Customer Reviews

Rare Birds

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I say this is really funny and it was to me. I saw this in an arthouse theater in SLO and laughed my head off, unfortunately more than half the audience did not. Many were not amused. Whats happening out there? This movie has the most audacious characters. Especially Phonce, Andy Jones, who is so believable in his role. Actually all the actors were excellent! Probably some of the best acting I've seen for awhile. The story weaves around the beautiful coast of NewFoundLand and William Hurt's characters restaurant, The Auk. Hurt is a great cook but his place is located in some remote seaside area, which causes a lack of customers. Anyways, Phonce, who is always the creative planner, the leader in the twosome, comes up with some zany ideas to bring fortune to Hurts character and also to himself. The scenes involving the mini submarine are some of the funniest I've seen in awhile. Like I said though, many in the theater were not even cracking a smile, this is an offbeat comedy so may appeal to some and not to others. Unique and different, these characters are the real rare birds in this cool little film. Also the actress, I think Molly Parker?? does another great job in getting her role to shine, even without alot of film time, well done!
Lisa Nary

This is yet another movie filmed in New-Found-Land , the other being 'The Shipping News' and that being said, it is the only similarity... Where as Ship News was dark, moody, and sinking in its' own sea of muck. (Rare Birds) is on the opposite end of the scale, light, witty, much more lively character to watch. This little gem of a movie got lost in the 9/11 murder-madness and went right to dvd and video. I am reviewing the DVD, which has a lot of info. on it.

William Hurt, John, " Kiss Of The spider Women ,"Altered States, is very funny as the (Off the beaten path restaurant gormet cook, owner.) Whose clientele is non existent? John is about to throw in the towel when his friend, Andy Jones(ll), (Phonce), comes up with an idea to get people for the restaurant.
He comes up with an idea of sighting a rare bird, Duck, in the ocean below the restaurant. The scheme and how they set it up is hilarious. Also Phonce has a paranoia re; people in motor homes and he thinks the're out to get him which is half right. There is a scene in a homemade submarine which Phonce built in his secret tunnel under his garage. A real hoot! There are frogmen, a CEO from a corp. trying to get an invention which Phonce's one time partner invented, sheet's of light hung up on clotheslines , with clothspins , in the tunnel.
The people start coming to eat, and John hires more staff and there is a love which develops between John and Alice. But things start to unravel and the laughs keep getting longer. The cinematography is great and the sun really does shine in New-Found-Land!!
ciao yaaah69

This movie is going to be added to my video collection as soon as the price drops. William Hurt's performance is quite believable, as is that of Andy Jones. Hurt's character, Dave, is a restaurateur whose eating establishment is in an out of the way place on the bay; so out of the way that The Auk is going under for lack of business! Enter Phonce (Andy Jones). Phonce invites Dave over for a look at his "RSV" (recreational submarine vehicle) which he has been constructing in the WWII vintage tunnel that is on his property. Add to that the mystery surrounding the "svedtka" lamps which the Europeans left in his tunnel, and Phonce's plan to rescue Dave and the restaurant from bankruptcy, and POOF! - a grand scheme to spot a rare bird in the bay in front of The Auk, and bring in "birders" from everywhere. Birders who will, naturally, be very hungry. Very funny movie and heartwarming story. Great acting; zany characters. A must see, and after you've seen it once, you'll have to own it.

Why else to watch a film, except for an intelligent escape from the mundane; otherwise, one could simply recount one's day, write in one's diary, or read the friggin' newspaper, if that were literate or non-fiction. Let's not even talk about TV news; HBO is the most real thing on television. I happened across this movie on cable, while eating dinner. Do yourself a favor and take in this film; do others a favor and buy the DVD, to promote intelligent and thoughtful entertainment. I know I will. The cinematography alone is worth it, but, so is the acting, the writing, the imagination...

I couldn't disagree more with calling this little film "boring" or "messy," as described in another review. It is certainly quiet and quirky, however, along the lines of "Waking Ned Devine" or "Local Hero" or "Saving Grace." There are plenty of other reviews which will describe the plot and characters, so I will not here. I just wanted to give it a thumbs up, for the crowd that likes these kinds of films. It's not slapstick and doesn't try to be. But I know there's room on the shelf for this little gem amongst the Adam Sandler and Jim Carrey films. I personally came upon it on TV late at night, and went to the computer to order it on DVD immediately. Just the thing for a rainy night in front of the fire with hot chocolate. Give it a try.

Unlike Shipping News, this movie shows Newfoundlanders for what they are - quirky, funny and lovable.

