Exoticalot
People are voting emotionally.
DipitySkillful
an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.
PiraBit
if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.
laddie5
Surfing the cable channels one night, I stumbled on this little movie and was struck first by the gorgeous cinematography: the close-ups of Kathleen Robertson were almost hallucinatory. Despite her choppy bleached hair, ordinary looks, and snippy acting style, she looked so radiantly attractive that it was immediately clear the director was madly in love with her. The director being Gregg Araki, his taste in men was actually better: he clearly enjoyed putting Matt Keeslar and Jonathan Schaech together on a couch, in bed, and in the shower. The movie is Araki's modern version of Design for Living, the old Noel Coward warhorse (note the third-act appearance of a character named Ernest, the bourgeois dullard the heroine almost marries). Too bad Araki didn't have Miriam Hopkins to work with instead of Robertson. Visually, the movie is amazing, but where it falls seriously short is in the writing... to say that Araki is no Noel Coward is like saying that Pauly Shore is no Charlie Chaplin. Like, duh. Somehow, though, this wafer-thin comedy seemed to liberate him from the cynical dead end he'd fallen into in the 90s -- his next movie (with a solid story by Scott Heim) was Mysterious Skin, a riveting, fearless masterpiece that was unquestionably the best American movie of 2004.
gradyharp
SPLENDOR is a quick little film that once again demonstrates writer/director Gregg Araki's talent in making big social comments out of just a little idea. Though this may not be one of his most successful films, it certainly has enough going for it to give it a look.Narrated by flippant, kooky, slightly irritatingly shallow Veronica (Kathleen Robertson) who also is the main character of the story, we find that Veronica (aka V aka Ron) has been on a dry run for a love life for a long time, and just when she thinks she'll never find her man, up pops Halloween, and with her best friend Mike (Kelly MacDonald) she ventures into a party where she meets not one but two candidates for relationship - Abel (hunky Jonathan Schaech) who is a would be writer and is inept at about everything social and Zed (also hunky Matt Keeslar) who is a drummer whose intellect and socialization skills don't go far beyond his drumsticks. Veronica beds them both, finds them equally attractive and eventually the three become a ménage à trois in the same apartment. The two men, while transiently jealous of each other, ultimately find happiness in Veronica's breadwinning capabilities and both truly love her and each other. Things become strained when Veronica learns she is pregnant! Meanwhile, Veronica is offered upward mobility by yet another hunk Ernest (Eric Mabius) who represents stability and money whereas Abel and Zed represent only passion. Considering her pregnant life choices she agrees to marry Ernest despite her lack of loving him and all proceeds towards the wedding day when Abel and Zed decide to make changes in the plans.Schaech, Mabius and Keeslar provide sufficient eye candy to overcome a strained script. Had Veronica been cast differently the story may have had a better impact, but as it is this remains a fun, spunky movie that for Araki fans is a good diversion. Grady Harp
tributarystu
What a paradox, to call a movie "Splendor" and the movie to be nowhere near it! Amusing, indeed. Plotwise, it's - to a certain, unpredictable and even "unthought" of point - interesting, if we were to learn a lot about modern day mentalities and social patterns. Which we don't, not even in an evasive manner. So we have this young "lady", Veronica, who, one night, meets two "prince charming". Of course it's quite overwhelming, and our young damsel in distress, having been placed in a most ungrateful situation, is faced with a decision-making task. So many choices, so many options, what to do - one would wonder. Of course, it'd be great to have a taste of both (as Marque humourfully sings about, in one of his songs). Initially, Veronica dates the guys separately but later, after everyone involved meets everyone involved, the three become...well, two he's and a she. Rise and shine before thy sinks, as the motto goes (or doesn't).Veronica has a very clear character. She is a confused young girl, who acts on her instincts and sees later that the future isn't as easy as she initially thought. So then appears another guy, who can offer her all she wants...just that - darn! - she doesn't love him and so the ride goes on and on.It's too bad thoughts tend to go astray at certain moments. I mean, I've seen much better love movies with twisted plots! And, probably, so have you.
polarbyte
Mmmm, maybe not. Two guys, one girl, and a apt. Besides the moral questions through out the entire movie of "is this healthy", you wonder why they didn't turn it into a soft porn. It is funny, you will enjoy watching it. Get's kinda cheesy towards the end. I was pleased with the directing however, and I loved how our main actress, Kathleen Robertson, looks positively radiant in her shots of playing narrator. Rent it or catch it on cable, I don't see this as something to add to the old DVD collection.
