johnclark-1

I give this movie 3 stars only. The story (concept) was intriguing, but The writing was muddled, and dialogue often made no sense. The casting and acting were spot on but The directing and editing were strangely bad. I mean in the shot to shot, the cutting, the way the scenes followed each other. Logic and clarity went out the window.

I have only one rule when I am being entertained. (Incorporating style always,) do I BELIEVE what I'm watching? Throughout this movie, I kept being pulled up short. The creature's costume, why no attempt to integrate the face with scales? oh no, mustn't completely hide the actor's handsome American features. Our heroine, was she to be pitied? No, she had friends and sympathy all around. Not downtrodden. These cleaning ladies, since when were cleaning ladies in public spaces chatted up by absolutely everybody as "equals" even in the toilet? I could go on, and on, and on, but cannot be bothered. This was an ego trip by one person, the movie maker. I comment that people are afraid to come out and criticise for fear of sounding ignorant. I forecast that it will do no business at the box offce.

Mr. Nolan thinks that he can break the basic rules of story telling without fear because, well, he is Christopher Nolan.

One of the first rules is you have to CARE about your leading characters. Does this happen here? Did we ever get to know anything about the characters' character? No. We look at the thin-lipped dour-faced fave of British drama, the Right Hon, no, Lord, not yet, Sir, Kenneth Branagh. He, along with everyone else, is but a puppet for Mr. Nolan to pull the strings of.

As Documentary with punch, OK. As Drama, definitely not. I felt I'd been cheated out of a clear story line, a connected narrative.

Mr. Nolan might benefit from examining the book for all screenwriters, Robert McKee's STORY (substance, structure, style and principles of screen writing).

As I left the Imax Cinema on Citiwalk at Universal last night, a feast of Forrest Gump shrimp filled the empty space in my stomach, if not my assaulted brain.

Ever been in Family Court? I have, more than once.

You need to have been there to appreciate this film, which goes into the complex relationships and differing points of view of the participants in our legal system. What goes on behind the scenes?

You also see why our legal system doesn't work. It has little to do with the subject, the protagonist. In murder trials, they are never there because they're always dead! But they do move the story along. Meanwhile, the antagonists are, really, all the rest of the cast, and we see how they make a lot of money realizing their successful careers (how much is never mentioned, of course.)

Director Del Mann and writer Cindy Myers know their way around this material, and make full use of this knowledge. And it was cast beautifully.

Notice the jealousy and rivalry between the judges, who claim proprietary ownership of "their" courtrooms. Notice the conflicts of interest that infects everything that takes place, especially between the lawyers. They all wear their masks. Here we see judges who become part of the case!

So, watch this film, and LEARN, if you're about to seek a restraining order. I was able to see my own case in a different light because of this film. The principles of Greek drama are fully utilized, and the innocent members of the public will be in for surprises and enlightenment.

You may be left with the feeling, if you reach catharsis, that there must be a better (and not illegal) way to settle family disputes. You will also be left with the resolve to stay away from lawyers, judges, and courts, if you're looking for closure.