Jogo de Mentiras

If you read the few reviews on here that bashed the movie, you will believe it was pointless. They missed it entirely. I can only say that this was a very enjoyable tale start to end, and well worth watching particularly for anyone who enjoys a slow build to a finale. I am always looking for an original story and original telling of it, and highly recommend this nice little gem that you will not regret seeing.

Don McKay is a suspense crime thriller that you will want to watch a second time because the reveal at the end makes you re-examine the entire movie. I give this 8 out 10 stars because the movie did get a little bit into the unbelievable realm when the puzzle started to unravel, but the final payoff is so filled with revelation that you forgive that.

The first half of the movie was paced and shown in a very similar style to Shutter Island, and I felt was extremely well done. (However, if you don't like a slow build and pacing that takes it's time, then you probably won't like this movie.) I personally started to believe that this little movie could have gone for a major ending of epic proportions -- it was that well done in my opinion. But, Act Two did keep the movie on a smaller scale and got a bit quirky in parts, which was a disappointment. However, it was all worth it as you finally understand what was going on the entire time in the final minutes. It keeps you guessing the entire time, and even when you do guess right, which I had done, the ending still took it to a whole new level that I did not expect. Total surprise.

I will also add that I was laughing out loud during several sequences of the movie. The dark humor was really good.

Acting was excellent, although I say that after understanding the whole situation at the end. During the movie I felt it was more like average, but that ending puts it all in a new light.

Cinematography, score, and sets were excellent, felt just right for the tone and added a nice reinforcing effect on the movie.

"Don McKay" is marketed as an edgy thriller, that's probably because they had no idea how to categorize it.

The movie begins as a cross between a romantic drama, a character study, and a dark thriller. Don McKay, played brilliantly by Thomas Haden Church, returns to his hometown by a letter from his high school girlfriend, Sunny (Elisabeth Shue). That's the romantic drama aspect. But we quickly learn that there's something not quite right about Sunny, there's something not quite right with most people in the town, and McKay has dark secrets to his past. We are always on the lookout for creepy turns and shadows around every corner. Those are the dark thriller aspects.

It seems as if it's going to be a character study, but its really not about McKay himself. It's ultimately plot-driven and the mysterious problems that McKay gets himself into. I was riveted throughout.

I actually highly recommend "Don McKay" because it's cleverly written to throw its audience off-guard, it's completely original, and these film-makers know what they are doing. And no matter what genre you decide it is by the end, it won't be what you thought it was at the beginning.

What if you made a low/no budget movie about a con and by the end of the movie it came across as more confusing than smart? What if everything leading up to the final scenes were more boring than interesting? What if everyone acting in this film just mumbled through their cringe worthy lines? Well you'd have the movie Don McKay.

This movie is so stilted it only starts to get interesting in maybe the last 20 minutes before the credits roll, anything before that is just, sadly, nothing about nothing. Within the first 10 minutes of the movie you, the viewer, know something is amiss but the movie gives no clues and drags out this expectation of answers until the very end. The rest of the movie is padded with allusions of something happening 25 years prior and by the time it's all tied up in the end, it's ridiculous that it's all been withheld for the entire running time.

Honestly this would have been perfect fodder for a hour long TV episode of the crime/suspense type, and probably gotten a much better treatment on the small screen. The best con of this movie is the fact it separated you from your hard earned money just to waste an hour and half of your life, both of which you'll never get back.

Don McKay combines a mystery drama with some thriller and comedy aspects sprinkled in. The film starts off a little slow, but picks up and becomes one strange thriller and that is meant in a good way. After the first major strange event happens in the film it changes the whole tone and as the movie progresses you keep getting the feeling everything is off with the story, and you just aren't quite sure where it is going. As the story progresses and you start to understand what happened they feed you enough but not too much to keep the film interesting. My only complaint with that is that some of the events in the film are a little too far fetched and you do need to suspend your belief a little to fully enjoy the film.

Thomas Haden Church puts on a good performance as Don McKay, not necessarily for a standout performance, but his facial expressions and reactions to the events that happen bring them to life more. I've never really been an Elisabeth Shue fan, but also liked her in the film as she played her role well and there was a certain chemistry with her and Thomas Haden Church. With these types of films the ending usually makes or breaks them and for Don McKay I thought it came off somewhat believable amongst all the strangeness leading up to it. I'd definitely recommend the film to people as it may get overlooked.

Review brought to you by unbiasedmoviereviews.com

I thought the movie "Don McKay" was something entirely different than it actually was. Maybe because I had just briefly glanced over the description on the back, so I had formed a wrong impression.

Well, this movie was somewhat of a rather slow, painful process to get through. The start of the movie was promising, introducing the character in a nice way and slowly building up to something promising. And as the viewer you knew something was amiss. Then the movie suddenly started to get confusing. I am sure the makers of the movie thought their story was a good and exciting one, but the end product turned out as a confusing mess.

Throughout the movie, you sit there and gawk at the half-hearted acting performances and the dull dialogues. You never really buy into believing in what is portrayed on the screen, as the whole picture just doesn't work together in any way. However, I have to say one thing, Thomas Haden Church did a wonderful performance of portraying the gray and boring character of Don McKay. I thought he worked quite well in this role.

The characters in the movie were well enough fleshed out. Very nice and screwed up characters, that had potential, but failed to shine through because of the acting was below mediocre.

The one good thing about the movie, was when Don revealed the ultimate truth towards the ending. Now that was a nice surprising twist to an otherwise confusing and halting story. I liked that part, it worked quite well. The rest of the movie, well not so much.

I had thought this to be somewhat more of a thriller, but ended up with a lukewarm story that took forever to be told. Definitely not a movie I recommend that you pick up, unless you are bored, fanatically fan of any of the actors/actresses, or if you just have nothing better to do. There are lots of other movies out there with far more entertainment value.