The Poison Rose (2019) User Reviews

It's worth more than it's rated

[byron-116 · 6/10 · 25 May 2019]

Forget some of the film's flaws. It's an entertaining film-noir type of the 1940s. Travolta is not an ideal PI, but a joy to see him act with Morgan Freeman and Brendan Fraser.

If you like film noirs of the 1940s, don't miss The Poison Rose

Overblown or Underblown Film Noir that Does Not Do Actors Justice

[tabuno · 5/10 · 3 January 2022]

Starring an impressive cast including John Travolta, Morgan Freeman, Famke Janssen, Brendan Fraser, and Robert Patrick. This want a be film noir tries too hard with its more wordy than usual voice over of John Travolta and the efforts to make this movie into some sort of Maltese Falcon (1941), The Long Goodbye (1973), China Town (1974), Fargo (1996), L. A. Confidential (1997), Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005), or Gone Baby Gone (2007). The script has too much thrown into the plot along with unconvincing gunfights. Instead a simplified script that allowed the actors to really shine would have been much better. Oddly enough Brendan Fraser, the Doc, gets the best character from which to show off his out of character star persona. The Poison Rose starts to show promise a third of the way in but then sort of collapses under its own weight to a more ambivalent but cliché ending. A more thoughtful script would have greater improved the movie and performances.

It's not that bad

[Gordon-11 · 14 September 2019]

This film tells the story of a private investigator who goes back to his hometown to investigate a case.

The story is actually quite engaging and suspenseful. The fear of the king of the small town is palpable. It is much better than the rating suggests. It's not that bad at all.

slow, copies the old '40s noirs

[blanche-2 · 4/10 · 23 October 2020]

John Travolta, Morgan Freeman, Brendan Frasier, Ella Bleu Travolta, Famke Janssen, and Robert Patrick star in "The Poison Rose" from 2019.

It's not awful, but John Travolta, who has had higher ups and lower downs than nearly any actor in history, is again in a downward slope. Not that I can blame him - at the time the film was made, he had a sick wife who later died, and they had also lost a son.

In 1978, in Los Angeles, your typical gumshoe, Carson Phillips - drinker, smoker, gambler - agrees to return to his home town of Galveston to find out what is going on with an institutionalized woman, an heiress no one has heard from.

The town has nothing but bad memories for him - he walked out on the love of his life Jayne (Janssen). He also is a former football player who threw a game and had to leave town. However, it's a good time to split from LA - some people, probably loan sharks, are after him.

Carson runs into some strange things - and an even stranger doctor (Brendan Fraser with a new look) as he tries to see the heiress, Barbara. He also reconnects with the local mobster who runs Galveston (Freeman).

Jayne has a married daughter Becky (Ella Travolta) - her husband is a well-known football player who dies during a game. Becky comes under suspicion and Jayne begs for his help. Carson starts putting things together, and it looks to be an ugly outcome.

Travolta and Freeman are marvelous together, hard to believe they've never worked on the same film before. Travolta's gift, besides his charisma, is his knack for showing more than one level of a character, even a stereotypical one like Carson Philips or Danny Zucco. It's a shame he sometimes chooses such poor projects.

All of the acting is good. Ella Bleu gets high marks for her performance, and her heartfelt scenes with her real-life dad. Singer-actress Kat Graham who plays a club singer, Rose (but she's not the poison rose - in fact, I don't think there was one), is terrific. And Brendan Fraser is one smarmy, scary dude. Famke Janssen has had something done to her face, which was very distracting, but she's quite good.

The plot has holes in it and also unresolved situations. It's also slow. However, one poster commented that one thing Carson was working on was not resolved, concerning Becky - incorrect. It was resolved. Also, he uncovers some rotten doings at the institution. The point is, he isn't leaving, so it's assumed he can make more inroads.

I loved Travolta and Janssen dancing. Nice to see, Travolta hasn't forgotten his roots.

