Down In The Valley "B+"

Do You Have Gumption?

Many comparisons have been made to one of Martin Scorsese’s classics. They call this film “Taxi Driver of the heart”, or "Norton channels De Niro as Travis Bickle" and so on.

“Down In The Valley”, is not that film. Does it borrow elements? Sure. Does Norton really channel De Niro? Absolutely. Are the character portrayals the same? Nope.

People seem to be torn on this film. I think it’s one of the best films about true mental illness in years. So often we see exaggerated caricatures of what mental illness is. But the truth is, this is closer to reality. Many people who are “sick” live among us and interact with us daily. Most don’t hurt people when pushed but some do.

Edward Norton plays Harlan. Harlan believes he is a cowboy. Yes, an actual cowboy. He treats people, especially elders, with that “good old boy” respect and has dreams of meeting a nice woman to settle down with. Problem is, that he is actually an ex-con who lives in the San Fernando valley. He is deluded just enough to live a happy and peaceful life. That is until he meets Tobe, played beautifully by Evan Rachel Wood. She is magnificent in this role, which I believe is one of the most accurate portrayals of teen boredom ever filmed. Wood is simply amazing here and I think she has firmly established herself as one of the most brilliant up and coming actresses of her generation. With brilliant roles in “Thirteen” and “Pretty Persuasion” on her resume, is there anything that she can’t do? She digs in and imbibes this character with the right mixture of innocence, sexuality, rebelliousness, and boredom.

Edward Norton plays Harlan with just the right degree of “aw, shucks” sincerity and danger. You always feel that there is something off about him but as he unravels you still root for him. He is treated unfairly by Tobe’s dad played strongly by David Morse. But does he not like him because he’s nearly 20 years older than his daughter or is it because he can see through the good old boy act? While her dad has good intentions for his daughter, he just sucks at being a dad. Some people can be good parents but most suck at it. Does that make them bad people? Not particularly. They just shouldn't have been parents. Tobe’s dad falls into the latter.

The story is somewhat predictable but the performances are so delightful that this is a small issue. It’s filmed well by showing the not too glamorous aspects of So. Cal. There are some humorous moments in this story but ultimately it’s a heartbreaking tale of the fantasy of young love set against the backdrop of harsh reality.

You might even be reminded of people you know, which is in itself scary but sadly true.

See this movie and think of how much better your life is.