U-Turn Movie Review 1997

Bobby (Penn) is a two-bit gambler on his way to pay off the balance of a debt in Las Vegas (the down payment was two of his fingers) when he is stranded in the town of Superior, Arizona. He becomes mixed up with a married couple (Nolte and Lopez), each of whom want Bobby to kill the other. Adding to the fun in this Mayberry on mescaline are the walking grease pit of a mechanic (Thornton) and a local tough guy named TNT (Phoenix), who thinks Bobby is making a play for his nymphet girlfriend (Danes). Also appearing is the stock issue Oliver Stone wise old Indian who dispenses wisdom, or something like it. The characters meet for the predestined showdown in the desert, with predictable results. Stone has a good time taking stereotypical noir characters and putting his unique twist on them, although you may not have as much fun watching them.

Distribution

Sony Pictures Home Video, Sony Pictures Plz., 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232, Phone: (310)244-7306, Fax: (310)280-2485, URL: http://www.spe.sony.com, Remarks: Formerly Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 125 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Contemporary Noir, Anti-Heroes, Bad Dads, Femme Fatale, Hit Men/Women, Incest, Psychotics/Sociopaths, Romantic Triangles

Screenplay

John Ridley

Cast

Sean Penn, Jennifer Lopez, Claire Danes, Nick Nolte, Joaquin Rafael (Leaf) Phoenix, Powers Boothe, Billy Bob Thornton, Jon Voight, Abraham Benrubi, Julie Hagerty, Bo Hopkins, Valery (Valeri Nikolayev) Nikolaev, Aida Linares, Laurie Metcalf, Liv Tyler

Cinematography

Robert Richardson

Director

Oliver Stone

Music

Ennio Morricone

Producer

TriStar Pictures