Search - Eliza's Horoscope on DVD

A Mess - and a waste of Tommy Lee Jones

Salome | 11/25/2007

(1 out of 5 stars)

""Eliza" moves to town while she looks for her true love as foretold in her horoscope. She meets a series of weirdos and outcasts residing in her apartment building, including Tommy Lee Jones' character, a disgruntled American Indian intent on destroying a bridge as a strike against the government. Eliza's only goal in life (and the main focus of this film)is to find her one true love; she practically stumbles over Jones whom she befriends, not realizing she's found her soul mate... Well, the hook sounds marginally better than what ends up on film.

This film is EXCRUCIATING in its attempt to be artsy - too many closeups of leering faces, abrupt laughter, and people prancing in and out of frame; it's lack of plot is downright nonsensical to the point of ridiculous while we keep wondering when an actual storyline will unfold. (Don't hold your breath.) No wonder Eliza doesn't realize who her true love is, her character embodies the mindlessness of this film; it's a wonder she can even find her way home after the end of a long day of "searching". The sound quality is poor, but the film suffers from a lack of intelligent dialogue anyway, so you won't miss much. Jones can't save this sad mess - This film fell into obscurity for good reason. Give it a miss -

If you want decent early Tommy Lee Jones fare, try "Jackson County Jail," "Back Roads" (with Sally Fields) or "The Eyes of Lara Mars" (with Faye Dunaway). Like many 1970s films, these movie styles are also dated, but Jones' talent shines through in them without the burden of wading through creative flotsam and jetsom masquerading as an art film one finds in "Eliza's Horoscope" ."