Video: Good, but not outstanding.

Audio: See above.

Extras: Trailer for Limbo and Secret of Roan Inish, Isolated score, commentary with director John Sayles.

The Movie:
I love John Sayles. I think Lone Star is one of the 5 best films of the 90's, and I also loved his film City of Hope. I had extremely high expectations for this movie. I hated it. It bored me to tears. The cinematography is good, and I enjoyed the footage of Alaska as I have been there myself, but I was not at all interested in the story. The movie has a "surprise ending," but at that point I really didn't care anymore. Perhaps I'm being too harsh because my expectations were too high. The performances are good, at least--the lead actor is outstanding, and his character seems very real. I was considering buying this sight unseen; I'm very glad I didn't.

Worth a rent for Sayles fanatics and Alaska lovers--probably a pass for everyone else.

I unabashedly loved Limbo.

I'm not familiar with Sayles' work, but this film has certainly piqued my interest. The performances, especially by lead actor David Strathairn, are very good... The film has a realistic, down-to-earth kind of feel. It is deliberately paced, so you need to be patient.

And then there's the ending. It is completely unexpected. When I came upon it, I was rather upset, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. It is the kind of ending that, to fully appreciate, it is absolutely required that you pay attention to the film quite closely... and even then, there lots of room for debate! I highly recommend this film to people who appreciate films where your mind is engaged.

[This message has been edited by Jad (edited January 22, 2000).]

Jad, I watched Limbo last night, and I agree with you 100%. I was taken aback by the ending but it's the only way to end to the story that makes sense. I thought the character development and acting were superb, as was Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio's singing. I can't wait to watch the movie again and pick up the little details I missed the first time around.

One of my personal favorites of 1999.

Count me as a fanatic Sayles fan! I didn`t think "Limbo" should be ranked among his very best, but I still thought it was an excellent film. The ending was perfect (and gutsy).
Where are all the other great Sayles films on DVD?!? I want "Eight Men Out", "City of Hope", "Brother from Another Planet", etc.

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If it doesn`t have guitars and real drums, it`s crap!

I had no problem with the ending, really. I think it would've been disappointing if they were killed, and would've seemed false if the ending was happy.

I received Limbo as a gift and watched it last night for the first time, and enjoyed it. I know I'll be watching it again soon; something I can't say about many movies, especially within 24 hours of watching them. Lone Star had the same effect on me (and I believe it to be a better film, as well).

The ending was great in particular, though my favorite part was the diary sub-plot.

--Heather

Personally, I think the last half hour or so of Limbo is by far the best thing Sayles has ever done.

Normally, I find his work "respectable" in the worse sense of the word. His films are well meaning, talk about intelligent things, and exist almost entirely on the page. He doesn't seem very natural as a filmmaker. While I think Lone Star is a good film, I also think it has been greatly overrated. Nearly all the characters are flat and the film gets by because he simply piles enough of them on that it plugs ahead through quanity rather than quality.

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"If it were all in the script, why make the film?"--Nicholas Ray