Not the usual plot, this story all takes place around a wooden bird and the hilarity that ensues when this bird (previously believed to be extinct) is spotted.

I couldn't stop laughing the whole time! If you enjoyed the original Austin Powers or Waking Ned Devine you will love the humor in this book turned movie.

I came upon this little jewell on the recommendation of a friend and last night, Thanksgiving weekend, the whole family sat down and chuckled through the WHOLE film ... To have the whole group finish a complete film is amazing in itself ... since it's either the young ones or the old ones get bored half way through most of today's movie fave and slip out of the room...

The movie deals with the owner of a falgging sea coast resaurant, Dave (William Hurt) bemoaning to his neighbour, Phonce (Andy Jones) that he will have to close the place and move back to the city since his nuveau cuisine restaurant idea wasn't too polular at all. Course our whacky neighbour friend not only helps Dave concoct a wild story about and spotting extinct bird near the restaurant but then also takes our reluctant hero on a roller coaster ride adventure that includes secret lights, drugs, submarines, Winnebago spies, love .....

Oh yes, Molly Parker plays Phonce's the young sister in law Alice, who is visiting while wating for a scholarship, offering the shy hero of our movie an addeed dimension in this super great story ....

Definitely put this DVD on your list of movies your whole family will enjoy ... and in todays market of Matrixced out fare you will see this film over and over again ..

I won't describe the Plot, as there are other Reviews that will do that. But, I'll just say this little Movie was Funny! I saw it sometime last year; and, decided to go to Amazon.Com to add it to my Video Collection. And, in the past year, I guess I've watched it 3 or 4 times; and, have enjoyed it just as much, each time!

True, it's not on the same Level as "Gone With The Wind" or "Saving Private Ryan"; but, then again, it wasn't trying to be! One Reviewer compared it to "Waking Ned Devine" or "Local Hero"; and, I have to agree with him, 100%!

It had a few good Characters, e.g., Dave [William Hurt], Phonse [Andy Jones] & Alice [Molly Parker]; a decent little Plot; and, it was over in 101 minutes. It was good Entertainment! And, what else are you looking for? If you want to be "Moved", or if you're looking for a Life Altering Experience, watch a Tele-a-thon!

Ok. So this movie is not for everyone, but the people who pan it tend to be those who don't get it (and think they should). The movie looks from the beginning like it is supposed to realistically depict event occurring in the real world, but if you take it that way you will end up confused (especially when the Mounties show up in force at the end of the film and no one gets arrested). Think of it as a middle age male fantasy with Bill Hurt playing the ego, Andy Jones as the id and Molly Parker as the anima (I know I'm mixing Freud and Jung, just play along). Whatever "happens" in the movie is peripheral to the Bill Hurt character falling in love, once again, with his soul. It's sort of a Dante-Beatrice thing. The guy starts mired in his own wrong choices, at a dead end and, by the end of the movie, he is enabled, by coming to terms with himself, to follow love (i.e. resume his life).
The movie works through a combination of beautiful scenery, an hypnotic soundtrack and good performances from the principals (Hurt, Jones and Parker).
If you are literal-minded watch a different movie. This is poetry.
And yes, it is a very funny movie.

"Rare Birds" chronicles the life of Dave (William Hurt), chef of "The Auk" in a small coastal town in Newfoundland. Business is sagging, and Dave is preparing to sell the restaurant when wacky Fonce (Newfoundlander Andy Jones in a brilliant turn as always) cooks up a scheme involving the sighting of a rare bird (in reality, an extinct duck) to bring flocks of birdwatchers to the area and boost business. The plan works, but the two get more than they bargain for: there are numerous other subplots, some unnecessary, such as the cocaine stash, a love affair between Dave and Alice, Fonce's bookish sister-in-law, the RCMP Bulgarian light conspiracy, and the Winnebegos.

Molly Parker's Alice was a delight, as was Andy Jones' neurotic Fonce. I thought that the entire cocaine subplot was unnecessary. The bathroom humour seemed too base as well, although limited to one (thankfully) brief scene. Although Ebert regards "Rare Birds" as more of a wacky Newfoundland character study than "The Shipping News," I disagree. I found that "The Shipping News" had a much more engaging plot and much more involved characters. The pacing of "Rare Birds" is sometimes slow and awkward, and I didn't really relate to Hurt's character, which made it much harder to enjoy the film as a whole.

The DVD offers very little in the way of special features, mainly a few computer-generated sets from production designs, a trailer (which shows what the film *could * have been if it had lost the excess baggage) and a commentary by director Sturla Gunnarsson. "Rare Birds" is rated R for language and drug use.