Plain Dirty (2003)

Inez Macbeth (Dominique Swain) is married to Edgar (Henry Thomas), a violent petty thief with big ambitions. When her loveless marriage leads to an affair with a gentle young lawyer, Edgar retaliates by brutally holding her captive with the help of his best friend Flowers (Arie Verveen). With time running out, Inez concocts a desperate escape, but does she have the guts to do what it takes? Sometimes love hurts, sometimes it kills.

Love the deep South!!

I came across this movie on the LMN, and I loved it!! I was sucked right into this movie from the beginning, and caught myself wondering why isn't she doing this, or why doesn't she do that? I love Dominique Swain, and she was brilliant as a poor southern girl, and her friendship with her fortune teller friend was great, but the only part that really bugged me was WHY WAS SHE SO FILTHY THROUGH THE WHOLE MOVIE? I don't mean a filthy mouth, I mean, she obviously NEVER took a bath. EVER. I wanted to reach into the movie and throw her into the river myself.
I don't recommend this movie for everyone, I personally love everything about the south, and this movie has IT ALL! The accents, the messy house out in the bayou, the mental stalking crazy guy, the abusive husband,... if you like that kind of thing, this is the movie for you, but if not, you might want to invest in a movie like,... Girl, where Dominique is clean and sweet. July 4, 2008

kept me glued to the screen

I liked the way this movie worked. We are introduced to a poor couple living in some nameless small town in the Deep South. We watch this quirky little cast of characters live in squalor by choice as well as circumstance. I liked that the movie portrayed the young pretty thing (Inez/Dominique Swain) realistically, she could not look too attractive in this film. It starts out as a star-crossed lover movie but it's more of a fable (don't judge a book by its cover comes to mind along with several other proverbs) or a modern fairytale.
Plot goes something like this: fortune teller friend (Karen Allen) advises Inez that her true love is waiting for her. Inez assumes it's the rich pasty faced aristocrat with whom she has been fornicating. Her husband, struggling to get them out of poverty through robbery and other schemes, is not happy about the long disappearances of his wife on a daily basis. He beats Inez and locks her up to stop her cheating ways. Her husband's best friend, Flowers, is a creepy figure that sniffs around Inez and helps him keep guard. Inez talks Flowers into doing her dirty work but things do not turn out the way she planned. The ending was very fitting and had an edgy fairytale quality to it. Rain comes poring down on Inez and her one true love, washing all their dirt away. Which made "Plain Dirty" a very apropos title - living life sometimes is just plain dirty unless you have a fairy godmother (Karen Allen) and fate bring you your one true love, by any means necessary.
There were key scenes that helped the characters come to life such as when the husband places a chain around Inez' foot in a real attempt to keep their marriage together, it is pathetic yet poignant - or the touching scene where the fortune teller takes care of Inez and shares what little she has, we watch the lens pan the bed and floor with all the family huddled together - also, the scene where Flowers and Inez discover they had the same childhood retreat. These are not just "backwoods hicks" as one angry reviewer suggests, and you don't need to go to poor areas to find people neglecting one another and ignoring what is right in front of them. Also, I did not find Inez to be a helpless victim. It is clear from the very beginning that it is not one of those movies.
I gave it four stars for the engrossing characters and plotline. I subtracted one star for the loopy MacBeth references - they have no place here and "Scotland, PA" does a greater job of updating Shakespeare's MacBeth then this movie.
January 5, 2008

this movie is great

a really great movie, arie verveen's character would have to be my favorite in this movie. if anything watch this movie, if you have any taste you'll love it.l May 16, 2006

A Touching and Moving Film

Another reviewer commented, "did you notice that most of the people reviewing this and giving it a good review are hicks?" Actually, I am probably the total opposite of a "hick," as I dislike any and all country music and anything that reeks of "hickdom"; however, the fact that I dislike hick stuff (whatever you wish to call it) does not mean that I cannot be touched by the story between two "hicks." In a sense, this movie shows us how love and sublime and mystical emotions and connections can be found anywhere, even amongst "backwood" folks. This love story is profound, even though the characters are simple people and the setting is marshy and whatnot, and this is what is so wonderful. I really liked this film (and the music is also very moving), but I'm giving it 4 stars due to the scene with the goose, which I didn't enjoy (I am an animal rights activist). August 22, 2005

Surprisingly good indie backwoods film

I rented this one because of Dominique Swain, I kept watching it because of Dominique Swain, but I ended up enjoying it because of the 2nd half of the movie. What starts off as a "burning bed" flick set in the Louisiana swamps ends up as a compelling drama in which three main characters undergo a life-changing transformation. Swain fans may be disappointed that she spends the entire film covered in grime & most of it wearing an eye patch. Once the abusive husband issue is resolved halfway through, the movie really comes into its own. The ending is very satisfying as the two main characters realize that they are irresistibly connected in a most profound way. Director Zev Berman does a great job. August 12, 2005

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