Movie review – “Elizabethtown” (2005) **

I really like Cameron Crowe movies, he seems like a nice guy and I’m really sorry his father died. That’s not enough reason to make a movie out of it – Billy Wilder was able to be prolific because he mostly did adaptations. Orlando Bloom is weak as the young man who has caused a firm to lose billions (didn’t quite believe that – you have to be a messiah to make that happen, but I went with it and it’s the most potent part of the film) – his acting on screen is so-so but is narration is woeful. Kirsten Dunst is terrific as the love interest. Capable actors fill out key support roles, but when Bloom visits the south, it doesn’t seem like a real family – just a bunch of actors in a room trying to be colourful. No story, it sort of drifts along, with some occasionally tasty dialogue, and a hackneyed climax. Who cares if mom tap dances? This should have been a book, if anything. Good soundtrack, but so what?