Ask the Dust

Starring: Colin Farrell, Salma Hayek, Donald Sutherland
Directed by: Robert Towne
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Romance
2006

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A writer (Colin Farrell) struggles to pen a great work, and falls for a feisty Mexican (Salma Hayek).

Review:

Tim: If I wasn't stuck on an airplane somewhere over the Atlantic, I might have found this movie less enjoyable. Being that my options were limited, I was able to get at least somewhat engaged. The film is by no means terrible, but it is ultimately too ineffective to pack the emotional punch it tries to deliver. We don't immediately dismiss the impact, but we're able to quickly shrug it off.

Colin Farrell is not great in the role. I'm not sure how much a better actor could have got out of the role, but Farrell squeezes out next to nothing. He has a few moments where he shows flashes of brilliance as he reveals his true potential then slips back into his slovenly, zombie-like state for the rest of the movie. Salma Hayek also has a few good moments, one or two great ones, but mostly seems like she is just trying too hard. I wouldn't necessarily say she and Farrell have chemistry, but they are not totally unwatchable, either. Donald Sutherland makes a few brief appearances, but really, he has absolutely no business being in this movie at all.

The biggest problem with Ask the Dust is that I just couldn't care about it- the movie, the characters, or the plot as it unfolded. This is probably because the movie offers nothing new or anything that we have not been shown before. The film is not bad, it is just unremarkable and forgettable. This is especially troublesome because the film tries so hard to be an emotional drama. The main emotion felt, however, is ambivalence.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: American Outlaws, Desperado, Frida