Customer Reviews

Leaves of Grass [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Leaves of Grass isn't a movie that you can easily categorize. While it doesn't offer up laughs every few minutes, it's still a clever comedy in the vein of a Coen Brothers film. But you also can't quite call it a black comedy completely in the spirit of Burn After Reading or Fargo. It's equal parts crime drama, humor, romance and philosophy.

The film revolves around the intertwining lives of two identical twins, played by the incredibly talented Edward Norton. Ivy League philosophy professor Bill Kincaid is lured back to his Oklahoma hometown as part of a scheme cooked up by Mary Jane growing brother Brady. The first half hour of the film moves slowly but quickly gains momentum when the two siblings eventually cross paths.

The best part of this movie is easily watching Norton put on brilliant performances as both brothers. The supporting cast is top-notch as well, especially director Tim Blake Nelson in the role of Bolger, Brady's partner in crime. Nelson slips into the role effortlessly, which is no surprise considering he himself is a real-life Okie (a Jewish one at that, which influences a subplot of the movie). My only gripe with casting was Richard Dreyfuss as Jewish gangster Pug Rothbaum, with Dreyfuss giving one of the most bizarre attempts at a Southern accent in film.

I enjoyed the cinematography, Jeff Danna's work on the score, and the infusion of philosophy into the film. As a Southerner, I appreciated the fact that Brady's accent was no reflection on his intelligence. While not as well-read as his sibling, he still gets the occasional profound message across. The only real complaint I have about the film are the jarring scenes of violence. Considering it's not entirely a dark comedy, scenes that involved murders seemed extremely out of place in this movie.

Overall, watching Edward Norton effectively tackle two completely different roles was a real treat. If you enjoy a good drama or comedy that makes you think, definitely check this one out.

A double performance by Edward Norton as two entirely opposite brothers is, surprisingly enough, not the only reason to see this film. Yes, Norton's a master of his craft and his stoner hick brother and oxford-cloth uptight prof brother are both equally masterful creations. He dominates every scene, on par with Nicholas Cage's similar turn in Adaptation or more recently Sam Rockwell's in the slow-burn space opera Moon. But even without a competent lead like Norton at the helm, the film succeeds, chiefly do the the adept writing/direction of Tim Black Nelson, who incidentally has a side-kick part as a dim-witted trailer trash fella with a heart of pure gold.
The script is great. Beginning with a philosophy lecture that doesn't feel at all forced and eventually delving into some pretty shocking violence (and lots of pot smoking...with pot that LOOKS LIKE REAL POT! Seriously, pretty convincing for once) the film is a down-home roller coaster ride that even manages to work in Whitman's titular namesake to pretty good effect. Don't except straight up comedy, as the film is pretty gory at times. The tone, in fact, takes a sort of 180 degree shift about 2/3 of the way in, becoming more dramatic ala a warmer, brighter Fargo or a more subdued, less western-oriented Red Rock West. The effect of this shift is a little disorienting, but ultimately it works, seeming to freshen the proceedings. There is palpable suspense. We feel for Norton's characters, both of them. His accent is pretty good and his eyes (especially as the rural brother) are strange and intoxicating. I can't stress enough how unique and interesting this film is. It works as a crime drama, stoner comedy, philosophical treatise on life/the choices we make that make us. It is equal parts funny, screwball, bloody and in the end pretty life-affirming. There are a couple scenes that feel sort of contrived (one subplot involving a wayward Jewish orthodontist seems a little too easy, but is interesting nevertheless) but overall this is a high-brow bit of sweaty-palmed but laugh inducing entertainment and not be missed if you have a fleeting interest in pot flicks and/or low-life crime character studies.

I enjoyed this move. I thought it had character and realism. That said, I think it is wrong to call it a comedy. It is a fairly hard hitting movie that has very graphic violence and a gritty taste. The comedy is almost all based on tragedy.

I don't recommend it for folks that aren't ready for movie that is rated R based on violence and needs to be.

Good movie, but don't be fooled by characterizations you may read.

LEAVES OF GRASS is a writing and directing triumph for Tim Blake Nelson! One of the reasons for such applause is the on-screen impression Nelson brings to his roles - that of a funny but not too bright backwoods hick - and that impression is completely squelched (though not in the character he plays in the film -another dummy) by his intelligent and challenging writing and astute direction. LEAVES OF GRASS as a title begins the dichotomy of message and content of this film: yes, it references Walt Whitman's great book many times and in many ways, but it also refers to the contemporary interpretation of the word 'grass' as being marijuana. It is that kind of double entendre that propels this film of the conflict and life progress of identical twin brothers from Oklahoma - both played with consummate skill by Edward Norton.

Bill Kincaid (Edward Norton) is a brilliant contemporary and classical philosophy professor at Brown University who speaks in academic terms, having isolated his feelings from the world by obsessing on the meanings of the teachings of Plato, Sophocles, etc: passion is destructive and to be avoided. He left his Oklahoma family 12 years ago, unable to relate to the shenanigans of his twin brother ex-con Brady (Edward Norton) and his drug-addled mother Daisy (Susan Sarandon). Back home Brady and Daisy long to see Bill (Daisy has placed herself in a retirement center to avoid bad habits and Brady has developed a sophisticated marijuana production system) and they agree that the only way Bill will come home is if one of them dies. Brady is in trouble with the drug dealer Pug Rothbaum (Richard Dreyfus) in Tulsa and Brady knows that the only way he and his looney partner Bolger (Tim Blake Nelson) can resolve matters is to get Brady's double back home as an alibi. Bill recieves a message that Brady has been murdered and reluctantly decides to go home for the funeral. But arriving home Bill discovers the truth of the ploy and is convinced that if he simply stays in Little Dixie, OK for a weekend he will be able to return to his work. Confrontations occur, both negative and positive: Bill meets school teacher/poet Janet (Keri Russell) and feels an attraction that has been dormant, Brady introduces Bill to the pleasures of his premium marijuana, Bill meets with Daisy in a moving encounter, Brady and Bolger travel to Tulsa and become involved in murder, and when Brady and Bolger return there is a final scene where the broken worlds of the twins is in a way repaired.

