This Must Be the Place
This Must Be the Place
R | 02 November 2012 (USA)
This Must Be the Place Trailers

A bored, retired rock star sets out to find his father's tormentor, an ex-Nazi war criminal who is a refugee in the U.S.

Reviews
Alicia

I love this movie so much

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Linbeymusol

Wonderful character development!

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SunnyHello

Nice effects though.

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Portia Hilton

Blistering performances.

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nhborges

Premises are interesting. I would always watch a movie about/focused on the life of a retired/depressed rock star, factual or fictional... And indeed, Penn delivers a somewhat convincing performance as (Robert Smith-inspired?) Cheyenne (poor choice of pseudonym, if you ask me, but hey, there's also a band called "The Pieces of Sh*t", so)...The problem is: that annoying voice!, and... Well, everything else. This is a pretty boring film, overall. Frances wasn't convincing, nor was anybody else besides Sean.Sure, there are funny parts, but they're not enough to prevent the yawns, or fight the desire of doing something else during most part of it.My 5/10 is strictly because of Penn's genius, indeed one hell of an actor, but he deserved a better script and a better... Well, everything.Honorable mention to the David Byrne/Will Oldham teaming up to perform a satisfying soundtrack, especially the main track "Lay & Love", excellent in my opinion.

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danrdeneyer

If there was a prize for overdoing the quirky, this movie would win it. Sean Penn plays ex-rock star Cheyenne, a mega rich guy who is married with a female firefighter. In real life, rock stars usually shack up with models and actresses. But not our Cheyenne, he wants a firefighter... and the two of them live boringly in a huge villa with an empty pool, where they play some sort of ball game. Yet another instance of overdoing the quirky.Besides dressing up like Robert Smith of the Cure, inclusive of red lipstick, Cheyenne does not have much to do, except cruising shopping malls. Then he learns that his long-estranged father is dying and decides to pay a visit. Once Cheyenne lands in the US, we switch to another movie.Now we are in road movie-with-a-vengeance territory. Unfortunately, this part – which sounded more promising than the first one – is carried out with the same quirkiness and lack of energy. Weirdos appear on screen and depart for no discernible reason in what seems the longest second and third acts ever.How does it end? I confess I do not know. I fell asleep because I did not care, and still have not mustered enough energy or interest to check.

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rokr

From the trailer I expected an entertaining movie and a joy of observing another great Penn's performance. And I got way way more that this.I find it hard to pinpoint what this movie is about. For me it was about loneliness and emptiness, fear and courage, feeling lost and dealing with existential questions of life, about longing for meaning, love, acceptance, acknowledgment...And what might be the most important aspect is that the story is told in a gentle, warm way that makes the viewer feel included in the relations on the screen. While at the same time offering us visually enchanting and rhythmically impressive atmosphere, that just keeps resonating in the system...An unusual movie, well worth treating your eyes, mind and heart with.

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inkslayer

Retired aging rock star, Cheyenne, leaves his boring life for one hell of a diversion: tracking down the Nazi guard that persecuted his recently deceased father. As a result of his quest Cheyenne metamorphoses from a melancholy child-like moppet to a self-assured man.Cheyenne (Sean Penn) has kicked heroin and no longer gigs. Without his heroin Cheyenne is like a child: quiet; sensitive; speaks his mind; is thoughtful of other's feelings; is quickly apologetic. Yet, like a sage Buddha he always chooses his words wisely. Even more interesting, Cheyenne moves like an old, stiff man, but looks like his former self all decked out in red lipstick, white-powdered face makeup, heavy black eyeliner, and Johnny Thunders' mane of hair. With not much to do except shop at the local supermarket, play handball with his wife of 30 years in their empty swimming pool, play the stock market, and meddle in a young Goth girl's life, Cheyenne announces that he is depressed. His friend corrects him by telling him that he isn't depressed, he is bored and needs a diversion. And so begins Cheyenne's quest not only to find his father's nemesis, but to find himself.This Must Be the Place is a cerebral movie that puts the audience in the rafters like interns in a teaching hospital looking down on a patient being healed. So, if you prefer entertainment over enlightenment and transformation, then this is not the movie for you. Pros: Sean Penn as Cheyenne. How Cheyenne handled the Nazi Guard. All the unexpected scenes.Con: Would have liked to have seen a little backstory on Cheyenne's early years.

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