Great Film overall

Did you people see the same film I saw?

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

I mean, I think this is an okay film. it sure has ideas about where it wants to go to in terms of its themes, but I personally didn't find the two main characters all that interesting or iluminative, not to mention not particularly likable. Rudd seems to be putting on a lot of superficiality for his role here, just trying too hard. But he's still not bad. Emile Hirsch comes off like the more realistic person here (and seeing the latest controversy regarding him, it's probably safe to say much of his character isn't a stretch for him) But yes, he does well, but there's so much one can do with this material. Yeah, not particularly a strong recommendation.

This movie had beautiful cinematography and great actors. That's where my enjoyment for the movie ended. It is excruciatingly slow paced. It also has a mediocre script. But the actors are awesome, as always. At one point we accidentally paused the movie and didn't realize that the movie was paused for a solid 2 or three minutes. That's a great example of how slow the movie is. It does, however, have some of the best shots I have ever seen on a screen. It is captivating and pretty, but lacks in meaning and real content. I do not fully regret watching it but it was a very painful process to finish it in the hopes that at some point the movie would pick up.

It's 1988 and wildfires have ravaged the Texas countryside. Alvin (Paul Rudd) took a job to paint the lines on the road to get away from the world. He takes his girlfriend's slacker brother Lance (Emile Hirsch) along for the job. Alvin doesn't see much in the sex obsessed Lance, and Lance is chaffing at the isolation.This is a very small indie with basically the two main actors in most of the scenes. These are two good actors with a lot of sex talk, relationship struggle, and an aimless story. There are a couple of chuckles and a few interesting scenes. However they are too few and far between. It doesn't have the energy of a road movie or the poignancy of a relationship story. The last third turns up the heat, but it quickly becomes silly. I think there is a good half-movie here. The rest of this doesn't have enough energy. It's very subdue.

Two guys, one young and the other older, are tasked with painting the dividing line on a new road through a now burnt out forest. They are the only one there and must contend with each others habits and thoughts.As the story develops we discover there is a common link between these two and that link is the young guys (Lance) sister who is dating the older guy (Alvin). Alvin sees himself as confident and educated. Lance is too young to know himself yet.By the end of this story Alvin and Lance are like the burnt out forest, each suffers a defeating reality in life just as the forest has suffered. But even in the devastation of the now ruined trees we see life coming back. The forest and the houses will return but not as before! The past is done with, as seen with the lady seeking her past in the ashes of her destroyed house. She is the forest! It might be destroyed now but it lives!Lance & Alvin toss out their past into the creek. Their differences, anger and disappointments mended and a new adventure starts. As they drive away they pass children playing with chickens - human and animal life are already finding their place along the road through the forest.