After it was recommended to me twice by people whose taste I trust, I finally rented Boondock Saints last night. I thought it was great, what with the flashback storytelling, Greenly, everything, but I really wish the filmmakers had left off the people on the street interviews, with the apparently endless stream of people spouting off for or against the McManus brothers. It goes on too long, and doesn’t add anything to the story.
I was okay with the scene in the courtroom. Although the brothers’ speech was overdone and I have immense trouble believing they could possible get out of the courthouse, I did like the shot of them casually tossing their guns over the metal detectors.
I think the best way to end the movie would have been the scene in the basement, when Il Duce joins the brothers in their prayer. If the filmmakers didn’t trust viewers to figure out he was their father, they could have added one of them saying “Da.”
All I can think is that I really need to see this movie, now, as this is the second recommendation for the movie I’ve had. I’ll let you know once I see it.
Bro, the reason why they got out of the courthouse so easily is because the cops knew what was going to happen and were OK with it. They were as fed up with the justice system as the McManus’, and that’s why they helped them along. They came out of paddywagon at the beginning of the scene while the detectives were look-outs, if you want to go back and check.
I don’t really think that the people on the street interviews detracted at all, since it was akin to when producers put out-takes at the end of a movie, but I can appreciate your POV.
This is one of the greatest bargains I’ve ever been privy to, as I was able to Best Buy this DVD for only $9.95. I am torn over the sequel because this is one of those cult movies that shouldn’t really be expanded upon (see: The Big Lebowski, among others).
I liked the movie, but I thought most of the characters were despicable and tough to identify with. I was rooting for a big shootout ending where they all get smoked.
Vigilante justice can be handled well on film, I just thought this particular rendition wasn’t sympathetic. To the OP, it was also so stylised and unrealistic (not faults on their own) that the “man on the street” stuff at the end felt forced and cheeky, presumptuous even.
This is a movie that should be a piece of fluff and it has delusions of grandeur about making some sort of statement about violence and the state of our society. That is what leaves a bad taste in my mouth. The loving cinematography of the brothers, the operatic score, and those dang POV interviews mess up what should be a perfectly good flick.
Like I said, I dug it, I even have it on DVD, but it’s kind of messy. Maybe a second film could sort some things out.
This film is good because it wasn’t mainstream (as far as I could tell) and was a pleasant surprise. I loved it at first but have seen it one too many times. I thought it was the greatest after my first viewing, though.
