CheerupSilver Very Cool!!!

Tedfoldol everything you have heard about this movie is true.

Griff Lees Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Juana what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

TheMarwood David Rabe's play adapted to the big screen is a mild success about a few Hollywood power players who snort and drink their way into self destruction and seem to hate themselves more than they hate each other. It's one transgression to the next, whether it's hooking up with a deranged under aged girl, infidelity and enough coke snorted in one night that should have lasted most users a lifetime. This is essentially a play, shot on 35mm and the dialogue is sharp and witty, but around an hour in, Hurlyburly looses momentum and becomes a repetitive series of atrocious behavior, coupled with even more bad behavior. It just gets numbing and these vacuous people and this minimal structure can't sustain a two hour running time. The acting is great from all involved and there's enough laughs watching these monsters misbehave to give this a mild recommendation.

johnny-08 I didn't know anything about this movie but when I looked at list of cast I realized that I have to watch this movie.And I did.I found it weird but very good.There is lot of conversation between characters and not a single line isn't missed.Very good lines about life,death,love,friendship and sex.Everything is mixed up together and wrapped into very good drama.I don't think that this movie will be on top of everyone list because this isn't type of movie for everyone.But what all people has to agree is that characters are full of life and situations in this movie are normal and realistic.And what I have to say and applause is acting.Acting is brilliant and it comes from every actor in this movie.Sean Penn did great job,this is a perfect role for him and he is very convincing.Kevin Spacey was a bit lost but his talent is so big that he can act every role.Also a good job.I liked Chazz Palminteri,Robin Wright Penn and Anna Paquin but what I really enjoyed is Meg Ryan.She surprised me.She's only few minutes in this movie but she acted that part so good and I hope that we'll see more roles like this for her.Excellent conversation and brilliant acting are top qualities of this movie.

Jaturday I remember watching Sean Penn walking up to the podium, accepting his Best Actor Academy Award for his (in my opinion) decent and somewhat accomplished role in Mystic River, and thought to myself the award was more of an achievement for his body of work rather than for the particular film. His role in Hurlyburly is far more impressive than the Jersey-speaking gangster in Great Clint's emotional waterfall of a film. I've always been a fan of Hurlyburly since seeing a heavily edited version of it for the first time on UPN years ago, mainly for its writing and acting performances. The entire ensemble is wonderful - Penn, Spacey, and Palminteri especially - and the writing is believable and clear cut, even though I've never met or been exposed to anyone even close to characters like the ones depicted in the film. The low rating on IMDb surprised me, but maybe I can see why the majority of people either don't like or are rather indifferent about the film. The film-making is not ground breaking by any means, but the content and passion exuded from the actors involved stand out amongst other films like it that heavily rely on idiosyncratic and interesting dialogue. I'd like to see Rabe's stage version to see how he nails it - because the movie is a treat for anyone who enjoys a dose of something a bit off-beat and different.

filmcriticjournalist HurlyBurly arrived in cinemas in late 1998 and took less than 2 million dollars at the US box office, but HurlyBurly was never intended to be the next Hollywood blockbuster.Adapted from a David Rabe play by Rabe himself, the film stays faithful to the play by using few locations and much interplay between the main performers.Telling the story of several fictional actors trying to make their way in 80's Hollywood, HurlyBurly gives an insight into the desperation and fragility of the life of an actor.Penn, Spacey and Palminteri play the part of Eddie, Mickey and Phil respectively, and all deliver performances that make us believe in their characters. The problem with this film though is not the acting which is top notch throughout, its in the pace of the film. Long monologues and conversations are the cornerstone of a good play, but its difficult to hold the movie viewers attention with just interplay for two hours. Admittedly it can be done, just see Glengarry Glen Ross for a perfect example of this, but while the acting in HurlyBurly is almost up there with Glengarry, the script simply isn't.HurlyBurly can only really be recommended to those who enjoy plays, as the script simply isn't good enough to hold most movie-goers attention.http://www.filmcritic.zoomshare.com