Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #32092 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-03-05
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 112 minutes

Synopsis
Director David Jacobsen’s DOWN IN THE VALLEY plays like a romantic, operatic lament for the disappearing cinematic and real-life icon: the American cowboy. Many of the elements that would fuse, say, a classic John Wayne character are present in Edward Norton’s (PRIMAL FEAR, 25TH HOUR) character, Harlan Fairfax Caruthers: he’s polite, soft-spoken, yet stubbornly brave and handy with Colt steel and lead. While at home in Death Valley in the mid 1800s, these characteristics are positively anachronistic in modern-day San Fernando Valley. How else to explain the reaction of a gaggle of giggling teenagers to Harlan as he pumps their gas? One of the teens, Tope (Evan Rachel Wood), is immediately attracted to these charms and invites Harlan along to the beach. A whirlwind romance follows, much to the chagrin of Tope’s (short for October) father, Wade (David Morse), who senses there is more to Harlan than meets the eye. Indeed, things begin to unravel when Harlan lies about "borrowing" a horse from a local rancher that leads to a threat at gunpoint. To make matters worse, Harlan ingratiates himself more by spending time with Tope’s attention-starved younger brother, Lonnie (Rory Culkin). Eventually, as more of the dangerous demons beneath Harlan’s charming veneer reveal themselves, action must be taken and justice meted out, Old West-style. At times tense and, alternatively, quiet, DOWN IN THE VALLEY features some creative camera work from cinematographer Enrique Chediak that fits both moods. Also, be on the look-out for a scene-long quotation from TAXI DRIVER.

Customer Reviews

Excellent indie drama
This one tells the tale of Harlan, a man clad in the dress and mannerisms of a cowboy despite living in the cowboy-free zone of twenty-first century LA. He's a misfit, as you would expect, but things perk up for Harlan when he meets rebellious wee thing Tobe (short for October) and the two hit it off right away. The film follows the development of their relationship - her, smitten by his anachronistic nature; him, smitten by her... well, because she's cute and doesn't make fun of his hat - and the inevitable complications they face as Tobe's stern father decides he doesn't like this cowboy fellow one little bit.

Edward Norton adds to the list of complex, interesting characters he's played on film with this one. His Harlan is a pleasing mish-mash of contradictions (old fashioned when it suits him, modern when it doesn't) who you can't help feeling for even as you cringe when he does something inappropriate. Many big name actors would have avoided this part like a potential stain on their list of purely heroic (and entirely unrealistic) portrayals, so hats off to Norton for his willingness (as with American History X) to take the road less travelled.

Also excellent here is the always excellent David Morse as Tobe's father, a man who perhaps better represents the true nature of the old west (as opposed to Harlan's dangerously romanticised version). Once again, this is a characterisation that choses real-world moral ambiguity over simplistic good guy/bad guy options. Morse's Wade is a guy you sometimes like and sometimes don't, just like real people.

As for the rest of the cast, Evan Rachel Wood does well as the feisty Tobe, while Rory Culkin (very good in Mean Creek) continues to prove he might be the most talented member of his clan.

If you're a fan of independent drama, you really can't go wrong with this one. I liked it a lot. It has great acting all around, refuses to over-analyse its characters (thank the gods - no backstory), and tells an enthralling story that builds to a perfect yet unexpected conclusion. Highly recommended.

Difficult to place this in a genre ...
Annoyingly, Edward Norton hasn't made many films recently and I was waiting a long time to see this. Thanks largely to good performances from Edward Norton and the very busy Evan Rachel Wood this is an entertaining enough movie. It will pass the time amicably enough, but I feel the script could have been stronger.

The film teeters near the edge of a fish-out-of-water comedy/melodrama as we have a cowboy out of place in L.A. Then it comes close to being a much sinister and darker film. It never can quite make up it's mind what it wants to be. Also, you have no idea what is motivating the main character to do what he does in the final third of the film. He may be a little unstable and a little strange, but, as a non-mainstream, character-driven film, you would expect a little more character study and some insight into his actions.

As in `Primal Fear', Norton displays his acting range by switching from an innocent, out-of-place guy to a threatening menace, but the director (who also wrote the film) cannot commit to either side of the character. He flirts with the idea of Norton as an innocent and as a menace, but never takes the story fully in that direction.

It is good, however, to see two great actors of our generation - Norton and Wood - in the same film together. And all in all it is a solid, entertaining film.

Not everyones cup of tea
Good points: Edward Norton

This is a quite slow film but if you are a fan of Edward Norton, you will be able to sit through the film. The script is actually horrendous and boring,if not for Edward Norton.

Its based on a "35 year old" cowboy who goes into a suburb to experience new life and meets a teenage girl and seems oblivious to the fact that her foster parent is not too keen his daughter going out with this 35yr old man. In most scenes he still sees himself as a cowboy back in early days when they used to count to 10, turn around and shot.

I would watch it again because it makes me laugh although it is not commedy.