This is a good example of why you should never act in a movie you direct as well as write the songs and screenplay for, unless your name is Woody Allen (And sometimes even if your name is Woody Allen). Dwight does not give his character Valentine the brooding depth that was intended. Valentine instead looks dozy most of the time and says the first thing he can think of. The only person who shines in this movie is Bud Cort. Vince Vaughn does OK too. But not even Billy Bob Thornton can add colour to this drab movie, mostly because he isn't given more than a few words to say. His character is also completely undeveloped, as are most of the other characters. It's just embarrassing how obvious it is that the camera was intended to be on the character of Valentine all the time, like this was going to be Dwight's big Oscar break. But the character is boring and uninspiring. The aimlessness of the movie as a whole is frustrating. It's also either too long, or it just felt that way.

SOUTH OF HEAVEN, WEST OF HELL (2 outta 5 stars) Considering the tremendous cast involved in this movie (Billy Bob Thornton, Vince Vaughn, Bridget Fonda, Bud Cort, Peter Fonda, Bo Hopkins, Luke Askew, Matt Clark, Scott Wilson etc.) I was expecting one hell of a movie. Sadly, the meandering nature of the script doesn't really give the movie much forward motion. There are a few individual scenes that are noteworthy but a lot of other scenes that seem to serve no purpose but to give a few quotable lines to a familiar film veteran. Director/writer/star Dwight Yoakam is the star of the film but unfortunately he doesn't quite have what it takes to hold the movie together. Vince Vaughn's bad-guy role steals his thunder in every scene they share. Many other scenes are marred by being a little *too* over-the-top (as when a prisoner slobbers all over the naked bosom of a prostitute pressed up against the window to his cell). Considering that the movie is basically a vanity project for Dwight Yoakam it's not as terrible as it might be... he's very generous in giving screen time to his co-stars... and he does come up with some nice dialogue. Yoakam also provides the memorably haunting musical theme runs throughout the movie. Not a total waste of time... but very bumpy going at times.

Well.....This was/is an odd film. Makes you hate most men or a lot of men. Just some odd characters. I love Dwight and think Bridgett Fonda needs to be in more films, but what was UP with the kisses Dwight was giving her in that balloon????? Were they kisses or was he cleaning her face off with his mouth? Not his tongue, but here, let's kiss strangely and you better fall in love with me when I do it. Weird.

Still love Dwight though, just hope his next writing adventure is better. However, I like the idea of what happened to the character that got his manhood cut off when he was going to take what he wanted from Bridgett Fonda's character.

Oh well....worth a watch...but not the best film.