As with nearly everything Smith has worked on in his career, Tusk was met with disastrous box-office returns and, yes, a vitriolic response from some critics. By this point, Smith and his financiers probably expected as much and will be hoping that the film finds more of an audience on DVD and Blu-Ray. The interesting thing about Tusk is that certain critics were much more positive, with many praising it's originality and genuine shock factor. It's a movie that will stay with you long after the end credits roll, whether you loved it or were turned off by just how out there it gets in its third act. The film's script is fantastic, with Michael Parks again working wonders with Smith's dialogue, delivering his fascinating and unnerving soliloquies with eloquent precision. Justin Long puts in a similarly strong turn, acting as an excellent counterpoint to Parks. Long's character Wallace Bryton is fully fleshed out, no mere one-note scumbag in distress. Smith also gets top notch supporting turns from Genesis Rodriguez as Long's girlfriend Ally and Haley Joel Osment (marking his maturation to adult actor, after his sterling performances as a child in The Sixth Sense and Pay It Forward) as his best friend Teddy. The third act of the film is really what will divide opinion, as the story simultaneously takes a disturbing, grotesque turn while also introducing a character who changes the tone to something more offbeat and strangely amusing. If you go with the film though, and buy in to everything that Smith is trying to accomplish, Tusk is a singular movie experience. The first meeting of Mr Tusk will haunt your dreams for many nights afterwards. Tusk and Red State ranked above Clerks?! Sound off in the comments below with all your opinions on Mr Kevin Smith and his movies.
