Let's be Frank here . . .

Rating: 10/10 (29 March 2002)

This is easily one of the most eloquently quirky movies I have ever seen. An emotional hodgepodge of ideas and feelings and characters - it's as if director Kelly emptied his whole soul into the work. (I just hope that he's got some more magic in him.)
I watched this film in my apartment on DVD knowing absolutely nothing about it. The lady at the rental store actually laughed at me (she kept plugging Training Day). And so, the movie opened with strange twist after twist for which I was hardly prepared. (The cover art makes the film look like a teen slasher movie.) But after the first 20 minutes I was hooked.
There is a very fragile voice (Kelly wrote it too) in the subtext of the film that is extremely unique. Clearly a movie for a new generation, perhaps? There are plenty of elements for an older audience (Patrick Swayze is hilarious - his performance initially reminded me of Tom Cruise's character in Magnolia), but the heart of the movie is a dark, bitter pill that some may find difficult to swallow. Without giving too much away, the film reveals a science fiction backbone (which I found completely absorbing), but nicely ties up every tiny piece of the story. Not everything is clearly answered, but I prefer movies that simply leave footprints instead of stamping it all over your face.
Not to cliche such an original piece of filmmaking, but to the curious - I'd pitch this as American Beauty (with the loopy, troubled, and tragically memorable characters) meets The Virgin Suicides / Groundhog Day. If that's possible.
The music was fantastic, Kelly's style is like Diet David Fincher, and the performances (especially lead Kyle Gyllenhall's) were nothing short of inspiring.
Hard to believe this film was made for less than the cost of an episode of "Friends." God bless Drew Barrymore for paying for this thing. (Never thought I'd say that.)