Most people want their films to be either plot driven or character driven. This film doesn't develop full round characters, and nothing really happens except a lot of thinking; in fact, much of the screen time is spend in imagined scenarios that don't really happen.
How does this movie function then? It functions on a purely philosophical basis. Different characters represent different world views (i.e., Cusack represents spirituality; Thornton represents a sort of unfettered individualism) and after being exposed to several of them, John Boyz must ultimately accept them, reject them, or construct his own. In the end we may think that he accepts the view of the crack-smoking rastafarians as they take over the racist TV stations, but as the leader of their clique says, that its only happening in Boyz mind. Boyz' is choosing to imagine a false socialist reality, but it seems that he isn't choosing any real form of revolution or anything like that. He's choosing not to be racist, greedy, etc., but he ultimately decides that he can only choose that for himself.
I like the movie because I like the different world views and the idea of sifting through them. The various scenes that are imagined are the best for me because they show the development of Boyz' morality. Most people hate this movie because nothing happens and the characters are limited to being a worldview and not intended to be realistic. If you can get past those two hangups, this may be one of the best idea-driven movies ever.
How does this movie function then? It functions on a purely philosophical basis. Different characters represent different world views (i.e., Cusack represents spirituality; Thornton represents a sort of unfettered individualism) and after being exposed to several of them, John Boyz must ultimately accept them, reject them, or construct his own. In the end we may think that he accepts the view of the crack-smoking rastafarians as they take over the racist TV stations, but as the leader of their clique says, that its only happening in Boyz mind. Boyz' is choosing to imagine a false socialist reality, but it seems that he isn't choosing any real form of revolution or anything like that. He's choosing not to be racist, greedy, etc., but he ultimately decides that he can only choose that for himself.
I like the movie because I like the different world views and the idea of sifting through them. The various scenes that are imagined are the best for me because they show the development of Boyz' morality. Most people hate this movie because nothing happens and the characters are limited to being a worldview and not intended to be realistic. If you can get past those two hangups, this may be one of the best idea-driven movies ever.