Ask The Dust:

Any movie with Selma Hayek in it, can't be all bad"¦ right??? (uh"¦)

Ask The Dust is a period piece set in the early days of California, "Depression-Era" Los Angeles to be specific. It's a time where immigrants came to find fortune, but often were discriminated against & set in a "lower class", because of nationality and/or race. It's a time where the rich often changed their sur names in order to blend in, by bearing the perfect American name"¦ i.e. Johnson, or Smith, etc. The lead goes to Colin Farrell (S.W.A.T., Alexander The Great), he plays the writer Arturo Bandini, struggling to pen his first novel. He moves to L.A. in hopes of finding the inspiration he needs to complete & publish his work. While in L.A. times are rough and the depression has everyone's pockets tight. When down to his last penny (literally), he decides to "live for the day" & spend it on something he enjoys"¦ a cup of coffee. He travels to the local tavern, where he finds one of the most beautiful women he's ever seen"¦ the waitress, Camilla Lopez (Salma Hayek: After The Sunset, Frida). She has an attitude, but so does he and eventually they kick & scratch their way into each other's hearts.

They both came to L.A. in order to find the "American Dream", marry rich, & possible change their sur name to fit into American society. But, forming an Italian-Mexican couple doesn't necessarily constitute the dream, now does it?

The movie moved v"¦..e"¦..r"¦..y – v"¦..e"¦..r"¦..y s"¦..l"¦..o"¦..w"¦.l"¦.y

To be honest, I found myself daydreaming (about"¦ things) through most of it. However, there was this one gratuitously pleasant scene in which Ms. Hayek Bares It All!!! Whoooo-Hoooo. (Now, I think that peep show is worth $10.). And for those who can appreciate male frontal nudity"¦ Colin Farrell gets his in too (now we've got something for everyone). I cannot really say that the subject matter was interesting, because while watching this flick, I couldn't identify, nor did I care about any character within this film. There were issues of suggested spousal abuse, life-threatening illness, and even death"¦ but I couldn't wait for it to end. I felt the director was trying to make an elegant, passion-felt period piece, like The House of Mirth, but fell way short. On a positive note, it was interesting to see L.A. in its starter days, as the desert it is (or was).

Final Note:

This movie felt amazingly long, and at 2 hours, it was.
But when any movie moves as slow as this one, it always feels like 6 (like, "damn, where did my day go").

Movie Grade: D+

*S.O.S.N. (Sweezy's Official Side Note):

Although Selma gets nekked"¦ don't waste your dough

Synopsis:

In the Robert Towne-directed adaptation of John Fante’s Depression Era novel, Salma Hayek plays the fiery Mexican beauty Camilla who hopes to rise above her station by marrying a wealthy American. That is complicated by meeting Arturo Bandini (Colin Farrell), a first-generation Italian hoping to land a writing career and a blue-eyed blonde on his arm.