Review of God Bless America (2012) by Wes L — 08 Aug 2012

There's a lot of anger here, and Goldthwait channels it extremely effectively in the first 30 minutes and in stops and starts afterward, helped along greatly by Murray's performance. I think he makes a fundamental mistake in turning it into a vigilante justice story.

Aside from the unfortunate implications of murdering people you don't like, I feel like it's the easy road to take plot-wise - there could have been a much more effective black comedy if he had gone in a different direction.

Some of Frank and Roxy's speeches are a bit too overwritten as well, and the ending feels like a letdown after what has come before. There's a lot to like in the film, but it's not quite successful enough to transcend "slightly above average.

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