D_Burke There's a lot to like about "Clay Pigeons". It has three established, credible young (at the time) actors in the lead roles, and it has elements of a suspenseful thriller with a healthy dose of humor. It's also an impressive debut for director David Dobkin, who directed music videos prior to working on this film. Dobkin would go on to direct some great movies, such as "Wedding Crashers" (2005). Unfortunately, while this film has its strengths, its weaknesses lie primarily in the storytelling and the motives of the main character, Clay Bidwell (Joaquin Phoenix).By no means was Phoenix terrible in this movie. He is a great actor. However, he had very little to work with here. Phoenix plays a small-town gas station attendant whose friend Earl (Gregory Sporleder), in the very beginning of the film, shoots himself in front of him. The reason is because Earl is not particularly intelligent and could possibly be insane, but mainly because he knows Clay has been having an affair with his wife Amanda (Georgina Cates). In the first improbable scenario of this movie, Earl commits suicide in a way he claims makes it look like Clay did it. Since the camera backtracks at this moment, you don't see him very well, and you wonder how in the world Earl can make it looks like homicide after dying instantly. Does he throw the gun towards Phoenix after he shoots himself? Impossible.However, Clay, apparently lacking in common sense, puts Earl in a car and makes it look like he died while drunk driving. The reason why he didn't tell the police what actually happened is never explained. This is not the first time in the movie I wondered what was going through Clay's head.Later, Clay understandably cuts his relationship off with Amanda, who happens to be a shallow slut and does not remorse over the death of her husband. Amanda gets jealous, and kills Clay's next girlfriend while he is making love to her. It does not occur to Clay to call the police (again!), or even kill Amanda out of self defense. Instead, Clay makes things harder for himself by dragging his dead girlfriend's bullet-ridden body out to a river. As he's doing this, you can't help but wonder, "WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST CALL THE POLICE!?!?!?"The problem is that Phoenix's character, who is supposed to be the moral compass of this film, isn't established well enough. It would be nice to know what is going on in his head, or at least get some explanation as to whether or not he trusts the police and why. There could have been a brief subplot where he got in trouble as a kid for snitching on a felon, or some life-altering event that happened to him earlier on. He could also just be a really stupid guy, but such a characteristic is also not extrapolated upon here.So where does Vince Vaughn come in? Well, he plays Lester Long, a tall, denim-wearing modern cowboy who's altogether a colorful character and a seemingly nice guy. He befriends Clay at a local bar one night, and they hit it off pretty well. Unfortunately, a body (supposidly that of a woman) pops up from the river when they're fishing together one day, and a murder mystery that I won't give away ensues.Such murders pile up in this small town (presumably in Wyoming), and it's too much for the local sheriff (Scott Wilson) to handle. FBI Agent Dale Shelby (Janeane Garofalo) comes in to investigate, and the mystery progresses. The intensity of the climactic chase and murder scenes following Garofalo's entrance is quite extreme, which makes the film worth watching. Although Garofalo's character is supposed to be straight-laced, she is still a colorful character, and she has some great lines. They may not be laugh-out-loud, but Garofalo was still well cast.Similarly, Vaughn was perhaps the best thing about this movie. It's interesting too, because Vaughn is not a character actor. In the many movies he has been in, he usually plays himself, or sort of the same wise-cracking character ("Swingers" (1996), "Made" (1999), "Wedding Crashers" (2005)). Here, he's still over the top, but the down home country boy he plays is still believable. When he played this role, he was still an up-and-coming actor, and not the A-lister he is today. Still, even if you know him from his big budget roles, you don't think he's Vince Vaughn even though he's not wearing any prosthetics.If, judging from this film alone, you were to guess which actor would go on to be nominated for two Academy Awards for acting, you would probably pick Vaughn, not Phoenix. Although it's not entirely Phoenix's fault that his character was so weak and underdeveloped, he also shares some blame for maintaining the same morose expression on his face regardless of the situation. He doesn't seem to show any signs of shock when people die in front of him, nor is there any stress on his face when he is being interrogated by the FBI. Although it is great that he became a better actor later on, this movie showed that he still had some more work to do.So "Clay Pigeons" would have been better if the characters that needed to be better rounded would have been. It's still an enjoyable film, but the writing needed to be a lot better. While it's still an entertaining movie, your wondering how certain scenarios could occur given the circumstances could ruin your experience.

