Plantiana Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

Odelecol Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

TaryBiggBall It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

filippaberry84 I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

cronostitan Poor man Bandini, all these little pigs who party all day and night long in L.A., and no one do not even invite him ! There are undoubtedly many of the small details, and that nobody really notices in this story...In fact one very great adaptation of a classic of the American literature, about which I would have only modestly that very few things to be said. Black thriller (and still), not without cynicism, the intrigue tells the story of a poor guy gone up to Los Angeles to succeed and who meets a poor girl lost by her own charm... Except that in this case, it is exactly the heroine who wins the emotional prize. Even if the fact is that the vamp Camilla Lopez, who is really beautiful to her part, is in love with an other one - what will be in a way eventually fatal to her - this protagonist is higher - in colors, more alive and unpredictable than Arturo Bandini, who is in the case of the kind to be thought of being able to obtain everything by paying invoice or grocery note. Furthermore, it is certain that his disenchanted comments, otherwise sometimes precious, may sometimes embarrass the reader.Finally whether Bandini, this author (who becomes suddenly successful and recognized) touches us, Ask the dust contains filigrame of this overflowing crudeness that we just love all somewhere although we say it and which often belongs anyway to the reality, also while giving a good place to the outsiders - what is very considerable. Finally if the book is also representative of a time(period), let us admit that it remains filled with the truth otherwise of optimism, while being also totally deprived of any stinginess either of this easy well-to-do and misplaced vanity and do-it-yourself-for-a-bestseller stuff whom we shall see moreover only more in many of these works of today! John Fante is an immense writer, and of course, the book is way better than the movie.

Gary Imhoff Most of the comments are right on point: the cinematography, set design, costuming, and recreation of California of the thirties are wonderful; Hayek is beautiful and Farrell good-looking. The problem with the movie is that not just the plot but also the script is true to its period. The dialogue and spoken narration are from the thirties -- the overwritten, wordy, Broadway-influenced, "literary" scripts of Clifford Odets, Robert Sherwood, Eugene O'Neill, and so on. Towne has an excuse for part of Ask the Dust's script, since he's writing about a writer who's obsessed with and intoxicated by his own words, but the style spills over into the rest of the script. A talky, "literary" movie can have its own charms for sympathetic viewers, but most of the audience will dismiss it as stagy and pretentious.

frank_engelsvoll This movie is one of the best i have ever seen. It has a lot of different stuff. A lot of feelings in it, and makes you sit in 20 minutes after it is done, thinking...Colin Farrell delivers a lot of talent, in this film. Salma Hayek i have always liked, and she really is worth gold in the film.I have only positive things to say about it, and i hope everyone else find it as pleasuring to watch as i did. And although it is not a horror movie, or a movie with a lot of killing and that sort of stuff,it is worth watching for ANYONE.My highest recommendations!

Marketa-Janderkova The 1930' were a golden age of Los Angeles with its film industry and great potential of various other possibilities to become rich and famous and happy. People were arriving there hoping to fulfill their dreams. Expecting open arms and welcoming offers there were only a few who managed to succeed and find their way to stardom, majority then condemned to live starving, disillusioned and unwanted, searching for a bit of respect in dirty bars and nasty hotel rooms. Young Italian-American writer Arturo Bandini arrives to LA on a similar quest - to spread his charms around to get one of those beautiful wealthy women and to write an excellent novel that would set him on a career path, having so far written a single short story published in an obscure anthology. Wishing to create a romantic masterpiece he seems to be unable to produce anything without experiencing it himself though, occasionally, he sends pieces of magazine stories to a local editor that helps him survive. He is proud to present himself as an Italian but deep in his heart he truly feels his Italian origin as a burden. The little money and the courage to conquer the world he once had are all long gone and watching his dream turning into a hangover he holds a last single nickel to spend. The coffee she brought him was cold and sour and spitting a curse on her triggers a never-ending relationship of insults, unspoken excuses and a love concealed beneath. Camilla being an uneducated girl trying to receive US citizenship through a marriage also carries her heavy cross of a non-perspective racial heritage. Though she is much of a stronger and life experienced person her situation as a beautiful Mexican woman is much harder to deal with than Arturo is able to realize. Is it obvious that Arturo eventually finds his inspiration to work on the novel? Is it possible that their love finally finds its place in the sun? Is it likely that their romance takes an unlucky turn?It is very surprising to find out that the chemistry between the two main characters, performed by Salma Hayek and Colin Farrell, does not work. The relationship lacks the raw and authentic feelings. Hayek though livelier a character compared to Farrell's forgot to arm Camilla with the passion and strength of her once brilliant character Frida. Also it is hard to have faith in a character which being intelligent but uneducated and illiterate uses quite difficult vocabulary and complicated sentences. A tougher character of a Phil Marlowe sort would definitely suit Farrell better, though he looks stunning in a period costume, he seems very lost trying to find the fragile world of a twenty-year old dreamer balancing between a hidden love and desire to be true to himself. Feeling embarrassed watching the two on the screen is not right. Their relationship might have been wild but it is more likely what a thunder and a lightning are without a storm, far from real passion, feelings just described not felt inside. It is very sad that such a potential of an interesting script and good actors was wasted, turned into a grey average of soon-to-be-forgotten.