Another Day in Paradise (1998)

This is not a movie for prudes or wusses. It's very powerful --and not very pretty. Gross, actually, in many cases (just the smoking of cigarettes in practically every scene makes you want to wash your clothes). And the needle jab to the neck -- yikes! -- be prepared! But the acting is OUTSTANDING -- especially Melanie Griffith and James Woods playing two of the biggest dopers on celluloid. I hope they both get Oscar nominations for their roles -- they deserve it.

Fmovies: Once again Larry Clark has made a film that is mesmerizing, gut wrenching, and shocking. This movie is about two junkies(James Woods and Melanie Griffith) "who adopt" two young lovers (Vincent Kartheiser and Natasha Gregson Wagner) into their world of Crime and Drugs. Yeah its a old theme, but the great casting and flawless acting made this movie incredibly touching and different, standout performances by Vincent Kartheiser and James Woods made this movie so belivable. Throughout the entire film I felt as if these characters were so real and I was merely watching a documentary. This movie is very explicit and it is not for anybody that can't handle seeing plenty of sex, drugs, and violence.

I read in a screenwriting book that the first thing a screenwriter should remind him/herself is don't think up an idea and then say to yourself, "It's been done before." Because no matter how many times that idea was used before, there's always a different approach you can take towards it. This movie clarifies that statement. It takes your standard premise of drug-addicted hustlers on the lam and transforms it brilliantly into this moving, thought-provoking piece of work.

Larry Clark made his debut with the thoroughly disappointing--at least to me--urban drama "Kids." That was a film with no intention, characters you couldn't give a damn about and was just all over the map. Clark definitely showed he has an eye for gritty realism, but put it to bad use with that horrendous and profane motion picture.

Now, "Another Day in Paradise" had its share of four-letter words, in fact I think it had more, but that didn't matter to me. Because the characters, no matter how much drugs they use and no matter how dishonest their lives are, were people you can care for and feel their every emotion and just know that they're really good human beings who happen to be geared in the wrong direction, from their upbringing and society they grew up in.

The performances were groundbreaking. This is one of James Woods' best performances. This is the kind of role he was born to play. I can't imagine a single actor doing a better job. The supporting cast was great, too.

This is the kind of film that catches your eye from start to finish. It starts out with a great shot, with Vincent Kartheiser waking up and lighting up a cigarette while 70's soul music fills the soundtrack. Speaking of great music, Clarence Carter performs his great hit "I'm Looking For a Fox" in one scene. The soundtrack is absolutely wonderful, with the kind of songs I love singing along to.

I highly recommend this movie. However, it is a pretty disturbing film, so be careful what mood you're in when you decide to rent it.

Another Day in Paradise fmovies. Almost everybody who wrote a review for this movie seem to say that the movie sucked, I disagree. Larry Clark has a real knack for showing society unflinching, raw and vital. The acting is superior and doesn't pull any punches. James Woods deserves some sort of award, he hasn't been better in any other movie. The music is perfect, the cinematography is lush, poetic. See the movie, you won't be disappointed, unless you're one of those wussies with a weak stomach. Look fast for Leo Fitzpatrick (Telly from KIDS) as the guard at the Reverend's house.

'Kids' director Larry Clark really comes up trumps with this fine story of crime, addiction and surrogate families. Relative unknown Vincent Kartheiser, and the up and coming Natasha Gregson Wagner ('Lost Highway', 'Two Girls and a Guy') are fine as the young wanna be thieves, but the real stars of the show are their mentors' played by James Woods and Melanie Griffith.

Griffith is often ridiculed for her flakiness, but should be applauded for taking riskier, more challenging material such as this and John Waters' 'Cecil B. DeMented'. Woods is a ridiculously underrated actor, and along with the equally underestimated James Caan, is rivaling the much more celebrated De Niro and Pacino as best American actors of their generation in my opinion. Woods is simply sensational as the motor mouth Mel, a complex and unpredictable character. His performance here ranks with 'Videodrome', 'Cop' and 'The Boost' as one of his most memorable.

Forget the spurious 'Kalifornia', 'Drugstore Cowboy' and 'True Romance' comparisons. They are all great movies, but this is no rehash or rip off. It's a fantastic movie in its own right. Don't miss this one!

This one worked for me. The superb acting and fine camera work made this very believable. The scenes are some of the most realistic I've seen. Particularly noteworthy are the scenes involving extreme tension.

Throughout the picture I felt an urging to like these characters, sensing that they were, deep down, decent people who somehow got wrapped up in this type of life.

I'm not generally a fan of Griffith, but this role suits her well and her acting is top-notch. Woods is almost always exceptional, and his work here is no exception. The younger stars also perform quite well with this challenging, emotional material. And I thought the acting of the minor characters was excellent, suggesting the director had his act together on this one.

You have to acclimate to the language and level of tension early on or the movie will drive you nuts. But if you do, it begins to involve you deeply in the characters' situations and lives.