TxMike I found this one on Netflix streaming movies. Quirky and funny, great entertainment for an afternoon with nothing better to do in the hot Texas summer. Harvey Keitel is Duke White, he hasn't been a very good man and father. He has three grown sons by his original wife, then one more via an affair, for which his wife probably would have forgiven him. But when the next son came along, after a brief affair with a Vietnamese woman, that was enough. Duke is in the process of killing himself as the movie opens, we are not quite sure why, but more details come out during the reading of the will, but Duke's brother, played well by J.K. Simmons. One of the reasons involves money that his sons were supposed to get, but Duke wasted it all on his gambling habit. The other was even bigger!The writing is very clever and the acting spot-on most of the time. Anyone who enjoys a quirky and clever comedy should enjoy this movie.SPOILERS: The second big surprise was Duke had enrolled his adult sons in a paid drug-testing program 10 years earlier, when the drug company found out the medicine causes thinning of the heart walls, they paid each one $100,000 in compensation and terminated the program. But Duke cashed all the checks for himself, and gambled the money away. He couldn't face the boys, so killed himself with a noose, a branch, and jumping in the river to go over Niagara Falls. So the boys make bucket lists of the things they want to do in the few weeks they have to live. But near the end mom shows up, reveals that the boys never took any drugs, she had switched the medicine for Tic-Tacs. And right before each boy was to make a big mistake in life, Duke's karma as he died going through the Falls helps to save each one. Too complicated to explain, one has to see the movie.

MartinHafer This is one seriously weird and quirky film. And, I don't think I'm off base here in saying that there is no way you could possibly have seen a film like this before...and if you have, please let me know! The film begins with a TERRIBLE father (Harvey Keitel) jumping to his death at Niagara Falls. At his funeral are his five sons from five different women. And, not surprisingly, he was a HORRIBLE father to all of them. With the exception of the youngest (who is too young to realize his father was a jerk), they boys don't seem the least bit concerned about the death. After all, the man didn't act much like a father. At the reading of the will, however, three of the sons learn something TERRIBLE--their father signed them up for a drug study when they were kids and the medicine they took will make them die...very, very soon! The rest of the film consists of showing what these three men do with their final days. I'd try to describe what they did...but frankly you just need to see it to believe it! While this plot sounds very sad, the film is hilarious due to the very, very quirky writing. The dialog is among the strangest and funniest I can recall...other than in "Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil". And, I loved how I could never predict where the story went next. It certainly is unique, strange and non-formulaic! And, it's also, most importantly, a lot of fun. A wonderful indie film for someone looking for a film totally unlike anything they've seen before...or since.

napierslogs "A Beginner's Guide to Endings" begins with Duke White (Harvey Keitel) rattling off odds of chance, of life, of games, and of death. He's determined to kill himself one way or another and see if his death can give his sons better odds at living a semi-functional life. He has five sons, from three different women, and we first meet them at his funeral.The eldest is Eddie (Jason Jones) and he's nicknamed "Nuts" after a failed but spirited attempt at becoming a boxer; Cal (Scott Caan) is a womanizing, scatterbrained meathead. Jacob (Paulo Costanzo) is able to hold down a house and a job, but that certainly doesn't mean he's happy. Years later came Juicebox (Jared Keeso) another failing boxer following in the footsteps of his big brother, and many years later came Todd (Siam Yu) whose arrival marked the departure of the mother of the first three.Following the funeral where Cal showed up late, Paulo tried to beat him up, and then Eddie showed him how to throw a punch, the brothers gather at a bar for the reading of the will. The will provides the plot for the film and let's just say it sends the three oldest brothers on ill- advised, death-defying stunts to reaffirm their lives. It's as funny as it is chaotic and the completely unrealistic, ridiculous antics actually go along way to complementing the clever and comedic nature of the film.At first, the odd casting (Jason Jones as a dark, brooding boxer) can distract from the good qualities, but the three elder brothers, in particular, have fantastic comedic chemistry. The best part of the casting has J.K. Simmons as the uncle and minister who tries to dispense sane advice, but don't worry, they rarely listen to him.Primarily shot and set in Niagara Falls, the city and the falls themselves provide a suitable backdrop for the unfolding and unraveling of the boys' plans and lives. Unfortunately, the film itself has a very dull or washed-out look and feel; the shots and use of colour are lacking a bit of punch that the screenplay and actors have. Perhaps it's just an outcome of the low budget, and most fans of dark comedies should be able to easily overlook it and enjoy "A Beginner's Guide to Endings".

alexfromhorn This movie is really impressive. I expected it to be some pretty bad stuff I'd turn off after a shot while but I liked it very much. The way it's told is a mixture of classic styles and it also reminded me a little of the way Tarantino tells his stories. The whole plot is cool and without comparison. Cast of characters, acting, settings, locations etc are completely awesome, character development as well. So I'm still stunned that I watched this movie 2 years after it came out and it only has 198 views with a rating of only 6.6 which is completely ridiculous to me. Music and ending are nice as well. I really liked it and I think it's one of those movies that's worth to be watched again. I guess someone did a very bad promotion for this DVD because it's worth to be watched by way more people and not only because of it's nice humor.