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Cast: Al Pacino, Holly Hunter, Chris Messina
Reclusive small town locksmith A.J. Manglehorn (Academy Award® winner Al Pacino) has never quite recovered from losing the love of his life, Clara. Fixated on her memory, he feels closer to his beloved cat than the people around him and prefers to find comfort in his work and daily routine. Still, he forges on with his tenuous human connections, maintaining intermittent contact with his son (Chris Messina), taking misplaced pride in a former protégé gone astray (filmmaker Harmony Korine), and establishing a cautious friendship with a kindhearted woman from the local bank (Academy Award® winner Holly Hunter). As this solitary man approaches the possibility of new love, he finds himself at a crossroads between staying mired in the past and embracing the present.
A.J. Manglehorn is a man that doesn't get along with people very well. Ever since letting the love of his life slip away he has not been the same man. Clara is all he thinks about, after all this time he still sends her letters in the mail only to have them returned to sender. The one thing he does enjoy is spending time with his cat, Fanny and also spending time with his granddaughter. His relationship with his son is shaky at best. The only other person he can talk to is a woman who works at the local bank. But can he move on enough to welcome someone new in his life?
"Manglehorn" is a little Indie film from Director, David Gordon Green. I don't think this will be a film for everyone. It is a slow-moving film that has an art-house feel to it but I recommend checking it out for the cast alone. The story is average but they take it up a few extra notches.
The main reason for that is Al Pacino who gives one of his best performances in some time, he commands your attention each and every time he appears on screen. Holly Hunter delivers as well as the local woman he spends time with. Holly stands toe to toe with Pacino and they share great chemistry together.
Like I already stated, the story is not the best but I ended up having a good time with it and was left thinking about the characters. Available on DVD and Blu-ray with Special Features that include:
Trailer
You can order the DVD HERE and the Blu-ray HERE.
"Manglehorn" succeeds in presenting the life of an aging man who can't seem to get past his biggest failure, letting the love of his life get away but at the same time and by the end of the film it shows hope with a smile.
Released by MPI HOME VIDEO
*** 1/2 Out Of *****