Oh dear, John

[MooveeVu · 3/10 · 25 May 2019]

My oh my where to begin? I can understand JT's attraction to this movie. It starts off as a classic old noir detective show (with JT as the narrator). Quite intriguing standard Maltese Falcon/Raymond Chandler style to begin with light tinges of Get Shorty and Pulp Fiction thrown in. I feel that this may be what attracted both John and Morgan initially. The doe eyed secretary and beautiful, mysterious woman waiting in his office when he escapes from the hitmen sent by (presumably) his bookie for outstanding debts. The lure of the dollars offered and a trip back to his hometown (with the bad memories) offers some interesting plot lines and, indeed, the film shapes up as having some potential. Morgan Freeman is introduced as the evil doer (who knows how he got there??) Then, (OMG THEN!!).....this movie rapidly spirals into self implosion worse than the Simpsons 3d episode!!! Seemingly rushing toward a timeframe ending with Keystone Kop like shootouts, ridiculous and implausible twists and turns and a finale that is blatantly obvious to even the most unobservant viewer (supposed twist at the end easily figured out way earlier!). The acting (from all) towards the end would embarrass a 7th grade school play lead. It seems as though everyone involved just wanted it to end asap (as did I). A real disappointment given that the start was quite good but it is a sad indictment on some of the potentially great actors of our time that, in the twilight of their careers, they are signing on for roles that are not only laughable but ruining their reputations and are certainly below the skillset, experience and expertise that they have achieved through out their long and illustrious professional working life. 3 points for a reasonable beginning, the rest is abysmal.

3 stars for the period,

[billking6666 · 3/10 · 3 June 2019]

Set in 1978 brought back some nostalgia, but other than that the movie sucked. Travolta plays a cool character, but the first half is like watching grass grow. The second half has so many bad plot holes and ridiculous scenes it should have been labeled a comedy. Spoilers next: One, football players don't become private eyes. Taking out a sniper in the bleachers with a football thrown from the field is science fiction. Taking out 3 hitmen with a 6 shot revolver is laughable. The idea that the rest home could have several dead patients buried around the building is a joke and how did Travolta know where to dig? Where did the patient get the gun? Freeman specifically said he was going after the daughter, but Travolta came back and said everything was over. The football player had the cancer drug in his system, which was killing everyone in the town, because of the bogus toxicology reports on the oil refinery, so why was that not addressed.So the mom is dying of cancer, the daughter is going to be indicted for murder, the refinery is still giving everyone cancer, Travolta leaves his cat in CA, the hitmen are not through with him, yet the movie ends as if everything is hunky dory.

Solid performances.

[badrobsugar · 7/10 · 27 September 2019]

Ignore the bad reviews. Solid performances all around. A bit predictable but If you enjoy old noir flicks this fits the bill. I was actual surprised I liked Travolta in this. He's so hit or miss but I enjoyed his performance as the grisled PI.

So bad my wife had a stroke

[stormharbour · 3/10 · 11 September 2019]

OK, for real. Yes, we were watching this movie when my wife had a mild stroke (she's fine now), but I don't think the movie had anything to do with that.

That being said, this is a seriously bad movie.

Let's start with the title, Poison Rose. Typically, when you title a work, that title has something to do with, you know, the story. In this movie, there are two roses - Rose, Doc's daughter, played by the criminally underused Kat Graham, and Rose the nightclub where we meet Doc and the sheriff and the hippie guy and Rose and Happy and such. Yet, neither of these roses have much of anything to do with the story.

The director clearly doesn't have a good idea of what he's doing. Neither does the editor. I mean, there's a bit early in the movie when pretty much everything stops for the better part of minute while the camera concentrates on Travolta lighting a cigarette. Just basic, obvious stuff any decent editor would know to have cut around.

I could go on and on. It's really, really bad.

Predictable but entertaining.

[Fella_shibby · 7/10 · 28 May 2019]

The film starts like a typical Chinatown syndrome. The locations r gorgeous with those plentiful awesome greenery all around. It has some violent shootout scenes but the best is Freeman's screen presence, Fraser's laughable body shape n Travolta's cool act.

