Review of Barefoot (2014) by Thomas W — 27 Mar 2014

Barefoot is a highly unnecessary American remake of a German film -- from just a few years ago -- with the same name although it is known as Barfuss in German which is possibly the sound one might make while watching this movie.

This one stars Scott Speedman (Underworld) as Jay Wheeler, a "black sheep" son of a wealthy Louisiana family working as a janitor in a southern California psychiatric facility where he meets the reclusive, barefoot Daisy (Evan Rachel Wood - Thirteen), a young woman who is brought in after the death of her mother.

Jay's scheming and gambling problems have put his life in danger and he is convinced that his father would give him money (that would be used to spare his life) IF he pretends that him and his new girlfriend (which he does not have even though he is bringing her to his brother's very upcoming [as in like the day after tomorrow!] wedding) had a sound investment opportunity that would reap them ALL great financial rewards! Because it makes perfect sense, Jay "borrows" Daisy to pose as his girlfriend and flies the barefoot (!) young lady cross-country to win-over his very disapproving father (Treat Williams - 127 Hours).

As this is a romantic comedy (in which I did not laugh), the barefoot girl who belongs in a mental institution and this conniving cad also have to fall in love! Uh ... what?!. The film is poorly written, conceived and staged; and as progressive as Wood is in real-life, I cannot believe she'd sign up to play such an infantile and dumb cartoon of a woman.

The film is like being Barefoot in winter ... awful.