"Speed of Life" is an independent film that is incredibly under the radar, even for an indie movie. I'm surprised that a moivel ike this didn't get a lot more publicity than it did, because it is a really really great and powerful movie. It stars Scott Caan as Drew, an ex-heroin addict and college dropout who spends his time caring for his invalid father (Leo Burmeister, who's really good). Then Drew meets Sarah (Mia Kirshiner) and his world is turned upside down. As Sarah draws Drew back into his old habits and Drew's friend Satan enters the picture, the movie progresses to a final shocking climax. In many ways, although this isn't a movie I should compare it to, this movie is like "The Brown Bunny". Except with that film, the end gave the film purpose. In this movie, the end just shocks us. The movie, for the first half, basically plays the same way. Nothing incredibly exciting happens. I'm going to keep this short, but Caan, Kirshiner, and Burmeister are incredible and if you have somehow stumbled onto the movie...Do not hesitate, see it.
GRADE: A-
June 20, 2006What I felt most touching about this movie was how devoted this son was to his father. And the director didn't pretty anything up. He shows the son actually changing his father's diapers and you see everything! It just makes the situation all the more real. And the son deals with the stress of this by turning to drugs and alcohol which is understandable. The ending is shocking and heartbreaking. It's a very good movie.
September 23, 2005 |  | Good acting, great cinematography, beautiful story |  |
OK... so my initial interest was prurient. Scott Caan in various stages of undress.... I'm there! This movie has much more to recommend it than fleeting moments of eye candy. Caan's portrayal of devoted son trying to make the most of a bad situation. The internal conflict over what's right vs. what's necessary is clear, but not melodramatically dwelled upon. Anguish doesn't need to be torturous.
This movie deserves much more attention than it received when it was released.
December 21, 2004I am a huge Scott Caan fan and have been waiting for this DVD to come out since it premeired in 1999 at Sundance. I really have no words to describe this movie. It was too... up to be good. But too real to be bad.The relationship between Drew and his father was beautifully demented and hard to watch and throughout the movie you just ended up feeling sorry for everyone. The best part was the chemistry between Scott and Mia Kirshner. Other than that I would recommend this movie only to fans of either one of them. On the plus side, Scott Caan hasn't looked this hot in a wife beater since Varsity Blues.
February 5, 2003| | | Get up to 'speed' on the superb acting of Scott Caan | |
I've been a huge admirer of Scott Caan ever since I first saw him on the big screen. The son of the great James Caan, his pedigree may well be taken care of, but he still had a lot to therein live up to. And he did so in an amazing list of acting jobs that include 'Gone In 60 Seconds,' `Novocaine,' `Varsity Blues' and even the cheesy 'American Outlaws' and 'Ready To Rumble'. In 'Speed of Life' Caan is the central character that takes care of his `fast-fading' father in much the same way a new mother would take care of her newborn. Finally pushed to levels he never realized he could feel, Drew (Caan) turns to drugs to relax, but ends up losing his job, his common sense and finally his judgement. That all said, it's Leo Burmester's ('The Abyss,' `The Neon Bible') role as Caan's relapsed father that steals the show and the heart strings well before the tortured end.
February 4, 2003More reviews at Amazon.com ...
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