Danny Collins

Bleecker Street | Release Date: March 20, 2015

6.6	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 73 Ratings

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TBallDec 1, 2015

Released for free on Amazon Prime, I gave this a go last night. This is one of those situations where I wonder if other reviewers and I watched the same film. The premise, intriguing, is wasted by turning it from what might have been anReleased for free on Amazon Prime, I gave this a go last night. This is one of those situations where I wonder if other reviewers and I watched the same film. The premise, intriguing, is wasted by turning it from what might have been an interesting transformation in someone who has wasted his considerable artistic potential for a successful sell out career in schlock and instead veers into a horribly cliched family drama. Pacino is never believable in this role as an aging rock star. He chews the scenery a bit and overacts, as he usually does these days, but never convinces that he is actually a musician. The few on stage moments are embarrassingly bad, albeit as they are intended to be but in way not intended. The few scenes in which he is writing songs at the piano never convince that this guy could ever sing, making Dylan and Cohen sound like Pavarotti. Plummer does a fine job as Danny's friend and manager, Benning's character makes no sense and while the family is adorable and the considerably able supporting cast does their best, they can't really make up for the hole in the middle of this film. Pacino is miscast as Danny Collins unless having someone look like an aging, over the top mafioso doing karaoke was the aim of the director. If making Yoko Ono a few bucks on the soundtrack was the intention, maybe this films score but, to me, Danny Collins is a muddle at best and the "what if" premise is wasted completely. The movie would have worked as well or as badly without it.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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jhepApr 21, 2015

A very “iffy” script ultimately does this film in….. The cast (especially Al Pacino who is frequently charming-as-hell but has very little to work with) try in vain to breath life into the film’s not especially interesting story. What theyA very “iffy” script ultimately does this film in….. The cast (especially Al Pacino who is frequently charming-as-hell but has very little to work with) try in vain to breath life into the film’s not especially interesting story. What they have to contend with is the ghost of some relentlessly tragic 1930s Bette Davis “soaper” that lurks just out of sight in almost every scene (Bette Davis is going blind/Danny Collin’s son has leukemia/brave Bette is the only one who knows The Secret and now it will die with her/estranged Pacino‘s little grand-daughter has ADHD and Hope’s only hope- her name IS actually Hope- is to go to the VERY EXPENSIVE SCHOOL her that parents can‘t afford)…..enough already !…..…Another serious problem with the film is that the director himself seems to participate in the Ga-Ga Celebrity Culture he is exploring; none of the film’s material is presented “tongue in cheek”, there is no subtext; almost everyone in this story is a bit of a starstruck hick- including the director.

As a matter of fact the premise of the film itself betrays what can be called dangerously high levels of starstruck-ness i.e., just HOW amazing is it that John Lennon wrote an encouraging letter to a fellow-musician ?…..In your mind’s eye you can almost see the session where the idea for "Dannt Collins" was “pitched” to some wavering potential backer……. “I mean do you GET it !?…...it’s a letter FROM JOHN LENNON !!!…......from LENNON !!!!!!!!…….…the guy GOT this letter ….. He got this letter from JOHN LEN-”.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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