Reviews

Fierce People

Poor city-kid meet plain ridiculous

By JENNY HALPER | September 19, 2007

1.0 Stars

VIDEO: Watch the trailer for Fierce People.

Griffin Dunne’s 2005 film is like The Great Gatsby with Jay as an old coot whose grandchildren attack the help with spears. Teenage Finn (Anton Yelchin) takes a cab to the sprawling estate of Ogden Osborne (Donald Sutherland), where his coke-addict mom (Diane Lane) has been hired as a masseuse. Soon she shakes the habit (it was that easy?), and he falls into puppy-eyed love with Osborne’s granddaughter (Kristen Stewart). It’s a vivid playpen for the smart-alecky — and poor — city kid, but he soon learns that wealth isn’t all face paint and hot-air balloons. Didn’t we know that already? Dunne mixes in a sour-tasting rape and tops it off with tattoo’d names and meaningless sex. Despite a starry ensemble including Elizabeth Perkins (her Weeds character but with witless dialogue), the first half is dull. The second half is plain ridiculous, and a subplot involving the vicious Ishkanani tribe (hence the title) doesn’t help.

Autumn peeves
Films with a full agenda
Snow Angels
Call it American Ugly
Alpha Dog
An odd docu-tabloid hybrid
More

Topics: Reviews , Griffin Dunne , Elizabeth Perkins , Kristen Stewart , More

Comments

Add a Comment

Today's Event Picks

[THEATER] TIP OF THE SCROOGE-BERG: A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Plus 6 more >>

ARTICLES BY JENNY HALPER

THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES | October 16, 2008
A throwback, coming-of-age film

PRIORITIES, REDISCOVERED | June 19, 2008
In her first book, actress Debra Winger focuses on home, not Hollywood

NO RESERVATIONS | October 18, 2007
Author John Burnham Schwartz on adapting his novel, Reservation Road

FIERCE PEOPLE | September 19, 2007
Poor city-kid meet plain ridiculous

TALKING TO HIMSELF | September 07, 2007
Alan Alda talks to us about his new memoir and what it means to live a successful life

See all articles by: JENNY HALPER

Most Viewed

Most Emailed

MENINO'S MOSQUE
The bizarre story behind the construction of Boston's most controversial building

DIVIDE AND BE CONQUERED
The GOP relied on talk radio to carry its water, but votes are worth more than ratings

FAIR IS FOUL
What's the fuss over the Fairness Doctrine really about?

SIMPLE BLOOD
Twilight puts the life back into the undead

FREE PASS ON GAY HATRED?
Turning a blind eye

MENINO'S MOSQUE
The bizarre story behind the construction of Boston's most controversial building

THE IMPEACHINATOR
Watchdog Fein

SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL
Stoppard's Rock 'n' Roll at the Huntington; McPherson's The Seafarer at SpeakEasy

DIVIDE AND BE CONQUERED
The GOP relied on talk radio to carry its water, but votes are worth more than ratings

FAIR IS FOUL
What's the fuss over the Fairness Doctrine really about?

HOT TOPICS

Daniel Day-Lewis , Jack Black , Michael Clayton , Michael Haneke , Osama bin Laden , Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Michael Jackson , Paris Hilton , Paul Thomas Anderson , Tommy Lee Jones

Reviews

Fierce People

Punk buccaneer

Close readings

The Big Hurt: The Obama jubilance debriefing

A fest for the brain

It could be verse