info-5178 Hmm, what a fab. movie. Just caught this flick at a film festival and let me tell you it is one dame fine movie. Sitting thru the opening scenes I must admit that I thought that it was going to be total @#!&*, but it soon got going. Being involved in the "entertainment" industry I did feel a connection with this film. The acting was superb, the general production values good, although the hand-held camera work did occasionally get on my nerves.It was quite strange actually, the start of the movie (opening credit sequences) seemed to go on for ever, and the credits that would normally be put at the end were put at the start. Anyway, I think if people can get thru the first 15 minutes, they will see the film for what it is.Great character performances, great story and subject matter. Think an "arthouse" version of "The Player.Just ordered this on DVD from the UK. MUST SEE!

TheLastMan81 I liked the storyline when a saw this movie at the bottom shelves, a behind-the-scenes look at the life in Hollywood, based on an old Tolstoy novel. But this must be one of the most crappy movies ever made, with it´s pretentious tone but total lack of talent. It tries to be ultra-realistic but fails totally on this point. If you want to make a movie as realistic and documentary-looking as possible, you should´nt use softening lenses and overdramatic music. It fails to be consistent and therefore it looks more like a porno flick then a serious drama. Speaking of porn, the acting is awful. The only one who really pulls through is Danny Huston as Ivan who really puts his soul out there. That´s about the only positive thing there is to say about this mess because the dialogue is terrible and the cinematography does´nt even exist. My hope in finding a brilliant exception at the bottom shelves in the videostore has been demolished.

distraido First thing: try not to bring a lot of hang-ups and prejudices when you see this. I've noticed that those who do so can end up disappointed. If you're even slightly open-minded you will see the beauty of this film- as many have, including the nominating committee for the Independent Spirit Awards. Because of the Tolstoy writing credit, I was expecting a historical or period piece. What Ivansxtc does, as does the Paul Thomas Anderson neo-classic Boogie Nights, is to show human beings being very naughty and very nice. Ivans, however, leaves us in darker territory. I suggest reading little about this film before you see it. Check out the comments afterward and you'll see what I mean. Suffice it to say that this is risk-taking, well-acted, under-$500,000(shot on DV) filmmaking with gorgeous photography.

theultimatehuman This is really one of the most honest, most genuinely unnerving films I have ever seen (and I have seen a lot, by any standards). My lady and i didn't speak the whole hour driving home, just sat in stunned contemplation of this stunning film. As we drove, I could almost not believe just how superb this film was.Huston is an absolute revelation as Ivan, a once-in-a-lifetime performance that seems to have sprung into life fully formed and whole. His is one of the greatest faces cinema has offered, full of humanity and pathos, at once a recognisable everyman and a unique and extraordinary figure.The narrative's initially gimmicky flashback structure become essential as we are allowed to see the fundamental pointlessness of the feckless Ivan's life even before we meet him.Flashing back, we then see the last few weeks of Ivan's life as he finds he has terminal cancer and slowly wastes away, surrounded by the most tacky/glamourous trappings of Hollywood life.From the early realisation of Ivan's insignificance, we are drawn to see him as fully alive and utterly human.This is the triumph of the director's intensely humanist vision, a moving testament to the individual worth and humanity of each of us, even the most lost and dissolute amongst us.Equally rich are the surrounding performances, the whole cast working tiny wonders, but special mention certainly belongs to Huston and also Peter Weller, the latter giving what I think must be his strongest ever role. His sleazy big-shot actor is an instant classic, utterly true and blackly comic.I lived and worked in the industry in Hollywood and I recognised many of the characters and situations. In the whole film, not one false note was struck. The locations expertly chosen, from the Sky bar to the winding backroads around Mulholland and Hollywood Blvd at dawn, the feel of Ivan's Hollywood was exactly right.I recommend this film to anyone looking for difficult but richly rewarding, thought-provoking cinema. It is not entertainment, but it performs the quiet miracles that few film-makers even attempt, let alone achieve with these devastating results. A triumph, a truly visionary work and clearly a labour of love for all involved, Ivan's xtc is simply astounding, quite the equal to the early works of Ingmar Bergman and I can think of no higher praise than that.