Review of Tender Mercies (1983) by Wayne K — 20 Mar 2017

Another one of those movies where the characters wander around, mumble incoherently and mope endlessly, and yet their 'deep' and 'meaningful' behaviour is lauded as genius, Tender Mercies features Robert Duvall at his most sedate; an over-the-hill, drunken has-been singer who is given very little to do and even less to say.

Many moments which could be pivotal to the story and alleviate the monotony, such as the wedding between the 2 leads, is completely omitted, which only adds to the frustration. It's massively overpraised, has aged terribly, and doesn't in any way warrant repeat views.

I love Duvall, but he's so much better in so many other movies that it boggles the mind that he won the coveted Oscar for this one. Boring, plotless and without any reason to care, it's a solid waste of an hour and a half.