Destroyer

Nicole Kidman is the epicenter of this bleak crime thriller in which a veteran LAPD officer confronts her long-ago past in which she was part of an undercover operation aimed at a vicious gang of bank robbers. Here, she gives one of her best performances ever.

Kidman's disheveled look in this film is meant to reflect years of anguish and burn-out, in short the psychological toll of her job. An absolutely desolute view of Los Angeles is seen through her exhausted, but still enraged eyes. Another plot layer deals with her challenging relationship with her teenage daughter who has gone astray. Those around Kidman's character rarely see things her way, but that's because she has a past of her own to resolve.

Recommended as slow-burn material that gradually earns one's respect, even though I think a better editor would have made this a tighter film.

Too many back and forth flash-backs throughout the entire 121 min slowly paced convoluted plot does not make for a good film - regardless of Kidman's decent (not great) performance.

Director Karyn Kusama and writers Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi failed to accomplish their vision in creating a captivating film by convoluting simplicity with cliched typical underwhelming directing and writing. Had this films timeline been played out normally, it may have been somewhat entertaining - although the focus was too much on Kidman's character more than anything else. Chopping it with back and forth scenes added nothing more than an annoyance, as there was very little surprise or impact that wasn't already predictable, and the finale was very underwhelming.

The camera work/cinematography was decent, although I would've rather seen less slow-mo and long fixated shots on irrelevant scenes. Had this film's pace been picked up substantially, and edited down to about 90 mins by cutting the convoluted and unnecessary portions out (e.g. skateboarders, walking in the snow, etc), I would have enjoyed it, instead of being left unsatisfied.

A shame the producers focused more on bogus reviews instead of investing in more experienced director/writers equal to Kidman's level. You won't get an A-grade film by hiring A-list actors with B-grade TV-experienced writers and directors.

Sadly it's only a very generous 5/10 from me, and all of that goes to the actors and score which were the only aspects that were stand-out/decent.

My grade of B- is all for the A-list Nicole Kidman showing us she can act like Charlize Theron in Monster. Destroyer is her film, and she does her best to show us she can be badass L.A. PD detective Erin Bell with years on her face and chips on her shoulder. It's just that the vehicle for this iconic actress is a middling thriller with a jumbled plot about her being an undercover cop, a heist gone wrong, and her annoyingly disaffected daughter, Shelby (Jade Pettyjohn), for whom Erin suffers much.

Kidman is made up to look like a beaten woman, but we do get a few too many flashbacks to show us how beautiful she was as a young brunette cop with a future. Director Karyn Kusama keeps the camera close on Kidman, as if she were begging us not to forget that underneath some neat makeup beats the heart and face of a super movie star.

Beyond Kidman's overpowering presence, some solid performances emerge, for instance Sebastian Stan as Chris, her loving partner; and Beau Knapp, as the boyfriend Jay no one would want for your daughter. Myriad other minor characters reflect the complex world of LA, real and romantic. It's the best city I know for attractive crime and fetching diversity.

Perhaps the awareness of glamorous Kidman as a squinting Dirty Harry is what steers the film and her performance to mediocrity. This observation may condemn Kidman to playing courtesans and rich mothers, but the reality is that she has over the years crafted an enviable persona relying partly on her unusually good looks. Perhaps this rough detective will allow us to forget that image as she plays in more gritty roles that display, without distraction, a world-class actress.

If you are a Kidman fan (I became one after Moulin Rouge), see Destroyer, which just may pleasantly erase your picture of perfection.

I'm not sure why there are so many negative reviews, although in reading them they have either not watched the film or simply failed to understand the plot.

It's a good, dark film based around revenge, leading you on a journey to discover to discover who the real villain is.

Please ignore the reviews that state it's confusing (it's really not) or the ones the watched 30 minutes of it (not sure how you can review something you haven't seen?) Watch it and make your own mind up!

This is a great film. The kind of film they just don't make anymore. Kidman looks unrecognisable and delivers her best performance in a long time! Beautiful photography and a stellar cast make this an overall great watch.