creative and pungent--with excellent acting by all
Added 10/30/2009
Chrystal paints a portrait of the anguish and endless heartache a couple experiences after a tragic car accident take the life of their young son and leaves the woman with a broken neck and soul. The cinematography is excellent; and I like that they filmed this in Arkansas where the plot does take place. The choreography works wonders for the fights scenes and other scenes including the one in which Chrystal (Lisa Blount) sings a beautiful song called "Rockin' Chair." The plot moves along at a fairly good pace although they could have edited out a little bit here and there to tighten things up and make it a bit more dynamic; but the acting is superb and very convincing.
When the movie starts, we see a flashback of that fateful night when Joe (Billy Bob Thornton) and his wife Chrystal (Lisa Blount) are going somewhere in their car with their young son almost twenty years ago. Joe is drunk and there is a horrible accident which takes the life of their young son whose remains were never even found; Joe also winds up in prison for drugs dealing, DUI and more than one attempt to escape. Chrystal remains so heartbroken and fragile after the crash that her life as a single woman waiting for Joe to return takes quite a downward spiral as she slowly but surely turns into a woman who provides "comfort" for just about any guy who wants time alone with a woman; and the physical pain from her old neck injury isn't helping her, either.
But one day Joe returns home; he and Chrystal must deal with quite a dilemma. Are they still husband and wife? Are they still in love with each other? Who is to blame, if anyone, for that car crash so many years ago? The answers are far from easy and it's quite a treat to see Billy Bob Thornton and Lisa Blount play out their roles with such polish.
Look also for a great performance by Ray McKinnon as the rather unlikable "Snake" who is the drug warlord of the redneck little town in which they all live--he's got quite a bone to pick with Joe, too. Harry Lennix plays Kalid, a blind African-American musicologist who helps Chrystal in his own way and Grace Zabriskie does a fine job playing Gladys, Chrystal's mother who isn't exactly too fond of Joe.
The DVD does not come with any extras unless you count a plug or two for other movies on DVD; and I don't count that as an extra. That's a disappointment; I would have loved a commentary or at least some deleted scenes. Not good!
Overall, Chrystal is a very good film that tells quite a story and it isn't always too pretty; this movie deals with some rough stuff indeed! If you're interested in films that deal with redemption, life in rural America and fragile people trying so hard to live with their scars, this would be a good movie for you to get. I give it four stars instead of five primarily because the plot is just a bit too slow bit here and there; and the lack of any extra bonus features is a disappointment.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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blah..but worth a go
Added 5/24/2007
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.
0 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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What are all the high scores for?
Added 5/21/2007
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!!!!!
1 out of 8 people found this helpful.
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A great Psychological Thriller - Southern Style
Added 1/24/2007
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.
4 out of 5 people found this helpful.
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Lisa Blount Shines as Chrystal. 75 out of 100
Added 8/21/2006
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?
7 out of 10 people found this helpful.
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creative and pungent--with excellent acting by all
Added 10/30/2009
Chrystal paints a portrait of the anguish and endless heartache a couple experiences after a tragic car accident take the life of their young son and leaves the woman with a broken neck and soul. The cinematography is excellent; and I like that they filmed this in Arkansas where the plot does take place. The choreography works wonders for the fights scenes and other scenes including the one in which Chrystal (Lisa Blount) sings a beautiful song called "Rockin' Chair." The plot moves along at a fairly good pace although they could have edited out a little bit here and there to tighten things up and make it a bit more dynamic; but the acting is superb and very convincing.
When the movie starts, we see a flashback of that fateful night when Joe (Billy Bob Thornton) and his wife Chrystal (Lisa Blount) are going somewhere in their car with their young son almost twenty years ago. Joe is drunk and there is a horrible accident which takes the life of their young son whose remains were never even found; Joe also winds up in prison for drugs dealing, DUI and more than one attempt to escape. Chrystal remains so heartbroken and fragile after the crash that her life as a single woman waiting for Joe to return takes quite a downward spiral as she slowly but surely turns into a woman who provides "comfort" for just about any guy who wants time alone with a woman; and the physical pain from her old neck injury isn't helping her, either.
But one day Joe returns home; he and Chrystal must deal with quite a dilemma. Are they still husband and wife? Are they still in love with each other? Who is to blame, if anyone, for that car crash so many years ago? The answers are far from easy and it's quite a treat to see Billy Bob Thornton and Lisa Blount play out their roles with such polish.
Look also for a great performance by Ray McKinnon as the rather unlikable "Snake" who is the drug warlord of the redneck little town in which they all live--he's got quite a bone to pick with Joe, too. Harry Lennix plays Kalid, a blind African-American musicologist who helps Chrystal in his own way and Grace Zabriskie does a fine job playing Gladys, Chrystal's mother who isn't exactly too fond of Joe.
The DVD does not come with any extras unless you count a plug or two for other movies on DVD; and I don't count that as an extra. That's a disappointment; I would have loved a commentary or at least some deleted scenes. Not good!
Overall, Chrystal is a very good film that tells quite a story and it isn't always too pretty; this movie deals with some rough stuff indeed! If you're interested in films that deal with redemption, life in rural America and fragile people trying so hard to live with their scars, this would be a good movie for you to get. I give it four stars instead of five primarily because the plot is just a bit too slow bit here and there; and the lack of any extra bonus features is a disappointment.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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blah..but worth a go
Added 5/24/2007
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.
0 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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What are all the high scores for?
Added 5/21/2007
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!!!!!
1 out of 8 people found this helpful.
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