LeonLouisRicci It's not really plain dirty it is forever filthy. Even the scenes in the rich guys world are stereotypical Southern sleaze that are darkly lit and dusty with layers of sunlight fighting to get in. The folks all look like they are in desperate need of soap and water. So much so that it distracts scene after scene as the viewer is remotely washing these people from their seats.It is supposedly "realistic" and non Hollywood but to what end. It is so overdone that makeup probably worked overtime and therein it lies. Too much emphasis on the visual and not enough on the motivations or the believability of the characters and plot. It is clichéd and fails to grab hold in the clinch. Even the central murder scene is half-hearted and so low key that it just fails to be of any significance except to say, we are not being exploitive here. We will do that with the muck and mire and the scabs and puss.it has some craft work and is not without worth, but the movie is just too heavy handed. The film falls into the White Trash swamp and never rises and is nothing more than a fantasy for trapped, abused women. But even they are not given the catharsis they need. So it all emerges from the dark and the damp as a not so clever, less than satisfying, story of a girl with grit.

jotix100 Zev Berman, the director of "Plain Dirty", or "Briar Patch" as it's identified in these pages, takes a big chance in bringing this Deborah Pryor's screen play to the screen. First of all, this is a courageous piece of film making, and the characters in the film don't exactly endear themselves to the viewer. The film is a moody attempt to present us people that are living at the edge of society with basically no redeeming qualities to them, yet, we are hooked into watching the movie until the end, no small feat Zev Berman pulls on his viewers.We were attracted to the movie on the strength of its excellent cast. Henry Thomas is an actor that is always interesting to watch. As Edgar, he is the man obsessed with Inez, a woman he mistreats endlessly. Inez, played by Dominique Swan, makes a good contribution to the film as the girl who can't take any more of the beatings she receives from Edgar. It's clear, from the start, that Flowers is secretly in love with Inez, but being such a sorry sight, knows he can't compete with Dru, the rich guy who wants Inez for himself. Both Artie Verveen and James Urbaniak are right on the money about how they play their characters. Also, Debra Monk, who is seen as the police officer Avon is, as always, excellent.The film sort of hypnotizes the viewer with the cinematography of Scott Kevan and the haunting score by Nathan Barr. While it's clear that this is a not a film for a lot of people, as demonstrated by the many negative comments to this forum, the least one can do is watch it with some degree of respect because the tremendous job by Zev Berman has accomplished with this movie.

fireheart412 I watched this movie because I am a fan of Dominique Swain's work. Her acting was done well in this movie, but her southern accent wasn't very convincing to me since I actually live in the south myself. All of the acting in this film was decent, regardless of how dull the film actually was. "Plain Dirty" has a lot of stale and boring moments and it moves as slow as molasses. Basically, it is a portrait of southern poverty with little excitement or thrills. There is somewhat of a plot, but it's not very intriguing and I think most viewers would walk away from the film without a second thought about it. There is murder in the film, but it isn't even very convincing. There is love in the film, but it's not moving. There is a variety of characters in the film, but none of them are remotely interesting. The three main characters were lazy, filthy, and dumb in my honest opinion, and I felt nothing emotionally for any of them. It's one of those films where you are sitting there saying to yourself, "Come on, get to the point, when is this going to end!?". On a positive note, I do think the cinematography and the musical score were beautifully done, and complimented the gritty depiction of the south well. All in all, I was disappointed with the movie and found it to be dry and boring. Even if you are a big fan of Dominique Swain, like I am, I still don't recommend this film.

babywatson I don't usually like romance movies. They drive me up a wall. Same with romance books. But perhaps because this was romantic in a weird way, I did really like it.Swain plays a down-and-out white trash girl in Virginia, married to a creep named Edgar who robs stores to keep themselves afloat. They don't give you a background as to why she ever married this creep, but the bloom has worn off the rose and she just wants to get away from him now.She's in love with a very pale young man who is a lawyer in their small Southern town. He's a big fish in a small pond and more to offer her then she's ever seen in her whole white trash life.Edgar also has a best friend, a guy named "Flowers", for what reason I can't imagine, who hangs around Edgar and his wife all the time. Flowers is infatuated with Inez, Edgar's wife, but she finds him repulsive. He really is, at first--you have to look hard through all the dirt and bad clothing and beard to recognize pretty nice-looking Ari Verveen.Edgar knows Inez is in love with someone else and after a fight, decides to keep her prisoner in her own house by chaining her to her bed at night and to the sofa daily, with Flowers standing guard while Edgar goes and does whatever it is he does.Inez manages to convince Flowers to help her to get away from Edgar by murdering him for her. He doesn't really need a lot of convincing, since he wants her for himself.These people are completely amoral and trashy, but there is still a beautiful kind of poetic romance to Flower's love for Inez. I loved the movie. Even if you hate romances, you may find it great too.