Iowa (2005)

The Worst Film Ever

Beautiful, moving film.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

The wonderful efforts of Matt Farnsworth are to be applauded. It is crucial that people become aware of this epidemic problem, which is exactly what Meth use is- It is a horrible world to get into, and Matt Farnsworth recognized this, as upon returning to his hometown, he was shocked by the addiction, destruction, and devastation he saw around him. Yes, it is Rural Iowa, USA- Yes, it is a huge problem in the 'ol Hawkeye State. I am a former user- a "Soccer Mom", and it is indescribable to tell those what this dark world is about. Mr. Farnsworth's film could only show his rendition in this movie the best he could- He researched intensely to make this film, and this movie was shown in an intelligent way, as best it could be. The addiction is very difficult to represent by actors, but, this young, bright man valiantly did all he could to show an account of a real family. I've been there- done that. Been clean for over 4 years, and am counseling gals who have hit rock bottom- Their stories are ugly- shocking- devastating. Everybody has a story- and hats off to Mr. Farnsworth for his attempts to allow the Movie Audience to see what this world is all about. It is a huge task to take the viewer into a world they've never known- Perhaps it is "an individual you know", or a family member, a parent, a child. Methamphetamine use is rampant in this country- The title of this movie- "Iowa" - is offensive to those from the Hawkeye State- but, folks, it is time to wake up- this problem is in epidemic ratios- It is getting worse. This movie is just a "taste" of what the "druggie" world is about. There are so many stories- so many lives shattered- this "drug of the devil" takes much (sometimes all) away from those who find themselves lost in this world. Iowa is a wonderful beautiful State, but, it is also a drug haven of Meth Users. Thanks to Matt Farnsworth for the eye opener. I have taken this drug out of my life- a former user- from the Hawkeye State. I pray this Movie will assist someone out there in breaking the chains, and get out of this horrible lifestyle. At best, I do pray that somebody who has a loved one who is using can benefit from this Film by becoming educated on this wonderful piece of work about such a bad topic. This is far from a comedy, folks. It is a story of tragedy, hopelessness, and the measures addicts take to obtain methamphetamine- cooking meth is one common way for addicts to "gain their gold". Take heed, this is a film that the viewer must pay attention to, as, this is not as "out there" as some critics think! GOD BLESS YOU MATT FARNSWORTH- KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!

Day four of the festival, Iowa premiere. I didn't know what to expect from freshman Farnsworth. This film had me jumping out of my seat. Iowa plays like a Public Service Announce meets horror film meets rock video. It makes Requiem for a Dream look like a knock knock joke. I'm from the Midwest, and this didn't make me the least bit nostalgic. Yet, it was the best film I've seen at the festival so far. Amazing performances by all, especially the guy who played the tweaker named Nick. With John Savage and Roseanna Arquette, you knew it would be a solid film. But the younger less known characters made this something special. Great work, Matt. Keep it coming...

the IMDb guidelines state that you have to declare if your comments contain 'spoilers'. well, this whole film is something of a spoiler... a cautionary tale that glorifies what it cautions against, a tale of lost youth that doesn't know where it itself is going.i just saw this at the tribeca film festival. this film wasn't just bad, it was really bad.the acting is inconsistent, the characters are the mostly cliché offerings with little depth, and farnsworth's acting was very bad in particular.from the patronizing accents to the pointless plot line to the out of place 'graphic' elements to the repetitious dialog and scenarios... it sucked the big one. i think he was looking for sort of a more edgy, updated 'drugstore cowboy' with a touch of 'natural born killers' but it is no where as sensitive to the characters as the former and no where as shocking (outside of some frat-level gore) as the ladder. more than anything, someone needed to really A) edit the screenplay (there are some things in there to build on and clearly deals with a worthy subject... if ham-handed in it's attempt.) B) edit the film. if it was cut down to a core, it might be passable. i would go lower than 1 if i could... like maybe zero kelvin.

I just saw this film at the Tribeca film festival and it had some great moments. It is reminiscent of Pulp Fiction, Blow, and Natural Born Killers, except it only takes place in a small town. Farnsworth did a brilliant job, especially considering it is his directorial debut and how young he is. There are some very gory scenes and it is definitely suspenseful. The camera work is very good. The beginning is a little slow, but most of the film is powerful. I have no complaints except that maybe there was a lot of stuff that was done for shock value. I am sure this film will get him some attention and more work. I recommend this to people who like films with drug and violent themes. There are some messages in it, but this is not a highly intellectual film. I don't normally write reviews, so I hope this is helpful.-J