The film 'Crash' was a hit, as it used multiple characters' individual narratives to intertwine a story which all ties up together. Here, 'Powder Blue' attempts to do the same - with mixed results.First of all, I didn't like it. But it is quite a long film and I persevered. Now, looking back on it, I'm glad I did. It's not as good as Crash and it is kind of overloaded with sentimentality - every scene seems to be trying to get you to cry for each and every character. Perhaps it was nice to see some Hollywood characters feeling as down and miserable as the rest of us? Either way, the performances are pretty good - naturally from Forest Whittaker and Ray Liotta, but also from Jessica Biel (who comes in for more than her fair share of acting criticism these days).It is certainly a slow-burner. Not much happens during the beginning and it takes a while to get going. So, although it doesn't exactly reinvent the wheel in terms of film-making, it's not a bad little piece, but I feel it's one of those films that you have to be well in the mood for to really appreciate. It should probably come with a warning not to watch it if you don't want to be depressed or brought down by one tale of woe after the next.

Los Angeles can be a hard city. It is the backdrop for the intertwined stories of four fractured people: Jack (Ray Liotta), out of jail after 25 years, Rose-Johnny (Jessica Biel), a stripper with a son in a coma, Charlie (Forest Whittaker), a suicidal widower, and Qwerty (Eddie Redmayne), a mortician with shyness issues.With multi-strand stories like this, there are a number of things which govern how effective they are as a movie. Do we care about the people? How well are the story threads tied together? Does it surprise us, or is it predictable? For instance, there are elements of the Rose-Johnny/Jack relationship which are signposted a little too heavily (not good), as opposed to noting that we had two protagonists with money and clear exit routes from life, and two protagonists with strong reasons for living and also a need for money, where the obvious developments don't exactly take place. Here, the majority of this film worked and worked well.For a film which looks at the underside of LA life, this film is beautifully and carefully filmed: the attention to colour shows in every scene.It is unfortunate that this will probably be remembered for the movie in which Jessica Biel gets her kit off, because there is so much more here, not least of which are excellent performances from the whole cast, but especially Biel, whose performance is emotionally raw.I was both engaged, and frequently moved, by this film.

Any movie featuring Forest Whitaker at least wants to be a powerful drama. This one is no exception. But Whitaker is not the only high talent name starring. Ray Liotta and Jessica Biel contribute their considerable skills. And Eddie Redmayne, who I have never heard of, turns in an equally fine performance.Supporting are Kris Kristofferson, Patrick Swayze, and Lisa Kudrow, each of whom likewise display their fine acting ability.This movie is a powerful drama. The various starring and supporting characters are each well developed. The actors effectively portray their character's individual situations and communicate their motivation, their desperation. The viewer can not help, not just to empathize with them, but to invest emotionally in them. They each have the best of intentions, in the most dire of circumstances. How the main four characters lives eventually intersect is emotionally draining.This film is not light entertainment, but it is well worth watching. And like "Crash" it is a movie that I would watch again, knowing how it comes out, as soon as I have recharged my energy.

Ironically I rec'd this movie from Netflix on a weekend I was seriously wanting to end it all & had a plan. Being the chicken-sh*t that I am, I didn't execute (obviously). This movie didn't give me the will to live but it made me want to keep going a little longer. My situation is bad, but not as bad as it could be. All of the characters portrayed had their struggles but made it through via communications that wouldn't have happened otherwise. . Anything can happen in Hollywood so the rest of us shouldn't give up so soon - yeah, right!! The 2 most poignant points for me were when Johnny asked Qwerty to go to Paris after her trauma - life goes on when other aspects don't. The shopping cart scene was too cool too! ;-) We should be so lucky to have some one who's willing to stay close during hard times. The other point is, I guess, there's hope,somewhere, somehow!! Charlie saw the light, so to speak, amidst his struggle with mortality. The potential homicidal,scenes were particularly hard to watch. Not because I wanted to do it (I still do) but that it would affect people who might actually give a scant or separate interest. Thanks Tim Linh Bui & producers who made this movie happen. The noose remains loose!