2 Days in the Valley

    2 Days in the Valley
    1996

    Synopsis

    In a sleepy bedroom community of LA's San Fernando Valley, the murder of a professional athlete by two hit men sets into motion a chain of events that puts the mundane lives of a dozen residents on a collision course. This clever tale tells the story of two hit men, a mistress, a nurse, a vindictive ex-wife, a wealthy art dealer and his lovelorn assistant, a suicidal writer and his dog, and a bitter cop and his partner.

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    Cast

    • Danny AielloDosmo Pizzo
    • Jeff DanielsAlvin Strayer
    • Teri HatcherBecky Foxx
    • Charlize TheronHelga Svelgen
    • James SpaderLee Woods
    • Eric StoltzWes Taylor
    • Glenne HeadlySusan Parish
    • Peter HortonRoy Foxx
    • Greg CruttwellAllan Hopper
    • Marsha MasonAudrey Hopper

    Recommendations

    • 83

      Tampa Bay Times

      2 Days in the Valley is a neatly folded piece of cinematic quirk.
    • 80

      The New York Times

      Two Days in the Valley lacks the humanity of ''Short Cuts'' or the edgy hipness of ''Pulp Fiction,'' but it is still a sleek, amusingly nasty screen debut by a film maker whose television credits include an Amy Fisher docudrama.
    • 75

      Chicago Sun-Times

      It's fun to watch 2 Days in the Valley” in the moment, and then fun afterward to think about the way the story was put together, and all of those lives connected.
    • 75

      ReelViews

      I enjoyed 2 Days in the Valley. It's pure entertainment – nothing too serious, nothing too deep – with an artistic sensibility. It's rare for movies these days to recognize that the audience might have an intelligence, and even more unusual for them not to talk down to those in the not-so-cheap seats. So, if you're looking for some smart fun, John Herzfeld's feature is a worthy choice. And you don't need two days – just two hours.
    • 75

      San Francisco Chronicle

      2 Days in the Valley is skillfully made. The beginning introduces a handful of disparate characters. It juggles their stories and then deftly starts bringing them together through some surprising and unexpected turns.
    • 70

      Variety

      2 Days in the Valley will rank high on any list of films containing the greatest number of scenes in which people are threatened at gunpoint. Marked by a wearying amount of hostile and antisocial behavior by its criminal and civilian characters alike, writer-director John Herzfeld's debut outing features a measure of unexpected humor and some good character work by the ensemble cast.
    • 50

      TV Guide Magazine

      It's not that this is a bad, blackly comic slice-of-lowlife: It's just that you've just seen it all before.
    • 50

      Austin Chronicle

      On the whole, there are some good moments in the movie, but altogether, 2 Days in the Valley is about one day too much.