Expired (2007)

I love this movie so much

Such a frustrating disappointment

Must See Movie...

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

A romantic story, but also tragic. The nasty ways of Jay are hard to watch, though there is a history to it and in another way he seems to be trying to... change? be good? I don't know, but Jason Patric does make some humanity shine through at moments. In the end it isn't enough and when Claire (wonderfully played by Samantha Morton) discovers his internet porn habit, she (after one last 'try') feels whatever little magic there was or may have been, it's surely gone now...I found it all - this second time around - hard to watch, again. Sometimes such an effort pays off, but I'm not sure that 'Expired' really does. This slice of life, combined with the day to day practice of parking ticket officers and some sad stories going on in their private lives, is a bit (too) much.Another thing I must mention is the camera work; was it a financial 'thing' to use just one camera switching from character to character and event to event, or an artistic choice? In any case, for me that didn't really work and distracted me from the actual drama going on.6 out of 10.

This is one of the worst, most depressing movies I have ever seen. It probably holds the Guinness record for inspiring more suicides than any other film ever made. The plot is unrelentingly abusive and painful to watch. The heroine is so self-loathing that she misconstrues perpetual verbal abuse and violent rape as romantic courtship. Her assailant is one of the most loathsome, totally unredeemable characters ever to despoil celluloid. (The coining of the term Schadenfreude easily could have been based on his foul, repellent persona.) I appreciate understated, nuanced performances, but the portrayals in this film never rose above the level of Stephen Hawking reciting the multiplications table. The cinematography is shakier than an 8mm home movie shot by Joe Cocker. The camera jerks from one target to another like the nervous tic of a schizophrenic. If you could give this movie credit for anything, it would be for consistency. It is awful from the first scene, through its entire exposition, and down to its unsatisfying denouement.

I was afraid, and very afraid, about the film. Then, while watching it, I felt for the main characters. Each and every one of them.I guess this is why they are called; SPOILERS; I rooted for the couple. They were good for each other. The misconception (that I even think Ebert mention,) is that S. Moron's character is abused, but she's too nice to know she's abused until the end. J. Pat.'s character is a low-class version of Nicholson in 'As Good as it Gets," but he can't get better without HER! There is only verbal violence, but not physical-- and you keep thinking, from critics and other posters here, that there be a "Star 80" type of ending.When there isn't, you wonder to yourself, a bit, weren't these people helping each other? Isn't this Red and Kitty Foreman for our generation? To keep it family entertainment-- I've had a girlfriend actually do stuff to me whilst watching some crazy web stuff. The "X-Files" dude is not a sex- addict, and I can't buy this guy being one either. He's a jerk that could use a shrink, but seems to be getting over his anger through his relationship with this woman... And it doesn't work out.Sam Morton's character seems to be too nice, and at the end she seems to get over it-- so her psychology is intact. How is this a full length feature about her abuse? She unscathed, whereas he is still unhealthy and mean, whereas he was on the road to health while with her (with her, and outside of being with her, but in public while being with her.) SPOILERS, No more! We're doomed! Used to be John Cassavetes or Martin Scorsese were considered 'indie films,' but it was because everything we saw back then was in the theaters, and we didn't want to see anything in the cinemas that wasn't a cold, hard hit. Films like this are being slammed for being 'Indie," and it seems certain actors being in the film are being submitted toward the films as a genre.If it were slapstick, without the overt dramatic overtones, this film would not only not considered clichéd, it would be parodied by the next 'Something' Movie parody to parody a parody movie. No hit there, and no real way that it could be seen as a interesting film here. And, it's a shame, because film like this well set on the shelf while crap like that gets released and DVD (always unrated version)released within a month.Don't promote this, promote them... Watch the American film industry go bankrupt like the rest of America, okay? 8.0

She starts by telling us she is the most hated in the world. That's because of her profession, but her attitude towards life is really much like the hated one. This woman, Claire, is shy, a loser, and she doesn't expect to be anything else. But there really isn't anything tragic about it.Then this man turns up. An emotional invalid and an impossible love relation starts. These are people who don't take anything for granted. He's aggressive about it, she isn't.Samantha Morton is tremendous in this part as a completely non-boring bore. She teaches us that you can live a life without success. And that life is a true one.