The Motel Life

The directors and the cast, through a miracle of tone, mood, and emotion, have made a film that feels true, that is sweet and sharp and unbearable. Every frame feels right, every choice feels thought-out, considered. All adds up to a heartbreaking whole.

This well-crafted picture is a lovely work of true art, enhanced by terrific animated sequences illustrating Jerry Lee’s love of drawing cartoons and Frank’s ability to concoct tales of the brothers as heroic figures.

Unlike most pictures about people living on the fringe, The Motel Life is never drab or depressing.

The false notes are outnumbered by those that ring achingly true.

While this gritty indie is light on plot, the world of bars, casinos, hospitals and gallows humor is real and heartbreaking.

Not surprisingly in this tale of desperate men, the only women are top-heavy cartoon characters — literally, animated sequences illustrate Frank’s stories — or live-action betrayers, like Dakota Fanning’s Annie, Frank’s ex-girlfriend. I found the cartoons more interesting.

As good as The Motel Life is for the actors, that's how bad it is for the viewer.

The story of two orphan and strongly bonded brothers. I have been set eye on this for some time, but only now I been able to see it. It was not as good as I expected, but an okay film. The story of two brothers who were orphaned at very young age and since then they have never been parted as they promised to their mother. Now grown up to adult, one of them commits an accident and decides to run away with it. When the law makes the progress on the case that leads to them, what's now and how they fight it was focused in the rest. Very ordinary screenplay. Feels like a bit realistic, but there's nothing much happening at all. Thanks to those additional animations which actually lifted the film a bit. I loved those sequences over the real film. So this for the first directional film for the Polsky brothers and they were okay. I liked the cast of the brothers. apart from them there's no one that impressive. The romance was very weak, though only the ending was high. I don't know the novel, it was based on, but the film lacked some good scenes or the events. Not just one or two, but in many parts the film should have been better. They should have altered the storyline from the original source. Especially the fate of amputated brother was too intentional as story wanted to end other way around. It was all the sudden and ruined the rhythm. The film is not good for everyone's viewing, so I suggest you be a careful if you want to try it. 5/10