Purely Joyful Movie!

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

It seems this film was created with a certain assumption, and demographic in mind. As a person who has moved to the area (temporarily) I can only say- watch "I Walk the Line" instead.This film is a fraud. Producers have no story, so create a ragamuffin who is abused. I do like Dominique Swain, but this film is awful. No performance could transcend the dearth of material. I am only being honest. If you are really interested in decent acting, rural settings, and the theme of unrequited love, there are so many more choices.Seriously, if cinema has fallen this low that American audiences are expected to sympathize with a trashy, undeveloped and practically non-existent theme; then we may as well never pay money to see any drama offered to the American public. This is unadulterated trash, and any audience deserves better. One star for Swain.

Arie Verveen seems so filthy and stupid when the film begins and the sets and settings of the movie show such filth and unpleasant sights that the viewers begin to be disgusted. Watching the movie, I felt as if I was afraid to touch any surface and I felt that I needed a scrub-brush or a hose. These feelings, however, shouldn't allow the viewer to see that the movie is a fantastic psychological thriller under the surface. Arie Verveen, evoking the ghost of Brando, delves deeply into the character of his part to show how you never know what's what or who someone truly is until you get beyond the skin. Strong performances by Dominique Swain as the childlike bride, Henry Thomas as the brutal husband Edgar and Karen Allen as the modern-day witchwoman down the lane add depth to an already deep pond. An interesting viewing, I'm looking forward to more from Deborah Pryor, who provided a very well-made story.

Really liked the acting and the cinematography of this film. Some real standout performances by Arie Verveen, Henry Thomas, and Dominique Swain. This movie portrayed the grim, gritty and DIRTY lives of these southerners quite realistically. The art direction was quite nice- and i really liked Henry Thomas' shirts- his character had a great sense of fashion, incidentally. I wasn't quite able to really, really get into the story, the pacing was a little slow. It was nice to see the development of the Flowers character by the end, again beautifully acted by Verveen as subtle and low key. I kept waiting for Swain's character to wash her hair and change her bandage but... it worked well for the denouement in the rain. The most striking thing about the film is the cinematography. Some really nice work here.

This is one of those films. The kind that stays with you for days. Continues to haunt you with the beauty of its images. Stirs up a chilling current of passion that begs to be released. One of those films that unfurls too much raw beauty not be considered a work of art. "Plain Dirty" is the first feature film (hard to believe) for AFI grad, Director Zev Berman. A rare literary & visual triumph, this film delivers the richness of Southern landscape with a cinematic finery rarely achieved. From the opening title sequence to the last leaf of the Briar Patch, Berman proves himself a true master of detail. Combined with an emotive, suspenseful score, & a playfully sinister aura, "Plain Dirty" beckons us into its Southern Gothic world. This artful tale of true love and murder (never so magically linked) is layered with the nuance of a brilliant, young director. With references to age-old allegories, the language of "Plain Dirty" almost sings with description - thanks to screenwriter, Deborah Pryor. Berman shows the gentle & poetic restraint of a true veteran of cinema and will certainly be one to watch in the next decade of film-making. He seems to make his points in fitful stabs that penetrate your consciousness. But, a nurturer, he is quick to temper the audience's pain with humor - the kind that is born from the tragedy of real life. In this case, Southern life. A charismatic & daring director, Berman also instinctively knows when to leave his audience to its own imagery. He teasingly pans away from a much-anticipated sex scene with Dominique Swain's character, "Inez." A less mature, showy director might have "sold out" for the almost expected flash of flesh. (Particularly with leading lady, Swain, known for her erotic debut in "Lolita.") Instead, one is struck by Berman's control, his ability to whet the audience's appetite. And leave us panting in our seats for more.Berman clearly has tremendous communication with his actors. Under his direction, Swain gives a tour-de-force performance that brings her (thankfully) out of her role as "teeny-bopper sex-film Goddess," and into the realm of serious actor. In "Plain Dirty," she transcends stereotypes with the raw grit and youthful anguish of a respected performer. Emotional territory previously unclaimed by her.The juxtaposition of all of these riveting elements proves startling. And not to be missed. "Plain Dirty" is not only a work of art, but an incredible vehicle to launch Director, Zev Berman, into the forefront of today's film scene. From the likes of Berman, this is only the beginning . . .