He Was a Quiet Man (2007)

Human perceive things in most wonderfully creative and erogenous ways. That's why a flawed art can be just as effective, if not more, in sending your conscious through a range of emotions so fast and furious that reason have no chance in hell to ever catch up. This film is one of those flawed art that through its deranged and surreal vision and narratives, you live the love and pain of Bob Maconel, a quiet man who was not so quiet within.

The presentation is often cartoonish and stereotypical, yet the emotion that was conveyed are often bloody raw to a fault that you just can't simply escape. Bob is a troubled man who's life is as boring as it is tormenting. We don't know his past and how he became what he is. The sad truth is that the only colorful and interesting thing in his life is his homicidal and suicidal anguish, the held up energy and intensity that dramatically contrasted his drab and introverted appearance, until one day, he let it all loose, in a sort of unexpected way.

In a society full of able thinkers and feelers competing for limited opportunities, there are those who express in terms, those who express against the terms and those who are simply ignored. Bob is an ignored soul. But the trouble is, being ignored doesn't diminish his ability to think and feel. Bob gave us a chance to explore the mind of those who's life are often invisible until they made the front page news, with increasingly frequent occurrence in today's society. Only here, we are not only presented with the dark and ugly side of it, but also the vulnerably romantic side as well. Through all of its oddity and obscurity, we get a glimpse of its human quality, and were left scarred by its sheer beauty.

I can only describe the style of directing as creative honesty, as honesty is in such short supply in today's media. What was expressed outwardly is exaggerated in order to stay true with what locks inside a person's mind. For this alone, I was over joyed by the experience.

Go see it, with a understanding mind and compassionate soul. Let the range of emotion washes over you, be it pity or wonderment, don't haste to judge. Just let it haunt you for a while.

Fmovies: It seems that every once and a while, an occasionally brilliant film will catch my attention in the late hours of the night (or the early hours of the morning, as it was in my case); I found that film in "He Was a Quiet Man," writer-director Frank A. Cappello's brilliantly acted, smartly written satire about that unlikely hero whose "heroic" act may not have been so heroic, and in fact masked an inner rage that may actually make him the villain.

A seriously understated Christian Slater stars as Bob Maconel, a frustrated office worker whose first words in the picture have him counting the amount of bullets in his gun and who his intended targets are going to be. Bob lives alone and works as a drone in one of those big technology firms where it's never made clear what it is that they actually do, or what everyone's jobs are. Bob's day-to-day existence consists of him feeding his fish (who he talks to and they occasionally give him bad advice, fueling his murderous rage), going to work, rarely being acknowledged by his neighbors, being picked on by his co-workers, and working up the courage to go on his deadly shooting spree.

Well, just when Bob finally gets the courage to do the deed, he is beaten to the punch by a fellow enraged office worker. In the middle of the carnage, Bob and the shooter manage to strike up a casual conversation. When Bob asks why he's not going to shoot him, the man replies, "Because you're the only person in this office who's more pathetic than I am." Bob takes this personally and guns down the assailant. Afterward, he rushes to the side of the office beauty, Vanessa Parks (Elisha Cuthbert), who was seriously wounded in the attack and is the only person Bob ever really liked. Her smile could "light up a room," we're told throughout the film.

Bob is then branded a hero. The people he despised are now his best friends, including the office bully and the office slut, who would have never given the time of day before. (She gets her comeuppance in one particular scene that is all of hilarious, disgusting, and disturbing.) He gets a promotion, a brand-new office next to the big boss, Mr. Shelby (William H. Macy), and the company car. His neighbors finally acknowledge him; when one of them asks when did he move in, Bob replies, "I've lived here five years." He soon begins to visit Vanessa in the hospital, whose spine was severed by a bullet and is now a quadriplegic. She begs him to finish what the shooter started. When he relents, that's when the two begin a tentative relationship that begins to calm the deadly monster lurking within him. Later on in the film, however, troubling questions begin to arise about Bob's sanity and his grip on his new reality that he has found himself in.

