I'll do my best to keep this short…

He was a Quiet Man's DVD cover is riddled with award and critical praise. And it's no doubt that Frank Capello's first film in ten years has received significant respect from more notable critics than myself. So how is it possible that I can dislike the same movie so very much?

To be truthful, there is just so much to dislike about the film. It is primarily praised for three things… none of which are completely valid:

  1. It's visual flair – To the film's credit, it does make an attempt to do something unique visually that has some sort of coincidence with the screenplay's material. Most notably a sequence near the beginning of the film in which Christian Slater's character fantasizes about his office building being blown to bits. However, these sequences more often than not are wholly unimpressive, and seem completely out of place within the context of the film.
  2. It's unpredictable approach to comedy – Yes, the film has a few surprises to be laid on the viewer during it's run time. Hardly any are funny however, as most instil an awkward and uncomfortable feeling, which certainly is less than enjoyable.
  3. Christian Slater's performance – I am the kind of person who will always follow Christian Slater's movie decisions, despite the existence of garbage like “Very Bad Things” and “Hollow Man 2”. The man has been involved in some of my personal favourite movies, and he is fantastic here. However, no one else is on his level. Elisha Cuthbert in particular is drastically off key.

The concept of a man fed up with his life filled with torment from co-workers, bonding with a recently disabled woman who refuses to live a life of paralysis could be a significant dramatic film, if executed properly. The story of a man, lashing back at the people who bully and berate him constantly, yet becoming a heroic celebrity as a result of a strange turn of events could also have made a good film. The film has enough bizarre aspects that it may well have succeeded as a surreal comedy. But when these elements come together, the film becomes an eccentric mess that is difficult to enjoy on any level.