Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.


Ever since his remarkable debut in Primal Fear, in which he received an Oscar nomination, Edward Norton is considered to be one of the best actors of his generations. Performances in films like Woody Allen's Everyone Says I Love You, Milos Forman's The People vs. Larry Flynt, the controversial Tony Kaye film American History X, and the classic David Fincher film Fight Club has revealed his range and versatility into playing characters that were offbeat or have something dark in them. While Norton continued to be a force in such films like The Italian Job, 25th Hour, Death to Smoochy, and The Score with Robert de Niro and Marlon Brando where he proved that he can act with the best. In 2005, Norton revealed more of his range in a small yet surprising performance in Ridley Scott's Crusades epic Kingdom of Heaven, in which Norton performed with a mask the entire time, while premiering a new film at the Cannes Film Festival that he produced called Down in the Valley.

Written and directed by David Jacobson, Down in the Valley tells the story of a cowboy who finds himself in the San Fernando Valley where he meets a rebellious teenage girl and falls in love with her. While the girl's father suspects the cowboy's motives as the cowboy tries to find relevance in a world that's outside of him. With Edward Norton playing the role of the cowboy named Harlan, the film reveals the versatility of Norton as he explores more of his range as an actor. Also starring Evan Rachel Wood, Rory Culkin, David Morse, and Bruce Dern. Down in the Valley is an enchanting yet flawed film from David Jacobson.

Arriving onto the San Fernando Valley, a cowboy named Harlan enters into the strange, vast world filled with gas stations, shops, and cars. To Harlan, it's a mysterious world as he lives at a motel and takes a job at a gas station. Meanwhile, a rebellious, 17-year old girl named Tobe (Evan Rachel Wood) also feels lonely since she lives with her father Wade (David Morse) and her shy, 13-year old brother Lonnie (Rory Culkin). Since Tobe doesn't get along with her father, she often goes out with her friends including April (Kat Denning) where on the way to the beachy, Tobe meets Harlan at the gas station. An attraction immediately happens as Harlan joins Tobe and her friends to the beach where they fall in love. After introducing Harlan to Lonnie, Wade becomes uncomfortable at Tobe's new relationship with Harlan.

After a night in the town driven by Ecstacy, Harlan and Tobe's relationship becomes passionate which makes Wade uneasy. Even when Harlan and Tobe decide to go horseback riding where the horse's owner named Charlie (Bruce Dern) accuses Harlan of theft. After Wade deals with Charlie, he forbids Tobe to see Harlan again. Still, Tobe's love for Harlan remains strong as she has to go San Diego for the weekend to be with her friends. Harlan however, tries to live without Tobe for the weekend often pretending to be in some Western or writing a letter to a man named Joe. Hoping for Tobe to return on the day she was supposed to, he finds Lonnie where he takes Lonnie shooting since Wade owns some authentic guns. Upon returning home, Wade finds Lonnie with Harlan and threatens to shoot him if he doesn’t leave his family alone.

Learning what Wade had done, Tobe meets Harlan where she asks him to leave the family alone till Wade cools down. With his cowboy fantasy starting to blur with reality, Harlan gets in trouble as he gets kicked out of his hotel while trying to steal things hoping to win Tobe back. Still, Harlan finds himself alienated by the modern world as he remains stuck in the Old West. After meeting Tobe after some time away from her, he plans to make an escape with her but Tobe isn't sure what's going on. After an accident, Harlan's vision of the Old West begins to collide with reality as he tries to kidnap Lonnie and have a confrontation with Wade, who finds out some troubling news about Harlan from an investigator (Geoffrey Lewis).

Films about reality against fantasy does often require strange fantasy sequences but for what writer/director David Jacobson goes for is an internal conflict in a man who has a love for the West but finds himself alienated by the modern world. While the film is largely inspired by the work of the legendary Terrence Malick, notably Badlands, the film does have the same poetic imagery and dialogue in terms of what Harlan is in and in his relationship with Tobe. Despite the Malick-esque imagery and imagery, the film's script is very flawed. While some can figure out the tense relationship between Wade and Tobe, there's no back story into their tension. Plus, the first half of the film is a love story while the second half becomes a modern-day Western where they're both interesting but makes the film to be uneven. Despite a lot of wonderful imagery, scenes, and everything else, Jacobson doesn't seem to know what kind of film he's making though the performances do remain consistent with its Badlands-like tone.

