Limbo Details

People in transit

From writer/director John Sayles, you always expect something with a bit more substance than the typical Hollywood movie. He choses to make subtle, slow-burning films about people at difficult times in their lives, yet he can make maintstream movies - he wrote the script for Piranha.

These are real people, trying to make something of damaged lives, bumping into each other in the darkness that follows them from their pasts, maybe finding love and companionship.

The Alaskan setting hauntingly echoes the isolation of the characters.

Like so many John Sayles' films, it sounds like it will be just worthy and rather gloomy! Not at all. There are great songs, a touching love story, an exciting plot involving drug smuggling, and some wonderful acting from Kris Kristofferson and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio.

My one disappointment was the ending, which at first viewing I really did not understand. I had to listen to Sayles' audio commentary to make sense of it - great to have that, but in the cinema you wouldn't, so surely the ending should be immediately understandable to all. Once I knew what Sayles was getting at, it did make the film richer and more satisfying - but it wasn't at all obvious.

Don't let that put you off, though - this film is moving, thought-provoking and lovely to look at, and features one of the most moving love stories between mature people that I have seen on the screen.

[Highly rated reviewer]

Beautiful scenery

This is only the second John Sayles film I've watched - the other was the Sunshine State - and it was equally as enjoyable. The acting, and directing were superb and the script carried many references to other films and books - I'm sure I missed some of them!

The scenery of Alaska enhanced the film and added to the story - basically of three drifters coming to terms with themselves in circumstances which were forced upon them. I wasn't too happy with the ending but didn't want to spoil the overall effect of the film by listening to John Sayles commentary so maybe I missed something there. However, I think the ending will be determined by whether you are a glass half full or half empty person: - some people will see it as a happy ending and others will see it as a tragic one. Me - I'm a half full person but my partner is a half empty one so we both interpreted the ending in different ways. Now looking forward to seeing more films like this by this director or with this cast!