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Critics Consensus: Though Hayek is luminous, Farrell seems miscast, and the film fails to capture the gritty, lively edginess of the book upon which it's based.
Critic Consensus: Though Hayek is luminous, Farrell seems miscast, and the film fails to capture the gritty, lively edginess of the book upon which it's based.
All Critics (103) | Top Critics (37) | Fresh (36) | Rotten (67) | DVD (3)
Although Chinatown writer Towne lovingly depicts the Depression-era LA setting (actually shot in South Africa), the film misfires.
Something is missing, though. The themes are all there, but the movie doesn't cross the blood-brain barrier and rev you up.
Farrell and costar Salma Hayek have rarely been so affecting, or so effective, as self-hating ethnics who find love.
Who would have guessed that Robert Towne, the writer of Chinatown, could make a movie as awful as Ask the Dust? It has it all -- one-dimensional characters, one-dimensional set and idiotically arch dialogue.
Ask the Dust is one of the most eagerly awaited cinematic projects of 2006, which may be why it lands with such a curious thud.
[A] sexy, sensual, romantic, nostalgic adaptation of the novel ...
Director Robert Towne and cinematographer Caleb Deschanel have creatrd a pretty picture but forgot to inject some life into it.
Airless, joyless
Donald Sutherland saunters onscreen, momentarily raising the level of the film, before he ambles back out the door and things sink back down to the listless and pointless pace that typifies this jumbled mess of a movie.
Supporting characters float in and disappear without rhyme, reason or resolution.
Towne has a perhaps unique ability to make this ill-fated movie romance classically seductive while doing full justice to its authentic subject. [His] canniness as a writer and casual sophistication do wonders for the actors.
full review in Greek
Robert Towne's uneven character study has sparse great moments, but there were enough strong ideas to keep me engaged. This is a flawed piece that requires a lot of patience, especially considering the fact that its first act is its weakest. However, the unorthodox protagonist and sexual energy keep it afloat enough for its positive elements to shine through. Colin Farrell, who is a consistently impressive actor, is not given enough credit for his talent. He does quite a good job in this, and Salma Hayek turns in a respectable performance too. If you're willing to overlook its faults, it's an engaging watch.
Super Reviewer
"I looked for Camilla everywhere,and everywhere I looked,all the faces seemed like mine.Tight. Worried. Lost. Faces with the blood drained away.Faces like flowers torn from their roots,the colors fading fast."
this film wanted to be great, and could have been so, but it missed the mark. at least average, it failed with oddities of the story and uncomfortable moments that were unneccesary to the plot. the premise was great but it missed on most everything else.
[font=Century Gothic]In "Ask the Dust", it is the 1930's when Arturo Bandini(Colin Farrell) has had a story published in H.L. Mencken's magazine, American Mercury. With the $150 he receives, he moves from Colorado to Los Angeles where he seeks to pursue a career as a writer. Only one problem: he is an inexperienced young man and has nothing to write about despite the rich palette happening just outside of his window. He is soon down to his last nickel and decides to spend it on a coffee at a local bar. However, the coffee is downright awful and he gets into a running argument with a beautiful waitress, Camilla(Salma Hayek).[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]In "Ask the Dust", 1930's Los Angeles is a place for people to get a new start but too many of them just recreate their old lives and even worse, bring their old prejudices along for the ride. And even Arturo and Camilla cannot escape this. [/font] [font=Century Gothic]"Ask the Dust" is an adequate movie that starts well but slows down to a crawl and becomes predictable. But it is evocative in recreating 1930's Los Angeles and Colin Farrell gives his best performance to date. [/font]
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