Review of Twentynine Palms (2003) by Michael O — 27 Jun 2009

If there's one word I don't like using to describe a director's work it's 'pretentious' but with this one I couldn't help it. No matter how well composed the photography is, or how well choreographed the placement of emotions (the fights, the love, the intimacy, the 'screaming orgasm' which is meant to be symbolic) this is a flaccid movie. There is nothing grabbing or poetic or shocking about it. Just a stupid time in 'Twentynine Palms'. Seems like the only value of this movie is it being a 'silly' conversation piece where you can tell your 'altbros' about how you were 'really confused' and 'shocked' by it.

Maybe that's all Bruno Dumont needed to aspire to do.