State Like Sleep

First off, the IMDB rating is too low. This film is better than the current 4.4 rating. I personally gave it a 6 because it is certainly not a bad film. It does not have a resolution that is satisfactory however and that is the worst part of it.

The film is actually visually appealing and the cast is talented and handles their roles well. Michael Shannon rarely goes wrong and he's good in this film if underutilized. Katharine Waterson is often very good, but I'm not sure she was the best fit for this film.

The plot is admittedly too complex in that it is searching for something the audience can hold onto but never does accomplish that, but the movie is NOT boring despite what some reviewers claim. Slow moving? Sure. But not boring.

I see what they were trying to do... but they failed. Too slow, didn't believe the story, acting was only thing god about it.

3.8

This film tells the story of an American photographer, whose Belgian husband kills himself with a gun. She struggles to find out why he kills himself.

The story could have been interesting, but the pace is super super slow. It moves so slowly that even potentially adrenaline filled scenes become boring. The storytelling doesn't make you want to find out what is happening, and doesn't captivate the viewers. It is a pity, because it has good production, but the story isn't told well.

Katherine Waterston is as lovely as ever, Michael Shannon is very nice in a role that's considerably softer than his usual parts, and the direction is slick and competent. However the whole thing is mostly forgettable and the movie just sort of ends without a satisfying resolution.

Not nearly as bad as the reviews lead me to believe. I can only guess it was marketed to the wrong crowd. Yes, it was slow compared to Hollywood action films, but not when compared to European cinema. I enjoyed it enough to see again perhaps some time. Although the plot is peppered with flashbacks it's never confusing due to a certain detail that also applied to a bit of comic relief that apparently everyone but me missed. No spoilers...lol. I don't think it was a great film, so could only give it a 6.0, but the current rating on IMDB is 4.4 which is ridiculously low given the good qualities of this film overall. Be well rested when watching and ready to look and listen!