State Like Sleep

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.

Girl whose husband committed suicide is forced to return to the country where she lived with him, in order to solve with her mother-in-law matters pertaining to an apartment. The girl's mother is there with her; she has a stroke and is hospitalized, so the girl has to stay there longer than she imagined. She decides to investigate her husband's suicide and ends uncovering a series of facts that clearly show that the previous police investigation was not exactly competent.

We've seen this movie a thousand times and I probably would've stopped it after about half an hour if it weren't for the presence of adorable Katherine Waterston in every single scene. And that is a complete pleasure. She's gorgeous, sweet and a fine actress. She's worth watching this.

Wow, this is a true clunker. One of the most pretentious films I have seen and I have seen my share. One has to wonder what is going on with Michael Shannon. Does he literally take any paycheck? Tribeca was a sad affair this year, a shadow of its former self, and this was the worst offering there.

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.

Because that's pretty much where it took me. Boring "plot", unlikable characters, lots of shadowy shots for no reason, and tons of pointless conversation. Unrealistic situation and dialogue.

Doesn't help that I'm sick of seeing older male actors paired with young actresses for gratuitous sex scenes. Love me some Michael Shannon, but this movie stunk for many reasons.