It has been ages since Robert Towne directed a new film, and Ask the Dust did not fail the anticipation of fans who love and appreciate his previous production, such as Tequila Sunrise and Without Limits.
Colin Farrell and Salma Hayek makes up the new pair of silver screen couple, with the background set in the Depression Era of US in the 30's. Farrell takes up the role of Arturo Bandini, an Italian author living in a cheap motel in Los Angeles, while Hayek plays a Mexican waitress, Camilla, who wants to marry an rich American for a better life. Life seems to be the same for them, until they met each other in a café where Camilla works. Arturo was inspired by Camilla, which leads him to wrote more stories, and at the same time, making him realize who he loves eventually.
Towne brought out the lives and problems of Arturo and Camilla well, where a young author will never spare much thought on how will he survive tomorrow by spending lots of money on luxury after he gotten his pay, while she will do anything to get herself married to an American for a better life.
Ask the Dust also brought out one point faced in the previous century: racism. Camilla was despised by the Americans for she trying to get herself hooked up to an American for a better life where she is a Mexican. Somehow, it was described in brief, rather than a main idea in a whole story.
It is not often that the audience would get to see Farrell playing a sentimental role in his acting career. While playing a bisexual trapped in between the love of his homosexual best friend and his best friend's female roommate in A Home At the End of the World (2004), Ask the Dust gives Farrell a greater chance of exploration of a romantic and sentimental man. Hayek, on the other hand, was given a fair share of appearance in the story. Not really the best among her previous films, but she makes the story alive. Keep a look out for the scene where both Farrell and Hayek swims in the beach nude, which is one of the attraction of the film, where this scene starts their romance.
Veteran actor Donald Sutherland appears as a special appearance rather than a supporting role, where he plays Hellfrick, Arturo's neighbour. Not much room was given to Sutherland, for his role was too redundant, where he appears less than 15 minutes in the whole film.
In all, Ask the Dust has not failed that badly, and it was definitely worth the 8 years wait from Towne.
Colin Farrell and Salma Hayek makes up the new pair of silver screen couple, with the background set in the Depression Era of US in the 30's. Farrell takes up the role of Arturo Bandini, an Italian author living in a cheap motel in Los Angeles, while Hayek plays a Mexican waitress, Camilla, who wants to marry an rich American for a better life. Life seems to be the same for them, until they met each other in a café where Camilla works. Arturo was inspired by Camilla, which leads him to wrote more stories, and at the same time, making him realize who he loves eventually.
Towne brought out the lives and problems of Arturo and Camilla well, where a young author will never spare much thought on how will he survive tomorrow by spending lots of money on luxury after he gotten his pay, while she will do anything to get herself married to an American for a better life.
Ask the Dust also brought out one point faced in the previous century: racism. Camilla was despised by the Americans for she trying to get herself hooked up to an American for a better life where she is a Mexican. Somehow, it was described in brief, rather than a main idea in a whole story.
It is not often that the audience would get to see Farrell playing a sentimental role in his acting career. While playing a bisexual trapped in between the love of his homosexual best friend and his best friend's female roommate in A Home At the End of the World (2004), Ask the Dust gives Farrell a greater chance of exploration of a romantic and sentimental man. Hayek, on the other hand, was given a fair share of appearance in the story. Not really the best among her previous films, but she makes the story alive. Keep a look out for the scene where both Farrell and Hayek swims in the beach nude, which is one of the attraction of the film, where this scene starts their romance.
Veteran actor Donald Sutherland appears as a special appearance rather than a supporting role, where he plays Hellfrick, Arturo's neighbour. Not much room was given to Sutherland, for his role was too redundant, where he appears less than 15 minutes in the whole film.
In all, Ask the Dust has not failed that badly, and it was definitely worth the 8 years wait from Towne.