Twentynine Palms (2003)

David, an independent photographer, and Katia, an unemployed woman, leave Los Angeles, en route to the southern California desert, where they search a natural set to use as a backdrop for a... See full summary »

Director:

Bruno Dumont

Writer:

Bruno Dumont

Stars:

Yekaterina Golubeva, David Wissak

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Yekaterina Golubeva	...	Katia (as Katia Golubeva)
David Wissak	...	David

Storyline

David, an independent photographer, and Katia, an unemployed woman, leave Los Angeles, en route to the southern California desert, where they search a natural set to use as a backdrop for a magazine photo shoot. They find a motel in the town of Twentynine Palms and spend their days in their sport-utility vehicle, discovering the Joshua Tree Desert, and losing themselves on nameless roads and trails. Frantically making love all the time and almost everywhere, they regularly fight, then kiss and make up, with little else going on in their empty relationship and quite ordinary daily life--until something horrible and hideous brutally puts an end to their trip.

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Plot Keywords:

desert | love | photo shoot | motel | joshua tree | 

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Genres:

Drama | Horror

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Details

Official Sites:

3B Productions [fr] (French, English) Official site [fr]

Country:

France Germany USA

Language:

French English Russian

Release Date:

17 September 2003 (France)

Also Known As:

29 Palms

Filming Locations:

Joshua Tree, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$12,870 (USA) (9 April 2004)

Gross:

$54,523 (USA) (10 September 2004)

Company Credits

Production Co:

3B Productions, 7th Floor, The, Thoke Moebius Film Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min 114 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in Prisoner (2007)

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Soundtracks

"Takatomi Sunset"
Written by Takashi Hirayasu
Performed by Takashi Hirayasu and Bob Brozman

User Reviews

A brilliant but deeply misunderstood horror film.

Twenty-nine palms. Directed by Bruno Dumont. ****

Film-making is about images NOT stories.

I just can't believe the amount of awful reviews this great film has been receiving in the site. It is a shame that people actually don't get it, when it fact it works in two levels perfectly.

The first level is intellectual. You can dissect it in its metaphors, symbols, etc. but I don't like that because we will not ever know what was happening in Dumont's head (conscious and unconscious) when he filmed it.

The second level is plain emotional. You can take the film as an atypical horror film. And it truly scared the hell out of me. It shocked me in a way no other film did before. Ever.

The acting sucks? I don't think so. They are just acting natural. It's not like: "Look at me, uh! Look at me, Give me my freaking Oscar!". They are just portraying common people. And if you don't like how common people talk, well... beat it!

That's another issue that annoyed me. A lot of people have stated here: "Writing on it sucks" Well, What were you expecting? Retro-linguistics, artsy-historic wannabe type, on the track of major turkeys like "Troy", "King Arthur" or "The Village"? Give me now a major break and let me tell you this is how people talk. Go out more often, if you please.

The great trick on the film, is that Dumont made it so hiper realistic. So, when the shocker ending comes, it hits you like a van running at 110 mph in the middle of the Joshua Tree Desert. And yes, ready to scare you off to death.

10/10