Good start, but then it gets ruined

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

Without a doubt, this is one of (if not the) best films to never see a DVD release. It's honestly nothing short of a travesty that, even in 2011, one cannot even purchase this excellent work on any modern format. Mind you, thanks to streaming sites like Netflix, one can still get their hands on this one, even if they've long since put-away their old VHS player, but that doesn't do much for those of us who pride ourselves on our film collections.Overall, this is a truly exceptional film with a fantastic cast, great soundtrack, and plenty of the amazing dialogue that Linklater's films are known for. If you haven't seen it- please do yourself a favor and give it a look... if you're anything like me, you won't be disappointed!

This is a great film to me, but it might not be so great to every kind of person. I'd say that it's good for people who have ever felt like no one understands them. If that's how you are, you'll find that some one does understand and that you aren't the only one who feels lost. Don't make the mistake of thinking this is some ultra-sappy drama/romance. It has it's share of dramatic and romantic themes, but the main theme is just different peoples' journeys into their own heart and mind. It's a movie that shows that the author is not afraid to bear his own feelings as if they are comlpetely normal, even thought it's hard to know if anyone else does in fact feel the way you do. For that, I salute the author. The directing was nothing special, but it does the job. The thing I love the most about this film would have to be that if you can really get into the movie, it will take you on an emotional journey because you feel what the characters are feeling. My only warning is that if your emotions are easily influenced by movies, then by the end of this movie, you might feel changed. It's the kind of movie that could make you look at life differently.

In a small American town a group of friends have little to do other than hang around on the corner outside a convenience store drinking. Some have ambitions, some have none but they are all still there, much to the chagrin of the owner. Their empty lives are challenged though when a former classmate who has gone on to become a famous musician returns to the area for a gig and drops back to the corner to say hello.I was a bit worried that this would be a rather lacking comedy from Richard Linklater and was pleasantly surprised to find a well written drama played out in this rather stagy film. The plot is not really that strong but it doesn't matter because the story is in the characters and their lives; it is a direction that needed good writing and fortunately Bogosian has done a good job of making these characters convincingly real while also turning it into a look at the nature of life in suburbia. It does go to extremes in terms of plot devices and the events of one night but it still works well on both levels. I'm sure not everyone will enjoy the direction it takes but for me it was interesting to et to know the characters and see them change and interact over the course of the night.The cast sounded like a risk on paper but they actually do well and generally give good performances. Ribisi stops his character being a spoilt member of the "whatever" generation and, although he is that, he brings more out as well. Zahn is his usual annoying self but this time it is intentional and, in that regard I guess he did a good job. Bartok is a bit wishy-washy for his character whereas Katt actually fits pretty well. Support from Naidu, Carey, Posey and the rest is all pretty good and they support the film's focus on character and the look at suburban life for this generation. Linklater tries his best to move the action around and make good use of his locations but the stage roots of the script shows through and it does feel very stiff and stagy for the majority.Overall this is not a perfect film but it is much more interesting and engaging than I expected it to be. The characters may not be to everyone's liking (which will be a problem for many viewers) but they are still well written and well delivered by the mixed cast. Worth seeing and I'm glad I took the risk.

It was a play first, vey often produced over the last decade. Linklater can't be blamed for the story or any of that. Its a film version of a play.. like house of yes, or the upcming Angels in America, or the LAramie Project. And, the main difference between a film and a play is that a play's script is not up for discussion along with the action as it is not a unique single act, it is an interpretation by a director of the playwright's words. A movie script on the other hand goes hand in hand with the action as it is meant to be created as one entity.That aside as a common misconception for so many people I see reviewing plays like they were movies (leave the script alone talk about acting and direction), I like Suburbia.