Review: I really really struggled to get into this movie. I found the pace, pretty slow and I couldn't understand what the hell the characters were saying because of there Deep South accents. The only part of the plot that I could understand was the fact that the family was on a journey to bury there mother, but apart from that, I lost the plot. The performances seemed quite good, and the storyline, which is adapted from a book, seemed OK, but I just couldn't relate to it. In some ways, it's a road movie because of the families journey, but each character is pretty complex which is translated through narration which was even more complicating. Anyway, the families bad luck really does take its toil on the there journey which makes the movie, is you can follow it. Average!Round-Up: James Franco has really shown that he has a deep side with the way that he directed this movie. After starring in so many comedies, this movie really does show that he doesn't want to be type casted as an actor and director. Personally, after watching Child Of God which was also directed by Franco, I have found it hard to get into his films because of the tempo and the concepts which he is drawn to. Tim Blake Nelson, who was great in O' Brother, Where Art Thou, was a good choice as the father in this movie because he naturally seems like he is from the Deep South which was needed for his role. I obviously wasn't the only person who struggled to find this movie interesting because of the box office takings, but after watching the extras on the DVD, Franco was pleased with the outcome and the cast were also pleased that he stayed true to the book.Budget: N/A Worldwide Gross: $17,000 (Terrible!)I recommend this movie to people who are into there Deep South movies about a family with really bad luck, who travel to bury there mother. 3/10

By odd coincidence, I found out this movie was in the works as I was reading the book for the first time. Well, actually the second time, since I couldn't decipher a good percentage of the story the first time through and had to re-read it after looking up an on-line analysis of the book. The second time it made a lot more sense.And that's probably the reaction that viewers of this movie who have never read the book will have. The book is "stream of consciousness", with each chapter told from a different character's point of view and the narrative often breaking down into a surreal, dream-like quality. The filmmakers tried to capture that with the use of split-screen and by occasionally having characters talk directly to the camera, so the movie might be more than a little confusing if you come to it "cold".The movie is taken nearly word-for-word from the book. Most of the dialog is the same, and the major plot points were just as I pictured them from the book. When I heard about the film version, I was afraid they'd dumb it down or try to make it more "Hollywood" so a mainstream audience could follow it, but they didn't. So basically, if the tragic tale of a backwoods southern family in the early 1900s trying to get their mother's body back to her home town for burial and meeting all sorts of disasters along the way, all told in an artistic and somewhat confusing way, doesn't sound appealing, you might want to skip this one. But if you're up for the challenge, give it a go.And if you find yourself not understanding the movie at all, I'd recommend finding a good summary of the plot and characters on-line, and then reading the book so you can follow the thick southern accented dialog, then re-watch the movie. It's a well done film, and the fact that it currently has just a 5.5 star average on IMDb is a shame.

This film tells the story of a family who travels to get their mother buried.Honestly, I don't even know how to begin to tell the world how terrible this film is. I watched it for almost an hour before I begin to know the film is about their journey to bury their mother. The story telling is appalling, and made worse by the pretentious use of split screen that sites incongruous messages. For example, in a scene where a man's taking, the left side of the screen sites his face motionless while the right side of the screen sites him talking.It's as if there is an alternate universe within the film. The plot is ultra boring as well. just do but watch this mess.

"As I Lay Dying" is not an easy sell as a commercial film. The title already intimates that it will be a depressing story about Death. It is based on the novel of an author, who, while being a Nobel Laureate, is not really known for being very easy to read -- William Faulkner. Hence, we can expect a film that is similarly hard to watch. Upon giving it a go, I am not wrong on both counts.This film is about the Bundrens, a poor but proud rural family from the boondocks of Mississippi. The mother Addie (Beth Grant) dies at the beginning of the film. Her husband Anse and their five children bring her coffin a long distance to Addie's hometown to be buried, in order to fulfill a dying wish. Along their long trip, we will get to know each character better as each one has his own little story to tell.This is one very slow film which will strain the patience of the most moviegoers. The contemplative script is full of deep monologues as each character tells his version of life. It certainly reflects the style that Faulkner is famous for -- his stream of consciousness writing style as well as the multiple narrators. This is the directorial debut of hard-working star James Franco, who has certainly gone a long way from when we first knew him as Harry Osborne in "Spider Man." He bravely tackles a difficult novel and he actually succeeds to visually interpret it very well. Once you get the drift of this languid storytelling style, and his attention-grabbing split screen technique, you will be mesmerized and drawn in. The imagery used is compelling as the grand country vistas contrast with intimate personal moments. Easily the best performer in the cast is Tim Blake Nelson as the stubborn and irascible patriarch of the brood, Anse. He has most realistic portrayal with that hot-potato drawl of his, uttering the most maddening of pronouncements. There is actually humor in his unpleasantness.The five Bundren children and the actors who play them, namely Cash (Jim Parrack), Darl (James Franco), Jewel (Logan Marshall-Green), Dewey Dell (Ahna O'Reilly) and little Vardaman (Brady Permenter), all have their moments. While Darl seemed to be the most centered of all the characters, ironically, it was James Franco who seemed to lack something in his portrayal. Maybe it is because we expect the most from him.This film is not for everyone because of its glacial pace and dark brooding subject matter. But with the proper attitude and frame of mind, you may actually find this a fascinating rumination about life and mortality, as you immerse yourself in this grim slice of rural American life in the 1920s. 7/10.