the steadiest scenes in the film. Theaters should sell Dramamine along with the popcorn and put motion sickness bags in the seat pouches.

The movie has a lot of symbolism, much of it a bit spot-on, so it is possible that the jiggly- cam shots are intended to represent the inner chaos in Manglehorn's life. Most of the final shots are marginally steadier than the rest of the film.

Pacino plays a lonely, heartbroken locksmith who has locked his pain and other emotions away and "swallowed the key." Like his clients, he needs somebody to free him to gain access to his emotions. Like the mime, he's unable to express himself verbally and wants to be free to float away like the balloons that belong in the sky or on the rickety sailboat that will unlikely ever float again. Despite his emotional distance, irascibility and propensity for telling the most inappropriate stories imaginable at the worst times possible, everybody loves him, remembers his past glory days and finds comfort in the steady routine into which he retreats. After numerous attempts by others to break through his emotional armor, his personal locksmith presents herself in the form of a comely and deliberately age- appropriate bank teller who initially terrifies but ultimately intrigues him.

The restaurant scene between Pacino and Hunter is the best in the movie and would be a good scene if it didn't feel as if the camera had been mounted on a bungee cord and allowed to bounce and swing around the set without direction or purpose.

The movie succeeds in presenting a character who is sympathetic despite himself. We feel that Manglehorn and aptly-yclept Dawn belong together. The climatic synthesis and catharsis is visualized through a series of symbolically-laden actions, but the intellectual and emotional process that culminates in this flurry of activity isn't really clear. It feels like observing a math student who has presented the correct solution to a complex problem, but hasn't shown his steps, so only gets half credit. The final scene feels like a deus ex machina resolution with another deus ex machina dénouement that is amusing and highly symbolic but shatters the audience's willful suspension of disbelief.

Al Pacino & Holy Hunter have, as would be expected, excellent presence on screen, Al Pacino is always fun to watch. However there is little substance in this movie to keep the attention. It is never good to loose a loved one and Al's character has my sympathies I just wish there was more to offer.