As many have mentioned, "He Was a Quiet Man," seems to combine elements of past similar-themed features including "Falling Down," "Office Space" and "A History of Violence," plus a few of the artistically weird storytelling aesthetics of a David Lynch picture. Similarities seem to end fairly early in the picture after Bob first becomes a hero and a media darling. It seems that when you finally have a grasp on where it's all headed, the picture does a 360 and winds up going right back to where it started, both metaphorically and literally.

Slater was pretty good in this film; his performance here worked from his first seconds on screen, his character of office

I came into this title knowing absolutely nothing about it, besides the fact that Christian Slater was the lead. What I watched was nothing short of fantastic.

We are first introduced to Bob (Slater), a man on the verge (or possibly in the thrall of) of a total breakdown. Sort of reminds you of Milton from Office Space, but taken so far over the edge, there's just no looking back. He's mistreated at work, he hates his job, and he wants it all to end.

The thing that really got me attached to this film was the observations of the inner workings of Bob. He talks to his goldfish, and for crying out loud, the thing talks back. This is obviously an unstable man. His stabilizer though, found in the "victim", Vanessa (played amazingly well by Elisha Cuthbert), reminded me so much of Carrie-Ann Moss from Memento. She carries him, but teaches him to be a stronger man through essential "ball-busting".

The script was perfect for each of the lead roles. Both Cuthbert and especially Slater shocked me to no end with their talent. This was Slater's ideal role. Director Frank A. Cappello regained some status with this. It was quite the achievement. It's unfortunate that it had such a small release (I would've never heard of it if it wasn't for the fact that I got an advance DVD). It's going to go overlooked for many. Look it up at your local video store, folks, this will be worth it!!!

He Was a Quiet Man fmovies. I've never been a fan of Christian Slater although I've never been a detractor either. This movie turned any opinion I had of him on its head. A well scripted film, beautifully acted (By Slater, Macy and Cuthbert) from start to finish. Slater is a desperate man ready to go to ultimate lengths to right a world he sees as wrong. As can be seen in the trailer, he's beaten to the punch and inadvertently becomes a hero. It's at this point that the film begins in earnest. It doesn't try and get too clever as some movies tend do with a story of this ilk (sometimes to the detriment of the movie). The story was strong enough to carry me all the way through to the end. Buy it, go see it, rent it.

...that a human mind is capable of creating such intriguing plot - so terrifying and captivating this movie is. Frank Capello is obviously a man of genius. But he is not nice and gentle to his audience. The movie is sharp-straight, honest and pretty cruel to a person watching it. It doesn't compromise. Don't expect it to comply with general drama movie rules.

*** BE AWARE OF SPOILERS BELOW ***

After you ve seen 50% of it or so you think it's pretty common drama, quite predictable and possibly happily ending one. Well, its not. Not at all. And so shockingly not.

Cast is perfect. I would never think Slater could fit into the role of Bob. W.Macy would fit better, I thought. But these thoughts faded away.

The movie is not open-ended despite what some people say. You just have to think harder than you usually do while watching a regular movie. Be more attentive or watch it again.

Capello makes you think. If you want to know what really happened analyze the details. There are answers.

I give 9 out of 10, because Capello rudely and savagely ruined my hopes for the better ending :)

"He Was a Quiet Man" is perhaps the most original and unpredictable movie I've ever seen. If you're looking for something "normal", you should probably look elsewhere.

A story of an extremely lonely, put-upon, disturbed man who desperately wants to be Somebody. Christian Slater plays this man absolutely brilliantly. In watching his performance, I kept thinking "Where is Christian Slater?" ... Well, he's not even in the neighborhood. Well done, guy!

The direction is absolutely amazing: colorful, imaginative, darkly funny, and surreal. Cubicles, and hummingbirds, and talking fish, oh my!

While the film is not particularly emotionally satisfying (to say the least), on the cerebral and aesthetic level, it delivers big time.

"He Was a Quiet Man" answers the musical question: "Now maniacs will think twice before going crazy."

Yessiree.