Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

Don't Believe the Hype

Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Yes, the acting and directing were a little inconsistent, and some of the lines were sophomoric and occasionally downright lame, but the value of the movie lays in it's overall existentialist theme. Cliff Spab doesn't care about the consequences of anything- he's smokes, he drinks, he curses, doesn't care about bettering himself, doesn't really care about the way he looks, and isn't afraid of anything- not even death. Is it because he was overlooked, abused, etc.? Not really. Cliff doesn't revel in fame or attention when he gets it, but rather treats it as a joke because it simply doesn't matter (even if he half enjoys it), hence the phrase "So Fu.... What." The importance of this phrase points to the notion that nothing really matters in life. Someone can get the best grades, go to the best schools, watch their weight, be good to others, always do right, gain fame and notoriety...or they can be shot in the head in the middle of a store robbery. In the grand scheme of things it really doesn't matter. Quoting Chuck Palahniuk, "On a long enough time-line, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero." Our existence in our solar system, in our galaxy, in the universe is a spec of dust on a spec of dust on a spec of dust, hence SFW (nothing really matters).The black comedy and satire of this movie comes from the doting media and fans of Cliff Spab. It's not that they really love him, they are just looking for an answer- a motto to guide their lives. But, as in real life, something seemingly meaningful to you one moment becomes a useless fad in the next moment. In the conclusion of the movie Barbara Wyler tries to shoot Cliff or something (it's really been years), and states her tag-line "Everything matters!" It's the complete opposite theory of Cliff's. Her essential meaning is that everything we do has an affect on the future, future generations, the overall makeup of things on our planet, etc. Her message could be looked at as kind of good, but the irony lies in the fact that she seems all too excited to step directly into Cliff's shoes and be another meaningless, short-lived role model. In essence Cliff was right when he believed nothing matters and Barbara's time in the spotlight will also fade away. One day neither will be remembered and will have no affect on anything or anyone. Even those that followed them for a brief time will be gone and forgotten. It's a sad story of the media misguiding people to waste their short lives with whatever's popular and meaningless in the moment. But, it also questions, if nothing really matters anyway, SFW.

It is one thing for a film to merely be bad, it is quite another for it to insult your intelligence. The latter happened to me in this non-attempt at filmmaking. How the likes of Stephen Dorff and Reese Witherspoon (one of my all time favorite actresses) got messed up in this I'll never know, but I hope they fired their managers afterward. This is, quite possibly, the single worst movie I have ever seen (Roger Ebert agrees!). Every character seems to be a ripoff of some celebrity who probably had the common sense to steer clear of this movie. Every situation seems entirely implausible. What's more, the writer seems to have a vocabulary that extends to only the three words in the title (you figure it out). This was a painful movie to watch, not because of it's depth, but because it is so inexcusably horrible. It may be the first time in my life that I actually felt sorry for the actors, who really were at the mercy of this doomed screenplay. I so not buy for one minute the notion that this movie may simply have been "too deep" to appreciate. Please, I do not need to be insulted again. Reese, I still think you are on top of your game, and this was ten years ago during your indie phase, so I don't hold you accountable, just please don't let it happen again.

A great movie about the hypocrysy of the american media. I've heard people saying about this move: "I would like to have seen more about what happened in the store". Then I think: You haven't understood the movie at all. Stephen Dorff is brilliant in his role as the anti-hero Spab who has to run away from the media because he has no interest for them, leading him into more and more problems until there is no escape then to just play along with them. Reese Witherspoon plays the role of Wendy very well, the rich kid who has tasted the live without her tight parents strings. And then, the climax in the end of the film... The only bad thing is that I read the novel afterwards and they changed the end!! Why????

5 people are taken hostage in a convenience store for 36 days until a fight allows them to escape. During these 36 days the terrorists' only demand is that their video feed from inside the store is broadcast live on the networks. Spab and Wendy emerge as the only survivors to find themselves heroes of the media generation.Don't let the plot summary fool you into thinking this is some type of thriller with a media slant. The hostage thing is over in the first 3 minutes and any flashbacks are dull and meaningless (except one powerful one). Instead we have a mixed up satire on media and the fade of fame. The plot never makes sense and really loses the point after only a few minutes. The fact that the whole hostage thing is never explained and barely touched on just shows it is nothing but a poor plot device to get to where the makers wanted to be to make their point.It manages to come across as just an angry youth movie – with it's anger not directed anywhere in particular. This causes it to be very loud and with far too much swearing, causing you to start to switch off. The only point that the film manages to make clearly is that no matter who is the 15 minute celeb or news story that night, TV is all the same. Wow! What cutting edge comment!Dorff is OK but just plain annoying in his videos (that apparently the world love). Witherspoon is vapid, Busey is just loud and annoying and Adams is totally misused. The cast put more effort into saying the F word than anything else. It is very off putting because it is unnecessary – I guess they thought the `kids' would dig it.Overall this is just like the media that it tries to criticise. It is loud, meaningless, lacking substance and totally forgettable – physician heal thyself............