Leonard Smalls: The Lone Biker of the Apocalypse Can't believe I haven't reviewed this one yet. One of the best films of the 90's for sure. Pay no attention to the low rating on here; "Clay Pigeons" is a very innovative flick.Joaquin Phoenix and Vince Vaughn work it so well together. The way Joaquin handles the woman in the bar...the way Vince steps in all creepy yet funny...lets you KNOW why these two guys made it as far as they can. A perfect mixture of humor and tension culminates into an interesting tale of psychotic obsession. Whether or not you think that Clay and Lester are the same person, or whether you see the film as straight forward are completely up for interpretation, but either way it's a damn entertaining and stylish thriller/comedy flick.Awesome alt-country soundtrack. Whiskeytown, Don Gibson, Old 97's. Introduced me to the Old 97's in fact. Shame those 97's went all pop on us. Look out for the super valuable vintage H Bar C shirts that Vince "Lester the Molester" Vaughn sports throughout the movie. They don't make em like that anymore you sumbitch.9 out of 10, kids.

Robert J. Maxwell I kind of liked it. Oh, it's leisurely and the plot is nothing special, but the overall impact on the viewer is likely to be positive.The acting, for instance, is pretty good. Joaquin Phoenix seems to have gotten bonier as he's matured and has acquired some character. He's alright, and the director gives him room. When his ex-girl friend shoots his current lover, he throws the perpetrator against a wall and pressing her with his left forearm he repeatedly punches his right fist against the wood panel next to her head. Then he pauses, his triceps quivering, holds the position for an unusually long period, and then he delivers another blow to the smashed wood. It's a tiny wordless explosion of impotent rage, and it's perfectly timed. Phoenix is suspected of multiple murders actually committed by a recent acquaintance. He's afraid to go to the police because, well, things would look a little fishy, what with his knowing the victims and having struck one of them just before she disappeared.Janeane Garofalo is petite and not strikingly beautiful as an FBI agent who smokes grass and then eats pizza, and all the while the gears in her brain are still whirling. She's businesslike, utters clipped, sarcastic remarks, and has a smile full of dazzlingly white teeth that belong in a commercial for Bright Strip. Okay. Strictly routine. But then we see her in a bar, getting into some scotch, and she is getting hit on by Vince Vaughn who, unbeknownst to her, is the serial killer she's searching for. Here's the thing about that scene. Considering what we've seen of her character so far, we fully expect her to advise Vaughn to take up residence in a place where the sun don't shine -- but no! Like an actor in a Greek drama, she holds up another persona. She becomes girlish and responsive, flattered by Vaughn's clumsy and overobvious attention, and playful with him before he hustles off with his next victim, leaving Garafolo clearly a little unhappy. Again, it isn't much, not a display of thespian fireworks, but it TELLS us something we wouldn't have guessed about her. She's a woman under that badge and behind that gun. Her character has acquired another dimension. She's no longer a stereotype. And the scene impresses on us the fake rapport that the killer can generate in strangers.Vince Vaughn has the showiest role, a big, affable, charming, slightly dumb cowboy with a yen for cutting up cute girls into little pieces. His performance, alas, is as bland as his face, although it's professional. He doesn't blow it. He just doesn't bring much to the party.Scott Wilson is the local sheriff. He's turned into a decent character actor, light years away from his murderer in "In Cold Blood." He's feeble, shuffling, spare of speech, and a little morose, as if filled with guilt for having slaughtered the Clutter family.The score is quite original too. None of it is what you'd expect from a movie about a serial murderer. There are some country and western tunes in the background, Elvis Presley, "Moon Over Montana," reflecting the rather dreary social atmosphere of the town. As Vaughn says at one point, "Country music is an acquired taste." (Garofalo's reply: "No it isn't. I've listened to it and hated it from the beginning. Scotch is an acquired taste.") But then the underscore comes up with some strange sounds indeed. Tympani are repeatedly swept up and down as if rolling over Montana's hills. Odd, unexpected clicks and clacks. It doesn't distract the viewer and it comes across as apt in a queer way. But the score isn't of a piece either. It's made up of multiple discordant riffs drawn from different quarters and pasted together. It's a nicely judged piece of work, striking a neat mean between being loud and edgy and being soft and dull. The script itself may be routine but the actors and the director lend it fresh dimensions.

fedor8 Starts off well but only goes downhill from there. Down, down, down... The plot is outrageously far-fetched, illogical, and full of numerous mind-blowing coincidences.How is it, for example, that a suicidal person, a murdering whore, and a mass murderer ALL happen to be involved with Phoenix? And this is just one of many bits of nonsense. Another one: how the hell did Vaughn know about all that happened?! Rather predictable, too; particularly in the last half-hour.Some silly details: Garofalo identifying killer through cigarette stub(!), deputy's helper falling asleep, and many others. (Can't be bothered to list them.) An insane bit of (mis)casting was to make Garofalo and FBI agent - and she has been on the force for 12 years!!! So when did she start?! At 18?! And 12 years doing what?? Shopping for generation X clothes? What's next, Drew Barrymore as the US President? Tom Cruise as a brilliant scientist? Matt Damon as a heterosexual? Vaughn, on the other hand, simply hams it up, as he always does. One of the few roles in which Phoenix isn't that bad.