bacardicazz Last week, I walked past a toy store to find out they were having a fire sale of their DVD collection. When I entered the store, I came across some large crates with hundreds of dvds in them. Logically, many of them had an average IMDb score of between 1.0 and 3.0, but some had promising covers. I decided to take a leap of faith and bought everything that didn't seem less attractive than homework. Down in the Valley was one of the films I purchased. The first thing I noticed while watching it, was that from minute one, it has a grip on you. Norton is excellent as a hillbilly who looks innocent and charming, but whom you know hides a dark soul beneath that innocence. Later in the film, he meets up with the sexy Tobe, played by Evan Rachel Wood. They have a definite spark and the flirting feels very real. Norton also befriends her little brother, Lonnie, which invokes the torment of their father, a cop named Wade.At first, the friction between Wade and Norton seems to be about a father-daughter thing, but soon you are treated to Norton's deceptive and manipulative tricks. This lead me to believe that Norton's character was a classic sadist, but it turns out he is delusional and lies all the time because he really believes he's a cowboy.The acting is outstanding and it is nice to see Norton portraying a character once more who undergoes a grave psychological change and ends up doing something horrific (remember Primal Fear).Just 3 things I can't figure out: Why was Norton forced to run from his hometown? Did he shoot someone there? Maybe his father, Joe? And why was the 2nd ending on the DVD not included in the movie? It was far better and more logical than committing suicide. And, why does the cover of the DVD looks like a dark horror/thriller, when this movie centers more on the feelings of a confused and delusional young man? Even though some plot points are a bit confusing, it is a wonderful movie with yet another commendable performance by actor David Morse.

Desertman84 Down in the Valley is a movie that features Edward Norton, Evan Rachel Wood, David Morse and Rory Culkin.The story is about a romance between a teenage girl and a thirty-something drifter that takes the young woman down a dangerous and unexpected path in this independent drama.It was written and directed by David Jacobson.Tobe is a pretty 18-year-old whose father, Wade, is the sheriff of a town in California's San Fernando Valley. She is driving to the beach with some friends when she stops at a filling station and meets gas jockey Harlan, who dresses like a cowpoke and claims to have recently relocated to Los Angeles from South Dakota. Harlan is immediately and obviously taken by him, and when she asks him to tag along for the day, he impulsively quits his job to follow her. They soon become a couple, but Wade is convinced Harlan is not all he claims to be, and Tobe begins to wonder if her father might be right when Harlan takes her horseback riding and their date is cut short after police inform them the horses have been stolen from an rancher whom Harlan claims is a friend - and who promptly turns up with a gun to confront both of them, insisting that he has never seen Harlan before. Tobe's suspicions grow when Harlan offers to teach her little brother, Lonnie , how to shoot using a pair of real .45 revolvers, as his actions become less charming and more worrisome.This film examines the life and death of the western and its incompatibility with the youth of today.Also,it is a tale that is wholly original and deeply prescient about the darker shoals of human nature and it also has the values of past and present collide and it reexamines the American Dream.Overall,it still's one of the most original movies in a long time.

melgarcia40 Down in the Valley is no easy movie: it doesn't tell you what to think, how to judge and what to get from it, it requires the audience to think, confronts his own dilemmas and leaves you with infinite sadness in the end.Harlan remains a mystery the whole time, and the girl asking "are you for real" is not wrong when she asks it. At first, Harlan looks like a harmless lunatic, lost in this south California, a little behind times, and almost childish. then, little by little, this facade cracks and we can see that he actually is not just a loony bin, but bat-sh*t crazy. However, it's difficult to have harsh feelings towards Harlan, particularly considering the affection he provides to Lonnie, in who, one can assume, he sees a little reflection of himself.Wade is also a gray character: he is that kind of father who just can't communicate with his kids. He loves them, he wants to shield them from what he feels (righlty) is a menace to them, but is simply incapable of saying it with the right words and tends to resort to violence too much because he doesn't know how to proceed differently. He is a difficult character to like, due to his treatment of Lonnie in particular, but you can't completely hate him either.Evan Rachel Wood is splendid as the almost-woman Tobe, her acting is so natural and fluid you don't even question her character one second. She perfectly captures all emotions required to show how Tobe's is drawn into the peculiar guy Harlan is, but also exudes intelligence and maturity when her character slightly realizes Harlan is lost way too far in his fantasies.Rory is yet an other Culkin, but yet an other talented one, as his brother Kieran is. His portrayal of Lonnie is sincere and moving, despite having little dialog. His admiration for Harlan is both warming and sad, since Harlan, as nice as he is with him, can't provide him any other life than a one full of lies.Edward Norton once again proves what a wonderful actor he is. This movie might not be the most recognized and famous he has done, but his work here ranks among his best. Of course, we are now used to his ability to play with two sides of a role, but he is just so good as the lost cow-boy, and then scary as hell when he finally loses it.Though very good, some parts of the movie drag a bit, and some will not find the interest of it, but it's definitely worth a watch., if only for the picture and the acting.

Mr_PCM What starts out as a gentle country yarn, inoffensive and mildly enjoyable romantic tale changes pace as Edward Norton's initially charming Harlan gradually reveals more about himself and things take a turn for the sinister, as the film gradually changes from a southern romance to a modern wild western.An amiable rancher (Norton) wanders into town and charms a young girl (Evan Rachel Wood), seemingly rescuing her from a dead-end existence with her bad-tempered father with a whirlwind romance, but it gradually becomes apparent that there is more to this cowboy than meets the eye.Edward Norton – a real chameleon actor (with changing facial hair to match) playing a country hick, accent slightly dodgy but maybe because he's merely trying to act the part without worrying about the accent. He certainly makes it appear effortless to make all the nuanced little adjustments as we learn more about Harlan. However, with too many small changes it means we are never sure exactly where Harlan is coming from, and what seemed like a good performance from Norton gradually becomes confused. Evan Rachel Wood is likable without ever really having a great deal to do other than bat her eyelids at Norton.Down in the Valley strikes as a slightly uneven tale due to its change of pace, and by never really making the protagonist's motives clear the audience's sympathies for the characters remain uncertain. Should we like this drifter or not? Even after a dramatic turn of events it remains unclear. This ambiguity is to the film's detriment, as if the writer could not make up their mind what kind of story they wanted to tell and settled for somewhat of a hotch-potch. Had the film remained one or the other it might have been a solid film, but as it is what we are left with is something of a mess. Fans of old-fashioned romance will enjoy a portion of the film but will be put off by the darkening tone. Completist fans of Norton aside (or fans of the lush scenery of the San Fernando valley), give this a miss.