Leaves of Grass

Dir: Tim Blake Nelson

2010

***

Tim Blake Nelson's fifth feature shares it's title with the collected poetry of Walt Whitman but little else apart from the fact, it could be said, that both explore some of the more overlooked elements of life people sometimes forget to enjoy and looks at what really matters in life. Praised by critics and overlooked by the public (due to a lack of circulation to be fair) Tim Blake Nelson was celebrated for his rather quirky and irreverent version of what could be seen as a Dionysian play, a cross between Greek comedy and Greek tragedy. The film sees Edward Norton (who took a huge pay-cut due to loving the script) playing twins, one who left home to become an academic and the other who stayed and became a prolific seller and grower of hydroponic marijuana. Both brothers are highly intelligent and both had a difficult upbringing, the story shows the different paths each brother took and why they took them. It's very clever and beautifully written but I can see why it has been overlooked as a goofy comedy. However, the early comedy element is rather misleading as the film suddenly turns quite dark, and not in a 'dark-comedy' sort of way.  I loved the film's unpredictable twists and I certainly can't think of another film quite like it. Edward Norton is very good in his duel-role, I can see why he took a 50% pay-cut to play the characters, ironic though seeing as he is essentially playing two roles. Tim Blake Nelson is also impressive as Bolger, Brady's (marijuana growing brother) partner in crime and the film's constant character throughout the film. He leads the film in-front and behind the camera quite effortlessly and should be congratulated on his achievement. It is everything you could want from a quirky little independent film, it's a real shame it wasn't released to a wider audience. It's got a little something from every genre you can think of and is far from predictable.