hyped garbage

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.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

This film combines the beyond tedious work of a writer who doesn't know how to tell an interesting tale with the visual melange of a director who mistakenly thinks a multiplicity of images multiplies effect. As both the writer and director of The Hottest State, Ethan Hawke proves he should really stick to acting.Though it's gussied up with narration, flashbacks, intertwining scenes and a buttload of montages, the plot of this thing is crudely simplistic. An immature weenie named William Harding (Mark Webber) falls in love with an opaque bitch named Sarah Garcia (Catalina Sandino Morena), she breaks his heart and he spends the rest of the film moping around like a jackass. More specifically, William and Sarah's relationship goes like this…They meet and she won't have sex with him. They move in together and she still won't have sex with him. They take a trip to Mexico and she has sex with him. She says they should get married and then changes her mind after talking with her mother for 20 seconds on the phone. They spend four weeks apart and then she breaks up with him. He mopes around like a jackass and rejects an old girlfriend (played by the very sexy Michelle Williams). His mom shows up to give him all the comfort of hugging a porcupine. He visits his estranged dad and mopes around like a jackass in front of him. After some time goes by, William and Sarah reconnect. William drives from New York City to Texas with his mother and father as teenagers in the backseat.I have no idea why Ethan Hawke thought that story was something anyone needed to experience on the screen. We've all watched it a thousand times before and most of us have lived through it a time or two. The sparse detail added to the narrative only emphasizes how trite it all is.Even Hawke apparently understood how common and uninvolving his story was, because he throws everything but the kitchen sink into telling it. He wantonly violates the "one montage per good movie" rule, includes flashbacks seen from William's point of view as a child, repeatedly tries to make boring and pointless scenes more interesting by splicing them together and throughout the first 3/4ths of the movie, Hawke constantly cuts away to pointless foreshadowing shots of William riding on a train. The soundtrack is also an unceasing stream of one folksy, countryish song after another that seeps into your brain until you feel like beating Willie Nelson to death with a garden hoe. There is a nice bit of nudity in this film but that is more than canceled out by a scene where we watch William urinate into a toilet, yellowy stream and all.Hawke fails to give William or Sarah anything to do or say that is even remotely inviting. When William's mom and dad show up for the final third of the film, they turn out to be a bit engaging. That's largely because of the talent of Laura Linney and Hawke, but also because they're given relatable characteristics. Linney is allowed to play William's mom as a strong but somewhat rigid woman who's made no excuses for her life and won't accept any from others. Hawke plays the dad as someone who regrets the mistakes of his youth but has moved past them. Those little aspects of humanity make them look so much better compared to the whiny loser that is William and the indecipherable Sarah.I hope this story was autobiographical for Hawke and he got something out of making it into a movie. He'd be the only one getting anything out of it. The Hottest State is a boring tale told in an aggravating fashion that has one of those endings where things just peter out. Unless you're in the midst of getting your heart broken for the first time and want to see someone handle it even worse than you, don't bother watching this film.

The movie primarily is a love story about an actress and a singer meeting at a bar, and than moving in together, but it's so much more than that. It's a movie that tackles abandonment issues,first love, heart ache, ambition, the journey of life and all the questions it leaves us with.This movie is comical, some of Williams pick up lines were just grand. Overall his character is interesting to watch. A young vessel full of love and rage, an emotional train wreck who fell head over heels for a girl.The movie is very solid. Full of good acting, good music, good script writing. It's definitely a flick worth watching. The best film i have ever seen on young love.

There's a lot to like in Hottest State, even if far from perfect.Ethan Hawke's direction of his (probably autobiographical) novel sets the mood perfectly, with great music, lighting and good pacing of this story. The story progresses well, contains sensual moments and with the help of an inspired, yet simple soundtrack, is at times touching. Unfortunately, the dialogs are a real weakness and something Hawke might have wanted to touch up, preferably with someone else.Without a doubt, the highlight of the film is Mark Webber in the lead role. Simply put, I have not seen such a promising actor since noticing Ryan Gosling in "The Believer", years ago. I immediately knew Gosling was headed for stardom and this will be the case here as well. At a young age, Webber shows intensity, range and depth wrapped up in restraint. At times as whacky as a Giovanni Ribisi, as laid back and colorfully human as a Sam Rockwell, as soulful and magnetic as a Sean Penn. Webber is the complete package to be great in second roles but, just like Gosling, oozes of the charisma required to lead big movies as well. It's a matter of time for him to get noticed.Sadly, his romantic interest Catalina Sandino Moreno is not nearly as good. I wish someone of the caliber of Abbie Cornish had been cast in the role of Sarah. Instead, Catalina's portrayal of Sarah comes off as one-dimensional and annoying for what should be a fascinating and complex character. While Webber makes us feel his character's passion for Sarah, it's tough for us as viewers to really buy Catalina's performance. The script is also at fault for that at times.With a better second lead, a script shave of 10 to 15 minutes and tighter dialogs, this would be a classic. Instead, it is an enjoyable moment and for those of us who had never noticed Mark Webber, an opportunity to see one of the next bright stars of cinema. Nonetheless, props to Ethan Hawke for what is a very heartfelt movie.

Ethan Hawke wrote the book THE HOTTEST STATE and then proceeded to write the screenplay, direct and act in it. Sometimes that combination works, but in this instance the whole project feels like a narcissistic self-indulgent autobiographical talky two hours. Hawke is respected enough among his peers that he was able to draw a fine cast together in an attempt to make this film work, but in the end it is pretty boring.Young Texas actor William (Mark Webber) has moved to New York to make it big, and while he gets jobs, he feels as though he doesn't have a handle on relationships. When he meets the beautiful singer Sarah (Catalina Sandino Moreno) he falls in love but has no idea how to court his dream girl. Sarah is cautious about relationships, too, yet is attracted to William and consents to travel to Mexico to heat up their bonding. In Mexico they spend the greater part of their time consummating their love affair: the love scenes are fairly erotic, especially on the part of Moreno. Returning to their jobs in New York the two face problems in continuing their relationship. William's divorced parents (Laura Linney and Ethan Hawke) have their own demons that prevent their providing William with much consolation, and Sarah's mother (Sonia Braga) has a rather negative view of relationships. How the film finally winds down with dealing with William's whining and Sarah's resistance is all that is left of the lengthy diatribe.Though Linney, Braga, Michelle Williams (in too short a role), and Moreno try to make this story tolerable, it is inherent in the concept that William (Ethan Hawke poorly disguised) is just too boring a guy to care about. Mark Webber is supposed to have the promise and charisma of a 'new Brando' (according to the hype), but he is flat in this film. The soundtrack is wearing and rarely takes a break for the dialog. Hawke can and has done better. Hopefully he has released his ego in this film and can move on. Grady Harp