Jimmy and Judy

Though it boasts an almost unwatchable opening half hour, Jimmy and Judy ultimately establishes itself as a marginally entertaining first-person drama that benefits substantially from the two leads’ compelling work. The storyline follows a couple of misfits (Edward Furlong’s Jimmy and Rachael Bella’s Judy) as they embark on a violent road trip after Jimmy accidentally kills a cop, with the bulk of the proceedings subsequently detailing their efforts to reach a fabled redneck compound (where they’ll supposedly be surrounded by like-minded anarchists). There’s little doubt that Jimmy and Judy‘s central visual conceit – the entire film has been shot entirely from the perspective of the two central characters – proves effective at holding the viewer at arm’s length at the outset, with Furlong’s almost aggressively obnoxious work as Jimmy initially exacerbating the movie’s low-rent sensibilities. It’s not until Jimmy and Judy begin to get to know one another (and eventually start to fall in love) that the film starts to become more than just an aimless exercise in audaciousness, as the palpable chemistry between the two stars infuses the narrative with an authenticity and sweetness that becomes progressively difficult to resist. The amiable atmosphere persists right up until the eponymous couple are forced to go on the run, after which point the increased emphasis on sleaziness slowly but surely drains Jimmy and Judy of its energy – thus signaling the movie’s shift from likeable romance to tedious lovers-on-the-run thriller. And although William Sadler’s short-lived turn as the aforementioned redneck compound’s intense yet charismatic leader temporarily alleviates the stagnant vibe, there’s simply no getting around the pervasively uneven nature of the film’s structure – which effectively cements its place as an intriguing yet hopelessly uneven endeavor.

**1/2 out of ****