The Guitar is an independent movie from 2008 directed by Amy Redford (Robert Redford's daughter), and stars Saffron Burrows, Isaach De Bankole, and Paz de la Huerta. The story involves a woman named Melody Wilder (played by Saffron Burrows) who discovers that she has terminal cancer. After losing her job and having her boyfriend walk out on her, she decides to live it up as much as possible, maxing out her credit cards, buying everything in sight, and getting into sexual relationships with a couple of delivery people played by Isaach De Bankolé and the crazy-hot Paz De La Huerta (probably first known for the great movie The Cider House Rules, then the series Boardwalk Empire, and a bunch of indie movies). During all of this, Melody teaches herself how to play the guitar, which is something she always has wanted to do.
The premise of the movie is good, but the execution is a bit off. Of course, you have to suspend your disbelief to think that a person who is diagnosed with terminal cancer is going to be able to rent out a high-end loft and is likely to get a bunch of credit cards (the latter probably being easier than the former). Plus, she does not appear sick until the end of the movie. Having known someone with throat cancer, that is not remotely close to real life. But, you have to accept that you are watching a movie and not a documentary. Certainly, the idea that someone in that position would say (or think) "screw it; I am going to do what I want with the time I have left" is not far-fetched, the issues with the movie are that the pacing can be slow and the dialog can be really dumb at times.
For those who get the DVD, it just has the movie itself. No extras. The DVD is now out of print, so it is expensive to get new. I am not sure if it is on any of the major streaming services, but you can probably find it if you look hard enough. It definitely has the feel of a small-budget independent movie, so if you do not like those generally, this is probably not going to be your proverbial cup of tea. It does have some sexual content and nudity in it, but that does not dominate the plot. I would not classify it as a must-see, but I do not think it is as bad as some make it out to be.
The premise of the movie is good, but the execution is a bit off. Of course, you have to suspend your disbelief to think that a person who is diagnosed with terminal cancer is going to be able to rent out a high-end loft and is likely to get a bunch of credit cards (the latter probably being easier than the former). Plus, she does not appear sick until the end of the movie. Having known someone with throat cancer, that is not remotely close to real life. But, you have to accept that you are watching a movie and not a documentary. Certainly, the idea that someone in that position would say (or think) "screw it; I am going to do what I want with the time I have left" is not far-fetched, the issues with the movie are that the pacing can be slow and the dialog can be really dumb at times.
For those who get the DVD, it just has the movie itself. No extras. The DVD is now out of print, so it is expensive to get new. I am not sure if it is on any of the major streaming services, but you can probably find it if you look hard enough. It definitely has the feel of a small-budget independent movie, so if you do not like those generally, this is probably not going to be your proverbial cup of tea. It does have some sexual content and nudity in it, but that does not dominate the plot. I would not classify it as a must-see, but I do not think it is as bad as some make it out to be.
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