X
- 1999
- R
- Screen Gems
- 2 h 6 m
- 1999
- R
- Screen Gems
- 2 h 6 m
Summary In an economically devastated Alaskan town, a fisherman with a troublesome past dates a woman whose young daughter does not approve of him. When he witnesses the murder of his shady brother, he, the woman and the kid run to the wilderness.
Directed By: John Sayles
Written By: John Sayles
- 1999
- R
- Screen Gems
- 2 h 6 m
- 1999
- R
- Screen Gems
- 2 h 6 m
Limbo
68
User Score
Available after 4 ratings
tbd
Where to Watch
Summary In an economically devastated Alaskan town, a fisherman with a troublesome past dates a woman whose young daughter does not approve of him. When he witnesses the murder of his shady brother, he, the woman and the kid run to the wilderness.
Directed By: John Sayles
Written By: John Sayles
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 26 Critic Reviews
68
81% Positive
21 Reviews
21 Reviews
19% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 26 Critic Reviews
68
81% Positive
21 Reviews
21 Reviews
19% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Stunningly acted and superbly shot (by Haskell Wexler), it is written, with Sayles' customary ear for vivid phrasing and telling details, as a meditation on man's desire to divorce himself not only from Nature but from his own true nature, imbuing the film with the intensity and rigour of an allegorical fable. And the ending truly makes you think about what you've just seen.
For a while, Limbo seems like it might be a slow-burning romance and tale of redemption, but, as is often the case, Sayles takes his audience in unexpected directions (unexpected because they defy comfortable, traditional narrative routes).
Sayles takes great storytelling risks to explore this theme; his unusual approach will please some viewers and irritate others. [04 Jun 1999, p.14]
The ending of Limbo is a disappointment, but this is a film which lingers in the mind long after the final credits.
The central performances are solid, and Kris Kristoffersen contributes a tantalizing turn as a smiling, dark-souled adventurer. Still, these successful elements only point up the unfocused, undeveloped nature of everything around them. Director Sayles should have been a lot tougher on screenwriter Sayles. [25 Jun 1999, p.L24]
Determined to use melodrama as a vehicle to get to other places and explore other possibilities, Sayles simply assumes the audience will go along with him. His skill is such that we invariably do, but the journey, like that of his characters, is not always an easy one. [04 Jun 1999, p.F6]
The first half of the film leisurely examines the deterioration and possible salvation of the soul in a once-glorious, rapidly disintegrating landscape. (His Alaska is full of closed factories, wandering tourists and strip mines.) The second half, with its contrived setup and its individual journeys of self-discovery (harvesting kelp and building fires), is artificial and sadly undermines all that's gone before.
User Reviews
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Awards
Film Independent Spirit Awards
• 2 Nominations
National Board of Review, USA
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Seattle International Film Festival
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
