I know that Robert Towne is admired for his success in Hollywood, but he completely messed this one up. My opinion is unapologetically biased. I am a lover of John Fante. In the past 5 years I have read anything, and everything, I could find of his. His name, if it is not already, will be mentioned with the other American greats (Hemingway, Sherwood Anderson, Faulkner, Fitzgerald, etc.). This has to be one of the finest novels ever written (in my humble opinion). Towne fails to grasp the energy or the attitude. If he does grasp it, he certainly doesn't convey it on the screen. I admit it is a difficult task, but then.....if he loves the work and is uncertain it will translate to the screen, why do it? There is also the problem of the performers in the film. I thought Donald Sutherland and Idina Menzel absolutely nailed their performances. It is a real shame they played such minor roles. Colin Farell and Salma Hayek both look amazing in this film. In fact, they look too good. These characters are not supposed to look this good. Farrell and Hayek are great at what they do, but here, neither of them succeed in completing a full portrait. And Towne, ROBERT TOWNE, he changed the ending........one of the most romantic, harrowing, mystical, beautiful endings I've ever read (and I majored in literature). I CANNOT BELIEVE HE CHANGED FANTE'S ENDING. It didn't make the movie any better, solve any time issues, or make any more sense. All it did was completely ruin the experience for me. Perhaps I am too attached to the book. I concede that making any film adapted from a novel will lose certain elements. However, those elements could have been thought out a little more here. Like I said before, Farrell and Hayek look absolutely spectacular together here. It makes the film easy to watch. I did love it because it was Fante brought to the big screen, but considering the material with which Towne had at his disposal ( commonly referred to as a masterpiece in literary circles ), this should have been a hell of a lot better.