First of all, yes, this is the movie in which Chloe Sevigny gives Vincent Gallo a blowjob, for real, a much-ballyhooed element in an otherwise unremarkable self-portrait — which is a shame, as Gallo’s previous feature, Buffalo ’66, was pretty damn great. Gallo serves as writer, producer, director, star, cinematographer, art director, costume designer and maybe even caterer in the cross-country tale of Bud Clay, a motorcycle racer en route from New Hampshire to California and haunted by the memories of his former lover, Daisy (Sevigny). On his journey, he encounters several women whom he tries to connect with, but there’s apparently only one gal for him — and their eventual encounter in a motel room brings about shocking revelations (and would-be shocking sexual acts). The Brown Bunny is pretentious and unsatisfying, filled with endless shots of Gallo riding into the distance on his motorcycle as he attempts to paint a portrait of isolation and loneliness and only ends up boring the viewer. Roger Ebert called this “the worst movie in the history of the Cannes Film Festival” when it screened in 2003, which prompted an amusing war of words between the critic and auteur; the following year, Ebert praised the film upon viewing a considerably edited version.
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New On Netflix: The Brown Bunny