Cheap Excess Baggage (DVD) (Alicia Silverstone, Benicio Del Toro) (Marco Brambilla) Price

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Customer Reviews of Excess Baggage

Fantastic the second time around.
"Excess Baggage" is the type of movie that failed at the box office due to poor marketing. With the combination of Alicia Silverstone in a lead role and a trailer suggesting that this was mostly a comedy, I think a lot of people went into this flick with a wrong impression. I know I did. The first time I saw it I was rather disappointed. There was nothing inherently wrong with any performance or any facet of the movie itself. I think it was more that it wasn't what I expected. Luckily, I decided to let some time pass and view it again. I'm very glad I did because this is actually a solid movie. The role of the bratty rich kid was, of course, perfect for Alicia and she didn't have to stretch much to properly play the part. Benicio Del Toro was simply amazing! His mannerisms for his character are something you simply can't be taught. Del Toro is the real deal and you can't help but fall for his charm...even if he is playing a car thief. It goes without saying that Christopher Walken is flawless as usual. The guy's been around forever because he is one of the best acting talents in Hollywood. The story certainly has some amusing moments and situations. However, this is a story that's actually about love, loyalty and knowing your place in the world. By all appearances, Alicia Silverstone and Benicio Del Toro would make quite the unconvincing couple. As the movie progresses, however, you are truly moved by the bond that they form. "Excess Baggage" is a very special film that deserves an open mind and a keen eye for amazing acting and appreciation of a multi-layered storyline filled with deep moments.

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Leonard Maltin Needs New Glasses.
Indeed, Leonard Maltin does need new glasses, maybe even a new job, because he is totally unqualified as a film critic if he didn't like this movie. Maybe he has something against Alicia Silverstone, but she isn't the reason to see Excess Baggage anyway, although she does a respectable job. The real stars here are Benicio Del Toro and (surprise?) Christopher Walken, who each give outstanding performances. Del Toro steals the show, portraying a shy, soft-spoken and gentle-natured car thief who gets entangled in Silverstone's world by stealing her expensive BMW (with her in the trunk). She's trying to get the attention of her rich and distant father by faking a kidnapping, and Del Toro spends the rest of the movie with her in tow and on the run, trying to reclaim his upended life without getting caught by the mob, due to a broken deal, or iced by her Uncle Ray, a very dangerous, a very cool cat who can kill in a blink, but one who cares for Silverstone as only an uncle should. We come to care for these two men even more than the girl who has brought them together, although the relationship that develops between Del Toro and Silverstone rings sweet and true. Particularly touching is their scene by the lake after they have spent the night together at a remote alpine lodge. They are almost inaudible as they share their thoughts, seemingly childlike in response to the feelings that have developed, but we truly feel the love that is there as Dave Matthews' beautiful song "Crash" plays beneath their words. And there are many other genuine moments. Excess Baggage is filled with an interesting tension and pacing that is uncommon to romantic comedies and thus a treat. More typical is the ending, where all works out for the best, but it is satisfying nevertheless.

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DVD Worse Than The Actual Film
...and that's saying an earful. We all know Excess Baggage was a bad movie, case closed. THE THREE STARS ARE FOR BENICIO ALONE!!! No one else mattered to me. DVD could have given it new life if the manufacturers thought to give us more bang for our bucks. I HATE plain DVDs! Why do some movies have loads of special features while others are just the VHS version on a disk? There were no special features whatsoever on this DVD. There was only one version of the film...full screen. I don't mind full screen but I would have liked to have the choice of both like most DVDs. The scene selection part is stuck in dinosaur land. You could only go in one direction which meant you had to go through the entire movie to get to the scene you wanted. I wouldn't have bought this DVD if I wasn't so smitten with BDT. He's the only thing in this film worth watching because we all know Alicia Silverstone's never been front-screen material.