daileybaker

Okay, that may be too harsh, as I've seen a lot of truly terrible films at film festivals, but this has spoiled me on Scorcese -- making me wonder if he's actually got talent, or just makes films with violence and top-notch crew and scripts, so that it comes together. Is he just a guy who made two films that established him as a "visionary" in people's minds, so that he gets tons of top talent joining with him, the best scripts, etc. This film made this questions come to the forefront, because this seems truly to be his "vision" also -- and it's not a good picture. Shots are not artistic; editing is clunky; direction of actors is clumsy; story has no direction or emotional investment. I really don't think this is worth the couple hours out of your life.

This is an important story about business and politics getting more and more in bed together -- and it also leading to news corps being sullied by business interests. One hopes that this film will wake people up to DO something about breaking up these massive corporations, and also to reform campaign finance! The sad truth that the film glosses over is that the truly corrupt part of the story would be swept under the rug. (Partially seen in the final headlines and their relative size.) So that is something for which all the people involved in this film should be congratulated. Only negative comment would be directing was not good. Too many close ups, no sense of visual poetry. (Makes me frustrated when other worthy directors -- Jill Sprecher, etc. -- do not get big budget films like this). Seemed like a directing/DP attempt at a "type" of movie, rather than organically being it -- the tricks of camera work without intent or reason. Actors very good, so casting was well done. It's one of better Rachel McAdams roles! Helen Mirren, Ben Affleck excellent. Robin Wright always masterful. Worth seeing for thought-provoking story and solid acting.

The images in the film are exquisite. Cinematography gorgeous. The camera movement is minimal and careful -- with placement to tell the story masterfully done and also giving the film the feeling of both arm's length (the emotional state of Cage's character) and of a sort of zen spareness that is refreshing in films. I was feeling almost like Cage's self-sabotage-like depression was becoming tedious and then the film blossomed, and I have been thinking about it ever since.

This movie, like a ribbon, ties everything together in the last 5 or 10 minutes in a way that delivers a real wallop to the heart and the mind -- it's a beautiful film that suddenly blooms in a sense of clarity and insight that was like saying, "Ah!"

And it doesn't resort to violence as an easy answer, as something one would expect in films nowadays, but rather brings it up -- the urge to be violent -- as a very real human feeling, but one that we need to struggle with -- just as we do with love, anger, desire, etc.

How wonderful to see great casting like this -- the daughter (Gemmenne de la Pena) is so good in her role, and it's even more impressive to the film because it is so complex for movie-goers to not be judgmental when only used to seeing rail-thin women. The son too -- a wonderful performance (Nicholas Hoult with an American accent). Hope Davis is always fantastic.

Hans Zimmer's music is terrific. It doesn't get in the way of the film, but serves and complements is beautifully.

And the characters, complicated and human in their behaviors and personalities -- not cut-out archetypes of good or bad or loving husband or absent father... Instead, this film showed how life IS complex, how people make decisions that lead to what happens to them, and that we can all come to terms with that, to accept ourselves as who we are. The commentary on what it is to be American is so subtle and interesting -- what a delightful, thought-provoking part of a film!