SYNOPSICS
2 Days in the Valley (1996) is a English,Vietnamese movie. John Herzfeld has directed this movie. Teri Hatcher,Jeff Daniels,Danny Aiello,Charlize Theron are the starring of this movie. It was released in 1996. 2 Days in the Valley (1996) is considered one of the best Comedy,Crime,Thriller movie in India and around the world.
John Herzfeld deftly welds together a multitude of subplots-- a loser hitman and a cool assassin involved in an insurance scam; a washed-up director, turned suicidal, if only he had someone to care for his beloved dog; a snooty art dealer, wracked by kidney stones, cared for by his devoted assistant; a grungy deranged vice cop, now partnered with a fresh-faced rookie; and two beautiful and jealous women entangled in their deadly scheme--into a spoof of the crime thriller genre.
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2 Days in the Valley (1996) Reviews
One of the best movies that nobody's seen!
Unfortunately, "2 Days in the Valley" didn't get a big audience. I saw it in theaters and enjoyed it very much, and now that I bought the DVD I still enjoy it very much! This is really a unique, original piece of work with echoes of Tarantino. Just like any Tarantino film, the characterizations are very well-developed and the dialogue is sharp, witty and full of observation. The film is an ensemble piece that works on the same level as many others in the genre: We're approached with a series of characters and as the story develops, we watch how the situations all interweave. The result is a hilarious, drop-dead funny dark comedy that's entertaining from start to finish! The music by Anthony Marinelli perfectly accentuates the ironic, darkly comic setting. One of the crucial elements to make a film like this work is, of course, the characters. Each character is quirky in their own respect, yet they're not caricatures. This is not a farce; this is a real comedy about real people who are really screwed up. We probably know some of these people in our personal lives. And the wonderful cast of multi-talented performers shine in each of their respective roles. Danny Aiello is definitely one of our best actors, with an intense screen presence. He blesses us with another memorable performance as a hitman-turned-pizzeria-owner, who takes a yuppie couple (Glenne Headley, Greg Crutwell) hostage. Headley is a mousey, ultimately naive woman who does everything for, yet ceases to please, her mate--Crutwell as an annoyingly snooty Englishman with kidney problems. You want to cheer in every scene Aiello yells in his face or punches him out. Former teen star Eric Stoltz is good in a quiet role as a rookie detective, who's a little held-back but knows what's right. Jeff Daniels is beautifully cast and outstanding as his partner, who's been in the business for a lot longer, but is a loose cannon and will do absolutely anything--including exposing the masseuses of a Japanese parlor for alleged prostitution--to protect the dear "Valley." James Spader has mastered the role of the yuppie serial killer, and reprises the role he was born to play. He's smooth as ever and sadistic as ever. That's the Spader we know! Charlize Theron is the sexiest in her debut role as Spader's seductive partner. If you want to see the beautiful Charlize at her absolute hottest--look no further! Paul Mazursky--who I've seen in other movies, but doesn't quite stick in my mind--has a nice little supporting role as a washed-up screenwriter. I'll probably have him better stored in my memory after seeing him in this movie, he really is terrific. Finally, we have veteran actress Marsha Mason as a nurse, whose half brother is Crutwell. And there we go--the characters interweave. Each character has an odd sense of irony, which is what's wonderful about this movie. The only minor flaws are the sometimes-contrived ways of merging the characters into different situations and the excess of characters. There are tons of characters, and though they are all greatly developed in their own particular scenes, the running time prohibits us from getting to know the whole story on some of them--and that's a little bit of crutch, since we grow to love (or love to hate) all these characters. For example, I wanted to see more of Daniels' character and his story comes to a halt midway. Nevertheless, I was laughing all the way through and never once felt that the film lagged. I was surprised to look at John Herzfeld's (the writer/director) filmography and see a group of TV movies, after-school specials and a few flops, including "Two of a Kind" with John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. Herzfeld really has an ear for dialogue, and he can be the next Tarantino! I'm not kidding! And I love the way he captures the sunny California setting. So beautiful and picturesque. I know I'm using a lot of superlatives to describe this movie, but it's so darn good and so few people went to see it and I hope more people do. So I urge anyone who hasn't to check out this underrated gem! You won't be disappointed! My score: 8 (out of 10)
Too much fun to miss
In addition to the clever plot and delicious acting you get to see very early work by Charlize Theron and James Spader, either of which is worth your time. All of the characters are full-fledged characters, with not a weak link in the chain; and those playing those characters all make the best of it. It's a true ensemble cast, with no one -- with the possible exception of Spader, having a lead role. The story is full of twists, surprises and turnabouts enough to flesh out two or three movies. You can tell that all of these fine actors are enjoying playing the quirky characters we are presented with to make this a true fun romp.
Deserved more moviegoer attention.
Yes, this can be compared to "Pulp Fiction". It has a slew of twists and veers from one set of characters to another at the drop of a hat. Unlike "Pulp", however, there are many sympathetic characters mixed into the cast. The film has humor (a hired gunman that spends much of the movie looking for Italian seasonings while cooking for his captives), some sadness (a once successful director down on his luck, ready for suicide, being ridiculed by a bit part actor), a very lush Charlize Theron, a movie mogul with "kidney stones", and an extremely competent killer that has a thing with his stop watch. Let's not forget the two police officers, one a compassionate young man looking to advance to criminal investigation, the other a red neck failure that decides its time to shoot a foursome at the golf course next to his home. How these characters are brought together through the planning of an Olympic star (well, almost a star)who is ready to have her ex knocked off for the will is amusing, well acted, and one of the best films I've seen in some time.
Worth watching....for its entertainment value.
Trying to compare Two Days in the Valley with Tarantino's Pulp Fiction is pointless. There is very little originality in the vast majority of modern movies; by and large within their particular genre most movies are variations on a theme. I've watched Pulp Fiction several times and enjoyed it every time and I'll probably watch it many times more. I watched Two Days in the Valley and never once thought about PF, because I enjoyed it and accepted it as just another variation on a theme that was worth watching....and I'll more than likely watch it again....for its entertainment value. The characters were believable in a many-threaded plot that finally knitted together in a way that did not seem contrived.
Interesting mish-mash of characters who all eventually fit together...
1st watched 2/5/2000 - (Dir-John Herzfeld): Interesting mish-mash of characters who all eventually fit together amidst violent crimes started by a man who seems to be used to this line of work. Despite the obvious muddle-filled lives we are able to pick out those that we route for and they seemed to win out in the end. Interesting small film with many big names.