Fraser Steals the Show

[scot-denhalter · 5/10 · 18 September 2019]

Channeling Chandler, this film captures the author's narrative style but not his poetry. Nevertheless, both Travolta and Freeman are good, but Brendan Fraser is brilliant as a hybrid of Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet (Maltese Falcon).

Just enjoy

[aadzwartepoorte · 8/10 · 15 June 2019]

Nice atmosphere, much like old detective stories with an happy end we like to see sometimes. Of course it's predictable but sometimes we must not care to much and simply enjoy. Also nice to see those older actors.

I think this movie is underrated.

[c-estrada618 · 7/10 · 15 December 2019]

It's rated only a 4.6, but in my opinion, it's better than that. It's not great, but I love film noir and this was a pretty good one. I like how John Travolta narrated throughout the movie, like a classic film noir. I liked the steamy, Southern atmosphere and the plot twists & turns. It had a star-studded cast and they all did a very good job. I liked that John Travolta's real life daughter had a role in this movie and the scenes between the two of them were very sweet & tender. I liked the slow, sensual pace of the movie, which is realistic for us Southerners. We don't rush for anything. Lol And I loved the music in the film, especially that seductive trumpet tune which played during the end credits. This movie just oozed steamy, Southern flavor and the acting was good by all involved. Like I said, not great, but if you like classic film noir with a sultry Southern feeling (I certainly do) then you'll like this film. Give it a try, who knows? You might love it as much as I did. I gave it a 6, but would've given it a 6.5 if I could have.

Pitiful

[m-arsic0708 · 2/10 · 2 June 2019]

Boring, predictable, boring, laughable, and boring again. and pitiful. people really should know when to say no to a pathetic script especially after doing great ones in the past.

Terrible

[Jamie_Seaton · 25 May 2019]

This is possibly the worst film I've seen in 2019 thus far. Who's idea to try and attempt a noir style film with this cast is beyond me. It fails on all fronts! Right from the get go with it's poor editing and cliche'd filled madness it's a no brainer the film needs to go in the nearest bin!

Big fan of noir so maybe that also helped in my vote! Avoid at all costs

Embarrassing!

[aurasbob · 4/10 · 28 May 2019]

A sad ending to a long acting career. I'm surprised Morgan Freeman would lower himself. A laughable story, mediocre acting & terrible directing.

the gravedigger

[ops-52535 · 4/10 · 24 May 2019]

I once used to try to dig john travolta, but unfortunately , for each flick i see him in he is keeping on digging himself his own grave, and have soon dug himself to china, to try financing his future products ,full stop.

no, i did see this film because i like morgan freeman, 82 yrs of age, even a bit older than me, and well he does not impress either.

its a film about a small time private detective that sets out on a mission to find a little ol lady in a dull texas gulf coast town, and as three is a lucky number it is his beloved town where he was born and raised 20 years ago..so everybody is so happy to see him and shadows or shadows away from him, as he is like good old colombo, making people dizzy and frustratedby the talk and walk as an intrusive threat. he finds a lot of errors in the community and sets out to clear up everything before returning to sunny l.a..

its a boring flick, i smiled at 2 occasions, and its neither dramatic or thrilling, and the shootouts are so bonanza like that tuscon city took his tux-on and took hi ho silver to bed.

the story,plot and point of this story,are just as meaningless as this review, so dont bother read it and dont bother watch the film, its not good.

Haven't We Seen All This Before?

[boomerchinde · 2/10 · 22 November 2021]

It's sad when a film featuring major stars begins by nearly plagiarizing famous work. The opening lines voiced by Travolta are right out of the old Philip Marlowe radio show episode, "Red Wind". Then we get dialogue desperately trying to capture the private eye genre of the 1940s. To top it off, just about every cliche of this genre is tossed at the viewer. Did Travolta and Freeman even read this script before signing on? Someone simply opened a can of Hollywood leftovers and proceeded to bake this turkey. The hard drinking private eye brought into an investigation by a beautiful but mysterious woman has seen the light of too many Hollywood sets.

