REVIEWS

"SHE'S SO LOVELY"

I like quirky movies. My favorite director is Tim Burton, and he's probably made some of the quirkiest films ever made. Now that I've seen "She's So Lovely," I still place Tim Burton as my favorite director, but this movie is much more quirky than any film that Mr. Burton has made. Maybe it was the way that John Travolta's character yells at his nine-year old daughter to "shut up and drink your f*cking beer." Or maybe it was when Sean Penn's character thinks out loud to his wife, "what is hair... where does hair come from?" This is not a movie for everyone, especially extremely conservative people who are afraid to laugh at the inappropriate.

"She's So Lovely" was directed by Nick Cassavetes from a screenplay by his father, the very talented John Cassavetes. I think that John would be pleased with what his son did. Anyone who watched a movie made by John Cassavetes knows that his controversial films were far from conventional.

What stands out though, is the performances. Sean Penn, Robin Wright Penn, and (especially) John Travolta are so watchable, you almost ACCEPT their absolutely unforgivable behavior. There is some really great acting here. There is a totally unexpected double-cameo that many will enjoy, so be on the lookout for it. Also, I have a question that's been bothering me since I saw the movie: What was the deal with the bump on Harry Dean Stanton's head?

Scale of 1-10: 7