The Big Empty (1997) User Reviews

Nice humor but too long

[Miles-10 · 6/10 · 9 October 2000]

This movie needs some editing. Otherwise it is a quirky, funny-sad look at the downside of life. From the outset, there is worse than gum on the bottom of Lloyd Meadows' shoes, and he is destined to step in more of it before the end of the movie. All of the philosophizing is to be taken with a grain of salt. H. M. Wynant, as a crusty old private eye, puts it best: They are head cases. The audience is definitely meant to overlook reality. For example, in California, where the story is set, you can't just go out and hang a shingle and call yourself a private eye. It's almost that easy in some states, but not there. The movie is really about--and is at its best when--looking at the whacky ideas of the characters. That said, everyone who is honest will admit that these characters suffer from anxieties which are only exaggerations of ones we have seen or experienced. Lloyd is too cynical, Peter and Jane are too open-hearted. They change positions to greater or lesser extent as they confront each other. Jim Perez is a good director, and this low budget movie is very professionally photographed. The acting is adequate, though writer/actor James McManus may have given himself too much to chew. In that regard, McManus is in good company. Citizen Kane kicked his furniture around too much, too.

Maybe sappy at its core, but if you know that it is...

[punishmentpark · 6/10 · 8 September 2013]

I had high hopes for this indie film that has a certain amount of fame and acclaim in underground circles, and it certainly turned out to be worth a ride. It shows a good sense of writing and cinematography, but unfortunately, by variable acting performances and some scenes that just went on too long, it does not fully escape from the b-regions of film.

The dark matter that is much discussed between the characters is often intriguing, but goes adrift sometimes within the structure of the much used P.I. film noir. Finally, there's quite a few humorous remarks (of the darker, but sometimes also the very human kind) thrown in, but be alert: James McManus' deadpan delivery and the overall depressing tone of the film might make them hard to spot.

A big 6 out of 10 from this bench in this park.

Interesting buried treasure

[Spuzzlightyear · 21 April 2008]

The joy about going to the library and getting DVD's is that you never know WHAT you're going to get. This week, I picked up a DVD called 'The Big Empty', a movie which I've never heard of before (and apparently not so many other people). I was pretty much hooked from scene one and James Mcmanus's droll droll acting (and oh yes, his hair). This is sort of a neo film noir about grocery clerk-turned-Private Dick who gets way over his head over a simple infidelity case. The ridiculousness of how stupid Mcmanus's character gets, I won't spoil for you here, but lets just say he clearly loves his job.. Or maybe doesn't know it at all. Full of odd little flourishes, this is a movie you'll need to try hard to find, but has a lot of little prizes to discover.

Look Ma, I'm acting.

[Abby-9 · 1/10 · 10 December 2002]

The fixed and penetrating gaze of the posturing-while-frequently-motionless Mr. McManus was too too much much. I kept watching because I really wanted to find out what happened to Pablo Bryant's character, about whom I cared tremendously, but not enough to rank the movie as better than awful. I will look for Mr. Bryant's work elsewhere.

How a PI movie must be!

[rudebuzztard · 10/10 · 23 February 2004]

This movie is totally brilliant. Every aspect of a classic film noir is in it, humor, drama, strong characters. This movie makes you think, about yourself, about life and loneliness. If you are not open (like me the first time I watched this) you won't like this movie. If you want to see action, you won't like this movie. Although this is a low budget movie the acting is brilliant and the camera work is very refreshing, especially the car scenes!. This little gem needs a lot of attention but will give you the real film noir feeling!. But of course only when you are looking for the film noir feeling. This is a movie for fans of the genre, they will understand what this movie wants to tell and why this movie is refreshing and uses the film-noir formula in a whole different way!.

9 out of 10

A feast for your mind.

[Vomilox · 10/10 · 25 July 2001]

An amazing, subtle, and well-balanced film, naturally overlooked by audience seeking low-level entertainment. Great, intelligent screenplay, an accomplished directorial style, well shot and beautifully acted -- James McManus in a role of convention-twisting private detective is nothing short of fenomenal. "Big Empty" is a complete package.

Unique, Intimate, and Evocative

[JJhudsucker · 10/10 · 14 July 2003]

I feel I learned something from this movie. It is a unique, evocative investigation of intimacy, throwing light on the dark side of human nature. MacManus and Goldwasser conjure up compelling original characters, but the relationship they bring to life is the haunting portrait one is left with.

okay modern take on the classic film noir

[pompaj · 7 August 2000]

This is a movie that tries to be cliched. That's a little weird because most if not all movies try to be different. A lot don't get to be, but they try, and would certainly like to be. Not this one. Why would a movie want to be just like the same thing we've seen a hundred times before? To prove that it can be done better. Nicer shots, cooler characters, better scenery, and a stranger mystery. The Big Empty succeeds on some of these grounds. The shots are terrific and so is the scenery. But the rest of it is bizarre. The main character is a tiresome, beat up kind of guy and yet he's young. He never smiles and probably doesn't know the meaning of fun. The case he gets involved in starts out just like the classic cases of movies like Chinatown and then gets really weird. I think the point of this movie was to take classic formulas and see if they could vary them to such a degree that we would never expect it. The detective is usually a cool, tough talking, never smiling, experienced guy. Here he's tough talking and never smiling, but he is far from cool and completely inexperienced. So it's sort of a spoof on detective stories. A black comedy. On the grounds that it is creative it works. But the story is certainly not that good and overall it is just okay.