Chrystal (2004)

Sixteen years after joe plunged the family car off the road with his wife chrystal & their young son inside joe returns from prison seeking what was lost on that night. The thing he needs most is the hardest to ask for - his own redemption. Studio: First Look Home Entertain Release Date: 08/05/2008 Starring: Billy Bob Thornton Lisa Blount Run time: 106 minutes Rating: R Product Description

blah..but worth a go

This movie isn't all that great...but not bad, either. Sort of blah. It has all of the makings of a sincerely good film, but falls flat somewhere along the line. Billy Bob Thornton's acting isn't quite up to the usual standards, and the woman playing Chrystal does an excellent job - however, I believe more scenes from the past would have aided in this film's overall success. The scenery is beautiful, I believe it was filmed in Eureka Springs, Arkansas so that's very close to my own heart. In my opinion it was worth watching for the scenery alone. May 24, 2007

What are all the high scores for?

I bought this movie expecting to see a much overlooked masterpiece, considering all the good reviews and the 4 1/2 star rating at the time. I don't know what these other reviewers were watching, but it couldn't have been this movie.
First of all, this was the most depressing, downhearted, pessimistic, piece of trash I'd ever set eyes on, I don't believe there was a genuinely "good" smile in the entire flick.
Lisa Blount played an absolute ditz, and Billy Bob was nonchalant in his role, almost as if he didn't care about any more than the paycheck he got each week during filming.
There were quite a few holes in the plot, also. The only one I care to mention without spoiling the movie is this: During the fight between Billy's character and Snake, it was clear Billy had the upperhand, but somewhere in the middle of the fight he decided to just give up. What was that all about? My wife and I looked at each other and said, almost simultaneously, "Why isn't he fighting back?" There was absolutely NO reason for him to wimp out at the moment he did. It didn't tie into the story at all. Basically, he started the fight by calling Snake out, and then just let Snake whip his rear, nonsensical idiocy.
The whole movie was like that, two hours of questionable stupidity, and then fizzling out at the end, with nothing more than a whimper. I didn't care for any of the characters after the fight, and I was hoping they'd all die off before the credits ran.

BIG PIECE OF GARBAGE!!!!! May 21, 2007

A great Psychological Thriller - Southern Style

I Love this movie, and the music / soundtrack!

Joe (Billy Bob Thornton) returns home after 20 years in jail for recklessly crashing his car during a police chase - resulting in the death of his 2 year old son, and the permanent physical / mental injury of his wife Chrystal (Lisa Blount).

Billy Bob Thorton's character never gets over the pain of losing his life in jail for 20 years, the death of his son, or the loss of time with his wife. Never being an evil person, Joe returns home with the hope that he can rekindle his life with his wife.

Unfortunately - agony and injury have been unkind to Chrystal, and she seems to have lost "feelings" of any kind as demonstrated by her uncaring means to survive through prostitution with the "locals". Chrystal still maintains a latent beauty, however, she is emtionally bankrupt.

Even worse, both Joe and Chrystal agonize over the loss of their son - who was never found at the car crash site, and each claim to have seen images of him throughout the last 20 years.

Can one survive after such a horrible sequence of events? Billy Bob Thorton and Lisa Blunt do a great job in demonstrating the agony of trying to recover....

Favorite Quote of the movie is "We Got Us a Redneck FightClub" yelled out when Billy Bob Thorton gets in a fight.




January 24, 2007

Lisa Blount Shines as Chrystal. 75 out of 100

Chrystal is the story of Joe, played by Billy Bob Thornton, a southern man who returns home after 20 years in jail for recklessly evading the police, growing pot and a manslaughter charge for the death of his son.

At home, Joe finds he's not really sure why he returned. His wife is somewhat crazy and sleeping around. The death of their son still haunts the both of them.

Without giving away any spoilers, Chrystal is a well made film with tremendous acting all around. Lisa Blount is amazing as Chrystal, and of course Billy Bob is his always wonderful self. The rest of the cast is convincing and well cast.

The setting is unique and memorable. You will not soon forget this backwoods Arkansas tale.

While I enjoyed the film, there was a few flaws. I didn't find myself as concerned with what happened to the main characters. Chrystal's relationships with Kalis (Harry Lennix) and Charlie (James Intveld) were at times awkward, and the scenes where these characters interacted almost seemed out of place. The last 30 minutes of the movie bring about a certain unbelievability, as villains wait a very long time for revenge, Billy Bob steals a baby after living in the woods for over a year, and Billy Bob is hunted by police for silly reasons. (one being the protection of his wife)

All in all I say don't miss seeing the film, but also note that it isn't to heart wrenching that you will find yourself wanting to own it and see it again. It is no Slingblade.

Total Score (out of 100) = 77

37 (out of 50). Enjoyment. A rating based on my overall enjoyment of the film.
10 (out of 10). Acting. How good was the acting?
9 (out of 10). Immersion. Did the movie suck me into the story?
10 (out of 10). Intangibles. Special effects. Movie pace. Is the movie forgettable, or something you will talk about and remember for weeks? Years?
7 (out of 10). Must see. Is this movie worth seeing/renting?
2 (out of 10). Must buy. Is this movie a must buy/purchase? August 21, 2006

Thought Provoking

Oscar Winner Billy Bob Thornton (Best Adapted Screenplay, Sling Blade) gives one of his best performances in "Chrystal" a massively overlooked and under rated movie that captures the southern atmosphere and elivers a compelling and sometimes funny movie. Thornton plays Joe, who sixteen years before drove his wife Chrystal (Lisa Blount) and their young boy off a cliff. Joe came out of the wreck fine and went on to serve a 16 year prison term. Chrystal is mentally unstable and has become, virtually, the town hooker. The little boy was never found, not a trace. When Joe is released from prison, he returns to the home he shared with Chrystal and begins staying on the porch and reuniting with some old friends. Chrystal, meanwhile, befriends a blind writer named Kalid (Harry Lennix, of The Matrix films). Now, even though Thornton is spectacular; Blount makes the kind of first impression actresses like Amy Adams did in "Junebug". She really overshadows all of the other actors who are much better known then herself. She plays the deeply disturbed Chrystal to a T. I'm surprised she didn't nab an Oscar nomination. I'm not sure why this film was so "under the radar" because it truly is a marvelous film. There are times when the film stumbles a bit and the character Snake (who I was surprised to find was played by writer/director Ray McKinnon) overstayed his welcome but if you are in a video store you should really rent this movie.

GRADE: A-
May 9, 2006

More reviews at Amazon.com ...