Lianna

Forced and not well-acted.

The acting is often weak whilst stylistically I'm not with the film at all. I like the low budget aesthetic of the film, but it just makes the horrendously cheesy and tacky usage of music seem even more out of place. Thematically I give the film major props for trying to tenderly tackle subject matter that during its day was considered controversial but the story is just very bland viewed today whilst the film's thematic exploration likewise nowadays seems shallow and even condescending.

Not outright terrible I guess, but I'm struggling to think of positives about this movie, even though I can't say I really hated it. Sayles attempts at genuine emotion and conflict feel forced and tacky. This in addition to the mostly substandard performances and the horrible use of music result in a movie that feels uncomfortable in itself.

Griffith steals the show