Helping Jacobson in his unique vision is cinematographer Enrique Chediak whose wonderful photography of many of the film's exterior settings, notably the hills of the San Fernando Valley is breathtaking as well some night sequences that shows the nightlife of Los Angeles in all of its glory. Production designer Franco Giacomo Carbone and set decorator Robert Greenfield do fantastic work in providing the idea of the West in a fantasy sequence for Harlan while showing the colorful and modern look of Los Angeles. Costume designer Jacqueline West does great work in creating the cowboy look for Norton while giving Evan Rachel Wood some wonderful dresses. Editors Edward Harrison and Lynzee Klingman does wonderful work in providing a rhythmic, stylized editing that gives the film a nice flow and feel. Sound designer Scott Sanders does some great work in the film's sound, including a scene where Harlan goes to a synagogue that reveals his alienation.

The film's haunting score is filled with wonderful guitar work from Peter Salett that brings a sense of suspense and atmosphere to its varied sequences. The soundtrack is largely filled with dreamy mixes of music ranging from mariachi to old-school Western songs as well as cuts from Patsy Cline, Hank Williams, Calexio, and two great tracks from Mazzy Star where the vocals of Hope Sandoval provide some of the film's most haunting moments.

The film’s cast includes some wonderful small performances and cameos from Evan's real-life brother Ira David Wood IV and Kat Dennings of The 40-Year Old Virgin as her friends while cameos from Ty Burrell, Elizabeth Pena, and Geoffrey Lewis as an investigator are done wonderfully. In a small role, Bruce Dern is great as a haggard ranch owner who is suspicious of Harlan’s motives and understanding of Wade’s control issues. David Morse is excellent as the strict, caring Wade who is trying to talk to his children while dealing with Harlan as Morse does some outstanding work in the scenes he's in. Rory Culkin is outstanding as the shy, scared Lonnie who tries to seek some kind of adventure and confidence as he often relies on his sister and Harlan since his dad isn't around much. Culkin really shines in his role as he is clearly becoming a better actor than his older brother Macaulay and Kiernan.

In a performance that is definitely described as Malick-esque, Evan Rachel Wood clearly gives another knockout performance as the soulful, enchanting Tobe. Wood brings an aura that is almost like Patricia Arquette gave in the Malick-inspired True Romance as a young woman in love yet becomes aware of Harlan's eccentric ideas. Wood has great chemistry with Norton as she can prove she can easily delve into adult roles with natural grace and style. In what is really one of the best performances of the year, Edward Norton is brilliant as the troubled Harlan. Norton exudes the same kind of innocence and alienation that he introduced years ago in Primal Fear with charm and charisma that he is very likeable. Norton also reveals a sense of darkness and complexity to the character that drives the film as Norton really brings a wide mix to reality and fantasy as he continues to take risks.

The Lions Gate/ThinkFilm Region 1 DVD of Down in the Valley presents the film 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround & 2.0 Stereo sound in 16x9 widescreen presentation. The DVD also brings trailers to not just this film but The King w/ Gael Garcia Bernal and William Hurt, I Love Your Work by Adam Goldberg, and other films. Two big special features are on the DVD. The first is a 21-minute Q&A session with Edward Norton and director David Jacobson as they're interviewed by Rolling Stone film critic Peter Travers. In the interview, Jacobson talks about the collision of fantasy and reality and how the San Fernando Valley has a mystique concerning the West. Edward Norton talked about getting the script in 2003 and wanting to work with Jacobson as the two developed the project and both wanted Evan Rachel Wood for the role of Tobe after seeing her in thirteen in which the two widely praised her as well as the other actors as Norton was laid-back in the interview.

The second big special feature is a nine-minutes worth of four deleted scenes. The first is an extended opening sequence involving Tobe and Lonnie on a bridge in which Lonnie causes an accident. The second is a deleted scene where Harlan looks for a new hat and buys the white dress that Tobe would wear. The third is touching scene involving Lonnie and Wade about an incident in where Lonnie professes his innocence. The final scene is an extended sequence of a supposed fantasy scene where Harlan talks to a cowboy played by Ty Burrell.

While it's not a perfect film, Down in the Valley is still an enchanting, haunting film from David Jacobson. With great performances from Edward Norton, Evan Rachel Wood, David Morse, Rory Culkin, and Bruce Dern, it's a film where the performances stand out despite a flawed script. Fans of Norton and Wood will definitely enjoy the performances while it's a film that is overlooked despite its flaws. Still, for a modern-day Western that pays true to the West while playing the world of reality and fiction, Down in the Valley is the film to see.

Related Reviews:

Edward Norton Films:

Death to Smoochy (2002):

http://www.epinions.com/content_106255715972

25th Hour (2002):

http://www.epinions.com/content_130957217412

The Italian Job (2003):

http://www.epinions.com/content_123307134596

Evan Rachel Wood Films:

thirteen (2003):

http://www.epinions.com/content_135975440004

The Upside of Anger (2005):

http://www.epinions.com/content_177277210244

Pretty Persuasion (2005):

http://www.epinions.com/content_232507412100


Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for Groups
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age