That is only a brief outline of the complex plot that Nelson has written and far too many of the subplots have not been mentioned. But LEAVES OF GRASS, like reading Whitman's book, must be savored. The acting is terrific, the atmosphere of Oklahoma is well-captured, and the strange musical score by Jeff Danna matches the story perfectly. Edward Norton is in top form as both of the twins and the rest of the cast - many very well known names are in minor roles - is uniformly fine. It is a comedy but as in the classical sense, a true comedy must contain drama, and there is drama 'aplenty' . Highly recommended. Grady Harp, October 2010

"Leaves Of Grass" is kind of a farce, tongue-in-cheek comedy, which is equal parts "My Name Is Earl",
as well as the Mark Twain classic, "The Prince & The Pauper", blended in with some back woods criminal
action, bloody violence, drug humor, and drama. It's very unorthodox and hard to categorize,
but I like that about it! (-:
This is a very good movie, and Ed Norton very convincingly plays dual roles in this.
The supporting cast, which includes the dazzling Susan Sarandon, who plays a somewhat subdued role as
the twins' ex-wild child mother, all give brilliant performances in their individual roles.
I'm not even going to try to describe the plot to you all or anything like that....
I'll just say, rent it first...then, if it appeals to you, add it to your collection.

This movie will go over some heads because it's an unusual black comedy. I, however, loved it enough to buy it after renting it. Edward Norton is brilliant in so many genres and this is a great example. The plot is twisted and yet he plays the twins seamlessly and in a convincing manner. I have yet to see a bad movie from him. Try it on.

This is an off beat film with a strong indie vibe. The cast was really good and the plot was a little weird but in a good way.It is a film that grows on you more and more as the film progresses. I strongly recommend watching this if you like films where dialouge makes the film not action.

In this Black Comedy, Edward Norton plays both Brady and Billy identical twin brothers who live by very different philosophies. The movie shows how these play out. Leaves of Grass was a critically acclaimed (e.g., Roger Ebert) and a terribly marketed film. This is not, as the trailer or movie poster suggested, a lighthearted comedy. (The DVD cover with Billy packing a crossbow (ha ha) is more fitting). It is very much a black comedy: the storyline and characters are largely tragic and viewers are made to experience the full gamete of emotions rapidly shifting from humor, to discomfort, to shock, and sadness. At times two or more disparate emotions are experienced at once, e.g., the threat of being bludgeoned with a menorah or panning along a wall of humorous portraits spattered with blood.
Highlights: Billy's t-shirts including lime green beater and playing guitar and singing to his girlfriend.

This review is included in a new listmania "No One Wears a Beater Better - Edward Norton Films"

Leaves of Grass is a perplexing nutty film by writer/director/actor Tim Blake Nelson. Edward Norton plays twin brothers, Bill and Brady Kincaid. The two brothers are so different but at the same time strikingly similar. Bill is an intelligent professor at the Brown University that has abandoned his ways of his small hick Oklahoma town while his brother is far from the straight laced person his brother is by managing a small-scale pot farm.

To someone who doesn't understand the two brothers, one might perceive this since Brady is a simple-timing guy who spends his off time smoking bongs that he's not as successful or accomplished as his brother. Brady sees things kind of differently from most people and doesn't judge his success on how others perceive him though. The film ultimately becomes an interesting character study between the two brothers who are on opposite ends of class system but despite their outward appearances are quite similar and both quite intelligent. Brady himself actually has a higher IQ than Bill but despite this decides to pursue a career in drug manufacturing. Does this mean that Brady is less intelligent though? To most it would seem so, but Brady actually uses his intelligence to form a complex system to manufacture the best possible product.

The plot is interesting as well as it serves as a way for these two brothers to interact with each other and maneuver around the situations that surround them.

Tim Blake Nelson said that he wrote the twin roles for Norton especially in mind and it shows, it's hard it imagine anyone else doing it. Keri Russell serves her purpose that she does in most films she's in being that sweet girl that people fall in love with. There's nothing wrong with that though, Keri Russell is a girl that guys would want to bring home to their mom because she's that cute of a girl.

The reason the film is so good resides in the genius of the screenplay though. The script is simply a masterpiece to put it into simple words. A lot of this is most likely due to Tim Blake Nelson reflecting on things in his own life.

This is surely one of 2010's best films and features a stunning performance by Edward Norton. Norton plays both roles so great, both brothers have a very original feel to them. This is probably the best acting performance he has done besides 25th Hour. Unfortunately, the prospects for this film to receive a wide release are quite small and it's most likely that the film won't receive any recognition from the Academy. Well, when this hits Netflix or your local Redbox, make sure to check it out. It's a masterpiece. This is a day one purchase for me.

This movie goes nowhere....At first it seems like a comedy then blows you away with a blood splatter scene...then some confusion....but still never gets off the ground with a solid plot. Don't waste your time....