Do not waste your time, vacuum the living room instead.

Entertaining alternative to typical Hollywood

[AlabamaT · 6/10 · 25 May 2019]

Despite several clunky scenes and some predictability in the storyline, it was an entertaining 2 hours, thanks in part to Brendan Fraser's hysterical performance and classic Morgan Freeman. John Travolta could use a few pointers on his southern-drawal, but he's still fun to watch. The slow, dim noir feel works, but who wouldnt recognize the fountain and gorgeous homes as Savannah not Galvaston. Overall worth a date night if looking alternative to the canned showboat superhero movies and shallow violent films with limited vocabularies.

Take no risks, receive no rewards......

[s3276169 · 5/10 · 3 June 2019]

"Safe film" offers up a product that isn't bad as such but doesn't reward itself or the viewer, in a meaningful way either.

Such is the case with The Poison Rose. This is a film that follows a well trodden path of a rather conventional thriller, that's not all that thrilling.Instead,what you get is a ponderous, rambling, predictable affair that's never does anything to make it more than "of the moment" viewing.

Using veteran actors does little to enhance the general feeling of ordinariness that pervades this film either. Indeed, I'd argue this film could have been made with less well known faces and the final product would not have been all that different.

5/10.

we need more "noir"

[rigos63 · 7/10 · 17 August 2019]

At a time when 2/3 of movies are made for the Hindu and the Chinese and the American preteen set and maybe some Trumpster geniuses; it is apalling to see some of yolur reviewers call it trash and disparage Travolta's looks, pray that you look that good at 67. Look around aging actors. i like the noir style. Farewell my Lovely. among the non Marvel studios epiics or the Fantasy chldish wasterf of time are the independent movies that depict the crumbling American working classs and the families. Hey Redford, there are stories to be told about that part of America immersed in opioids and self hate; Hillary hate and conspiracy theories and love of guns. There are stories to be writen about the fantastic women that engineered the landslide in 2018. and within them the stories of AOC, Omar, the first American Indian out of Kansas of all place. These.storries tell of an America of many colors, men and women proud to be both Americann and of color and linked to the rest of the world;parts of the world that are far from ideal yet produce smart and beautiful people like Rep. Omar.

So bad. So so bad.

[isabelle_connor · 1/10 · 26 June 2019]

For the first 10 minutes I thought this was a spoof movie, like Airplane, but minus anything funny. Canned dialogue sounds like the poor reading of a badly written 50's crime novel. Thought it would be watchable because, well, Morgan Freeman, but even he couldn't save this badly acted, terribly scripted mess of a movie.

10/10 for Fraser performance alone

[bronsonhelm · 10/10 · 10 July 2019]

Terrible movie but absolutely worth watching for Brendan Fraser. He's not only chewing the scenery, he is swallowing, digesting and then picking scraps off other people's plates

I enjoyed it.

[goatbilly · 7/10 · 27 May 2019]

Very modern 'Marlow-ish' in colour. Travolta is at his best playing the more serious role. Brendan Fraser certainly looked different but played his role well as a camp 'mad doctor'. Not a bad film for the Generation X.

So sad

[grant_mcpherson · 1/10 · 26 May 2019]

This is one of those movies that you start watching and think, because of the cast, it must get better. It doesn't and before you know it, it's too late to stop and watch something else. Let's face it, John Travolta's only decent performance was in Pulp Fiction and that had more to do with the character as against his acting ability. We need to stop getting sucked into movies featuring average "superstars" who really where only ever average.

plastic

[jarcopenning · 4/10 · 23 May 2022]

One of these nights your zapping away and nothings on. And then you recognize 2 actors. WTF? Faces with botox and hair implants all expressions gone. Are they for real?

Lets continue.

OMG. Its getting worse. Or did I miss something extraordinary cultural super dupa?

Lets check IMDB.

Pfew.

Its not me.