Powder Blue (2009) R - 3 Stars

Four separate strangers, each with a terrible hole in their lives all intersect to find the courage to go on. On the same realm of a "Crash" style movie, Powder Blue brings these four lives in connection with each other however, never allows you to get a real focus on their connections. Some of the scenes are drawn out and don't tell you much. I thought with such an all star cast and after watching the trailer, it would be powerful drama but it looses too much steam.

Jack Doheny (Ray Liotta) is an ex-con who's has been locked up for the past 25 years. He knows he has a daughter he has not seen and in order to find a reason for his life, he tracks her down to learn more about her, trying to regain her confidence and participate in her life.

Rose Johnny (Jessica Biel) is a professional dancer who moved to Los Angeles in order to make it big. But now that her young son Billy (Chandler Canterbury) has been in a coma for over 3 months, she does whatever it takes to pay the bills even if it means stripping professionally at a club run by a seedy owner Velvet Larry (Patrick Swayze). Qwerty Doolittle (Eddie Redmayne), works in a morgue and has never had a girlfriend. Once he meets Rose he finally discovers feeling in himself he never had before. Randall (Kris Kristofferson), rides the bus at night giving advice to anyone who will listen to him.

Charlie Forest Whitaker was a dedicated priest and met a wonderful woman to call his wife. But when an accident takes her life, he forgets while he ever believed and feels punished by God. Sally (Lisa Kudro), is a waitress and takes a liking to Charlie and she hates to always see him in such despair at her table. Lexus (Alejandro Romero), is a transvestite that Charlie picks up in order to request he/she kill him ending his misery. In one split moment, everyone will touch each other in a way that saves or ends their lives.

Image Entertainment, Speakeasy Releasing
Director: Timothy Linh Bui
Writer: Timothy Linh Bui
Producers: Tracee Stanley, Ross M. Dinerstein, Forest Whitaker

I viewed 6/09