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2+days+in+the+valley | Year: 1996 Directed: - John Herzfeld Actors/Actresses: - Jeff Daniels - Louise Fletcher - Teri Hatcher - Glenne Headly - James Spader - Eric Stoltz - Charlize Theron - Danny Aiello 2 Days in the Valley...105 Minutes of Fun! 2 DAYS IN THE VALLEY is one of the better PULP FICTION clones. It lacks the script/dialogue and language of a Tarantino film but it has a slew of characters, an impressive ensemble cast and it is atmospheric of the southern California attitude. James Spader heads the cast as a cold-hearted killer (Lee Woods) in a plot of murder, revenge, fraud, two-timing and double crossing and the lives of 10 people who get caught up in it. The main story is a murder plot, however, there are a couple of sub-plots that seem out of place, yet the story keeps moving and the different personality types and the relationships with each other through this story is what keeps the viewer engrossed in the film. Stand out performance by Charlize Theron as Helga Svelgen, Lee Woods'(Spader)girlfriend and partner in crime. Great supporting cast of Paul Mazursky, Danny Aiello, Glenne Headly, Eric Stoltz, Jeff Daniels, Marsha Mason, and Teri Hatcher along with a great soundtrack. An Underrated Ensemble Drama / Crime Thriller. Many people put this in the "Quentin Tarantino Rip-off" pile, but it really owes more of a debt to Robert Altman than it does to Tarantino. Sure, it has Crime Thriller elements, but at its Core it is an Ensemble Drama akin to "Short Cuts" and "Magnolia". The Star-Studded Cast includes Eric Stoltz (as a discontent vice cop), Jeff Daniels (as Eric's hard-nosed partner), James Spader (as an ice-cold hit man), Danny Aiello (as a washed-up hit man), Charlize Theron (as James' accomplice/girlfriend), Teri Hatcher (as a murder witness) and Glenne Headly (as a Hostage). They, and Everyone else in the film, give Fitting, Seasoned Performances. Stoltz and Spader give the Best performances, both Funny and Real. Especially Spader, he virtually Carries the Film. Charlize Theron, in one of her first films, is Very, very Attention-Grabbing, through her Looks and her Abilities. Daniels and Hatcher appear too Infrequently to be Memorable. Aiello and Headly give equally Likeable performances that become the Moral Centre of the film. The film, like all the ones mentioned above, follows a Series of Unconnected stories that somehow Intersect with each other at the climax. To explain How would spoil the fun of Watching it all Unravel Yourself. Writer/Director John Herzfeld smartly resists the temptation to Modernize and Spice up his Direction, allowing the Actors to tell the tale. Two Days in the Valley This is a really good movie, with an unbelievable cast and a brilliant plot! The music soundtrack is also very good, and there is not a bad scene in the movie! I just can't understand why nobody has seen this film! Here we have a variety of bizarre characters (highlights were Danny Aiello, James Spader, Charlize Theron, and Jeff Daniels) who stumble into each other's lives. The director threw in a lot of little interesting quirks, such as the murderous assassin smirking as he watches a cop sight down the barrel of a watergun, or a spiteful old man who we came to hate earlier slinking out of a Japanese pleasure house in the dead of night. (Another interesting thing for me about the movie is to watch for the manner in which every character's name is given as the plot unfolds. ALL of them are named at least once somewhere in the film!) The movie is very well written and very interesting, and if there is any problem whatsoever, it would have to be that at times the dialogue becomes a bit laborous and unrealistic. (Sometimes, it appears that the characters are explaining what's going on to the audience, rather than conversing with the other characters.) Nevertheless, this is a trite point, and distracts none at all from the movie's enjoyment. And although Two Days in the Valley has been called a "Tarantino rip-off", I think this is because, like in many Tarantino films, we get to see famous actors playing in roles that we are not accustomed to seeing them in. Buy 2 Days In The Valley at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on 2 Days In The Valley Search with the Priority Search Engine on 2 Days In The Valley This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
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