Good movie but not a great film by any means. Very poor character and plot development. I had so many questions 45 mins into the film and even more, once it ended.
I don't think this is a great movie, acting is mediocre and the story itself quite predictable. All though direction is somewhat good so i would recommend to have a look once but that's it
Technical aspects are great: powerful performances, very good cinematography and strong direction that creates a bleak foreboding atmosphere. However the plot goes through a lot of convolutions to throw red herrings and clues at the viewer in a way that ended up feeling unbelievable. I was particularly disappointed by the revelation of a cartoonish villain at the end who doesn't seem to fit in with the tone. It recalls Mystic River with which it shares a lot of positives and negatives, but it also resembles Memories of Murder and The Vanishing (both of which are clearly superior) but with the darker parts filed off to make it more palatable for a mass audience.
I feel like the plot could have been a lot more coherent and easier to follow if they had just cut out the character of Taylor. He's nothing more than a red herring. It also emphasizes the whole "main character has it right, and no one believes them" trope which kind of annoys me (reminded me of Gone and that's never a good thing).
But with that said it was a great movie otherwise, just wonderful to look at, Villeneuve is the master of cinematography.
on the pro side:
1) the much cited atmosphere. I'm just a sucker for that bleak, lower middle-class rural America getup
2) the acting - Gyllenhaal and Jackman
3) the writing - surprisingly captivating and tense
the cons:
1) (minor con) the run time - for what they have 2.5 hours is too much. Could've easily been condensed and would have been better for it.
2) The ending - Even though the twist was pretty predictable halfway through I didn't expect a "happy ending", which sort of didn't go with the flavor of the rest. On the other hand I can't think of a way to make a depressing ending for this that fits either...
3) Was it just me or did they try somewhat hard to shoe-horn some anti-atheism in there? The good people keep praying while the bad ones "wage a war on god" due to some prior trauma?
I slept on this when it came out 3 years ago, choosing to ignore because the story didn't interest me and the ending was spoiled for me. After watching a few of Denis Villeneuve's other projects, I was far more curious to check out. And I was enraptured from frame one. If only I knew Roger Deakins was lensing every shot, I would have rushed to the theater right away. It helps that the film is well acted and well paced with not a wasted frame. Perhaps this is the way it should be, by focusing less on the central mystery, I was able to hone in on the brilliant performances in front and behind the camera.
Watching this movie was emotionally exhausting, and at times I felt physically ill. I mean this as praise. The tense bleakness of the plot and great performances made me feel the real horror of the situation, in addition to interest in the mystery.
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Comments 1 - 15 of 42
apetree83
Good movie but not a great film by any means. Very poor character and plot development. I had so many questions 45 mins into the film and even more, once it ended.lucafilm
I don't think this is a great movie, acting is mediocre and the story itself quite predictable. All though direction is somewhat good so i would recommend to have a look once but that's itChrisReynolds
Technical aspects are great: powerful performances, very good cinematography and strong direction that creates a bleak foreboding atmosphere. However the plot goes through a lot of convolutions to throw red herrings and clues at the viewer in a way that ended up feeling unbelievable. I was particularly disappointed by the revelation of a cartoonish villain at the end who doesn't seem to fit in with the tone. It recalls Mystic River with which it shares a lot of positives and negatives, but it also resembles Memories of Murder and The Vanishing (both of which are clearly superior) but with the darker parts filed off to make it more palatable for a mass audience.buc86
I feel like the plot could have been a lot more coherent and easier to follow if they had just cut out the character of Taylor. He's nothing more than a red herring. It also emphasizes the whole "main character has it right, and no one believes them" trope which kind of annoys me (reminded me of Gone and that's never a good thing).But with that said it was a great movie otherwise, just wonderful to look at, Villeneuve is the master of cinematography.
dantheman89
This one is a bit of a head scratcher...on the pro side:
1) the much cited atmosphere. I'm just a sucker for that bleak, lower middle-class rural America getup
2) the acting - Gyllenhaal and Jackman
3) the writing - surprisingly captivating and tense
the cons:
1) (minor con) the run time - for what they have 2.5 hours is too much. Could've easily been condensed and would have been better for it.
2) The ending - Even though the twist was pretty predictable halfway through I didn't expect a "happy ending", which sort of didn't go with the flavor of the rest. On the other hand I can't think of a way to make a depressing ending for this that fits either...
3) Was it just me or did they try somewhat hard to shoe-horn some anti-atheism in there? The good people keep praying while the bad ones "wage a war on god" due to some prior trauma?
overall not sad I saw it - 5.5/10
Earring72
Gripping, intense drama thriller with all round terricif performances.catherinefrances
I had to sleep with a nightlight on after watching this film.Not going to lie.
danisanna
Great performances!L MuMu
Good movie! Attracted my attention from the beginning to the end.fonz
I slept on this when it came out 3 years ago, choosing to ignore because the story didn't interest me and the ending was spoiled for me. After watching a few of Denis Villeneuve's other projects, I was far more curious to check out. And I was enraptured from frame one. If only I knew Roger Deakins was lensing every shot, I would have rushed to the theater right away. It helps that the film is well acted and well paced with not a wasted frame. Perhaps this is the way it should be, by focusing less on the central mystery, I was able to hone in on the brilliant performances in front and behind the camera.Jay AK
this is one of the best thriller mystery movies ever. the story is just great and suspense is everywhere.MrsBlaileen
Watching this movie was emotionally exhausting, and at times I felt physically ill. I mean this as praise. The tense bleakness of the plot and great performances made me feel the real horror of the situation, in addition to interest in the mystery.Micaescalada
I don't know why they didn't nominated this movie. For me it was the best of 2013.Shari.
This will stay in your mind.filmclub
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