Leaves of Grass: Review

Tim Blake Nelson’s latest film Leaves of Grass stars Edward Norton in a duel-role as twin brothers who have chosen very different paths of lives but find themselves thrown together again and their loyalty towards each other questioned. Bill Kincaid (Norton) is an Ivy League professor who is lured back to his family in rural Oklahoma by his brother, Brady Kincaid (Norton), who is a small-time drug dealer and marijuana enthusiast to help take out a local drug lord, played by Richard Dreyfuss. Bill unwittingly goes along with Brady’s plan and in the end has to clean up the mess that Brady creates. Despite the consequences of Brady’s actions Bill and Brady find themselves being pulled closer together by the bond of blood and their past.

The plot to this film is very simple and nothing original; yet there is something to this film that makes it so much more than the simple, and sometimes boring, plot that Nelson tells his audience. The choice of Norton to play Bill and Brady Kincaid was essential for this film, and could not have been played by anyone else. Nelson wrote the parts specifically for Norton, and Norton even took a pay cut to play these roles – and they were presented in such a way that no other actor, in my personal opinion, could have kept going nearly as strong. This film is a comedy, but it’s not like most dual persona comedies, like anything with Eddie Murphy, it is filled with substance that is buried beneath its simple plot. Tim Blake Nelson is known more for his acting than he is for his writing and directing, however with Leaves of Grass people will forget that he was attached to O and want to see more, much more.

The title Leaves of Grass is based on a collection of poems that was being constantly revised until his death, by America’s great Walt Whitman. The importance of this title to the film is that it is centered on praising nature and humanities role in it. And while the plot does not sound like it revolves around the praises of nature the subtext to this film is filled with the intrigue and beauty that nature provides our human existence; whether it be through the complexity of the growth of plants or the way we react to nature around us. The existential moments that reflect Whitman’s poetry are found through the character of Janet (Keri Russell) and her blossoming relationship with Bill.

The cast is phenomenal from Edward Norton, who the film hinges on, to moments of brilliance by Susan Sarandon, Richard Dreyfuss, Melanie Lynskey, Keri Russell and even Tim Blake Nelson himself. It was also a pleasant surprise to see Steve Earle, who also appears in my favourite show The Wire in the film.

Now the film, brilliant as it is through its subtext, is far from perfect on the surface level. Roger Ebert claims that this is the best film of the year, and the best to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2009; yet the plot remains simple, and almost seems more aimed for someone who just wants to sit back and enjoy a mindless film. There are also many continuity errors that make the film feel a little sloppy. Despite that it’s still a very enjoyable flick and I highly suggest you give it a chance. This film is having a limited release April 2nd, but has just been picked up by a bigger production company which will release it to a much wider market this summer.

Be sure to check it out.

3.5 out of 5 stars