No Looking Back

I haven't seen the other two more well-known films that writer-director Edward Burns has done but this one is excellent. It has a real feel for the ordinary lives of lower middle-class people, the kind for whom losing a $20 bet in a poker game at the wrong time of the week is a disaster, and it tells an interesting story. Burns plays a ne'er-do-well type who blows back into his old hometown looking for the girl he left behind three years before. Only he finds that she (Lauren Holly) is now engaged to another old friend, played by Jon Bon Jovi. At first Lauren is ready to tell this bum to hit the road, but he eventually begins to win her back, not simply because of his rascally charm, but because he forces her to think about her limited future here in town if she does marry her boyfriend. Lauren Holly is so good here and such a joy to watch. All of her inner emotions and the turmoil she feels is there in her eyes for everyone to see each time the camera looks her way. Burns is also good in his role. He character in this film reminds me of someone Mickey Roarke would play, and I think he resembles that actor a bit, too. Bon Jovi was a real surprise to me, and the rest of the main supporting cast do fine jobs as well. If you like real-life or slice-of-life dramas or whatever you want to call them, 'No Looking Back' may suit you just fine.

I have enjoyed Mr. Burns' work since I first saw The Brothers McMullen a couple of years ago. His movies portray relationships with hardedged honesty and subtle humor. His scripts are nearly flawless in their ability to find the romance, tragic at times, in the lives of pre-middle-aged characters. Each successive film has been better than the last one, and I make it a point to follow his upcoming works.

I am intrigued by the mixed emotions this movie brings. I think it was as close to perfect as a film can get. Burns cut his teeth with two excellent movies, but this movie is almost too good, too soon. The acting, writing, scenery, emotions, and pace were synergistic. Lauren Holly should be so proud of her performance. To me it was the best performance I have seen by any actor - male or female - in a long time. Watch her eyes and her body language. If you're looking to be entertained this may not be for you. If you love the art of real characters and real dialogue, you should like this film. I was blown away. Great job Ed!!! It's hard to do it better than this one.

My biggest grievance with No Looking Back is that it doesn't have a character like the ones Mike McClone played in The Brothers McMullen and She's the One. He had a great chemistry with Ed Burns who just isn't as funny without him. Having said that, No Looking Back is a nice little slice-of-life thing. It won't change your perception of life or anything else except perhaps Lauren Holly who is quite adorable. I give it a 6 out of 10.

I`d never heard of Edward Burns untill I saw NO LOOKING BACK but if his other films are anything like this then I won`t be very sorry if I never hear from him again . This low concept movie has little to recommend it , there`s no real plot and the characters are unlikable and slightly foul mouthed . Okay it`s fairly well acted ( Even by Jon Bon Jovi ) but that`s not enough for audiences who are looking for an entertaining story

I watched this movie just recently (had video-recorded it from the TV). Very solid performances of all the actors and I was pleasantly surprised by Jon Bon Jovi. In my view, Edward Burns has given us better performances than this one, although no complaints. Blythe Danner, even though her role is short, is intense and completely into it as always. The setting, a small coastal town, was great and perfectly reflected the mood of the entire movie. As to the soundtrack: superb! But where can I get a hold of it?! The recording I have did not show the credits all the way to the end and I would especially like to know which female singer performs at least two of the songs. Springsteen is, of course, recognizable.

A slight disappointment from Edward Burns after the fine comedies "The Brothers McMullen" and "She's The One." There's no faulting the performances, most of which are decent...but the story goes nowhere and neither do the characters here. The movie feels aimless and lacks energy. Burns himself plays a ne'er-do-well and manages to make him almost likable in a scruffy sort of way and Jon BonJovi isn't half bad as a regular Joe. It's just a shame that none of the characters exhibit any real growth or transformation during the picture. Burns' comedies were somewhat aimless too, but they felt more alive that his stab at drama here. Maybe he should stick to the funny stuff he does best.