pinkled5

Fantastic performances from Jessica Chastain and Michael Shannon. My issue with independent films like this is the plots move excruciatingly slow. Almost the entire first hour is dedicated to him having different versions of the same dream, and by the halfway point we're still exactly in the same place where we started. More stuff happens in the second half, but most of it is just consequences of his actions and doesn't really drive the plot. To be fair, I'm not even sure this film has a traditional plot, because I can't really identify the inciting incident or the denouement, and I'm not sure how the climax served the purpose of either. When it was over, I didn't really feel like the end justified the means, and I can't say I'm glad I watched it. All I can say is, Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain are fantastic actors.

The dialog in the very first scene was so bad that I couldn't help but laugh out loud. I hoped it would get better, but it didn't. Every line Susan Sarandon's character says is some of the worst written dialog, and not even her acting chops could salvage it. But it's not just her character, the entire movie is full of terrible exposition presented in what seems like the laziest manner possible.

The plot is paper thin, too. The only thing the main character wants is money to save his parent's home. Everything that happens to him is caused by happenstance, serendipity, or a ridiculously hard to believe contrivance. I was given no reason to root for any of these characters.

I did like how they tried to develop the family dynamic, and I was hoping I could rally around that, but even that was clunky, at best. I had the urge to walk out from the very opening scene, but I forced myself to stay for nearly an hour. Eventually, the urge became too strong and I could no longer overcome it, and left the theater about halfway through.

I'll give this a 3/10 because the actors were trying their best with what they were given, and it really showed in their performances. I especially enjoyed George Lopez's performance, but it wasn't enough to save this film. I also thought the CGI was pretty good (except for the shot looking up inside the Kord building, that shot looked rough).