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Cast: Adrianna Barraza, Lake Bell, Jamie Chung, Shannen Doherty, Robert Hoffman, Dylan McDermott, Zoe Saldana, Paz Vega
A subversive tale that interlaces five stories set in Los Angeles, where no taboo is left unexplored as each character careens toward a dark and often comic fate.
I wasn't sure what I was in for here, the box-art says "Five Stories That Will Mess You Up 4 Life" but we all know what's promised in trailers ect... The five stories are as followed:
A father's (Dylan McDermott, In the Line of Fire) relationship with his precocious teenage daughter (Emily Meade, “Boardwalk Empire”) is too close for comfort for his fiancée. A woman (Jamie Chung, I Pronounce You Chuck and Larry) becomes undone by her boyfriend's kinky bedroom request. A gay couple (Peter Macdissi, SAG® winner, “Six Feet Under” and Anson Mount, “Law and Order”) brings home the ultimate lifestyle accessory: an African child. A young boy involves his brothers in disturbing games. A lonely woman (Zoe Saldana, Avatar) confronts her attacker (Nick Stahl, “Carnivale,” Sin City) with a bizarre request.
As a whole the film is Macabre, disturbing, hilarious and even harrowing at times. Ridiculous could be another word used but this is certainly a twisted mix of five stories. The less you know about the stories the better so not to lessen the shock factor here. Each story is better than the previous one leading up to the final and best one in which you are witness to a fearless performance by Zoe Saldana. So going back a bit to when I said I wasn't sure what I was getting with "Burning Palms", well I have to say I got what was advertised and more. At times the film feels like you're watching a train accident, you don't want to look but you can't help yourself. "Burning Palms" is a clever if not sick collection of five stories that are well-written and acted by everyone involved in the cast. Certainly not for everyone, he you get upset by taboo or just anything people do or say that is out of the ordinary then I suggest you pass on this one but if twisted is one of your things or are looking for something different to watch then I highly recommend checking out this little gem.
A must-see film that is like nothing you have seen before with an amazing cast that includes, Dylan McDermott, Zoe Saldana, Paz Vega, Lake Bell, Nick Stahl, Zoe Saldana, Jon Polito and Jamie Chung. Available on both DVD and Blu-ray, you can order the DVD HERE and the Blu-ray HERE.
Released by Image Entertainment
**** Out Of *****