Review of The King of Marvin Gardens (1972) by Paul P — 15 Mar 2011
Easily one of the most overlooked movies of the 70s. This has such a brave finale that completely changes the entire plot, character motives and mood of the movie. Bob Rafelson takes a story about two estranged brothers and turns it into something so much more engaging and memorable.
Knowing Jack Nicolson, it's almost bizarre not to see him have multiple freak outs in a movie, especially during his 70s era of acting. He plays a really introspective and reserved character that honestly ends up being just as admirable as his more famous ones.
Who really does end up completely dominating the movie is a completely unsuspecting Ellen Burstyn. When you think of character development, there is no better example than her in this movie. To see her go from a seemingly jolly and upbeat person into a train wreck of doom is an event you can't miss.
This has all the great cinematography and direction that Bob Rafelson had with Five Easy Pieces, but this is a completely different take on America.
This review of The King of Marvin Gardens (1972) was written by Paul P on 15 Mar 2011.
The King of Marvin Gardens has generally received mixed reviews.
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