The first half is swell... however..

Rating: Null/10 (29 November 2003)

I rented this movie thinking that it was a hidden Kubrick gem. I watched it all the way to the halfway point enthralled. It was excellent. I had so much concern and love for the main character and was excited about his further exploits.
But a little while into the second half, I wanted to shut it off. The movie simply became stupid. It sort of shot down the entire first part of the movie.
So that's the problem here. Technically, it's a wonderful movie. Creatively, there are many fine points. But as a story, it just falls apart when the main character descends down his path of vomit. I don't care about the protagonists in the second half because I was too busy caring about Barry in the first.