Jeff-370

This is par for the course with Bergman, though. I have enjoyed all of his films that I've seen, which I admit is not many. This one touched me even more deeply than the others.

The topics touched on in this film include isolation, truth in relationships, mob mentality, but most importantly isolation from an emotional point of view. The interviews with the actors that are spliced into the film provide insight as well as divisions between sections of the narrative.

Perhaps what I liked best, however, is the inventive way the script reveals elements of the story. Sometimes a voice-over provides necessary information, and other times the information comes through the characters' conversations -- but never in an annoying "quick exposition" kind of way. For example: Although the affair between Anna and Andreas is the central story, it shows up in an odd place in the film.

But that is just one of the examples of the unusual construction that makes this film so unique and masterful. I recommend this to anyone who can read subtitles.

This film is one of the most compelling I've seen in a while. Jack Nicholson is more subdued in this character than he usually is, which is a testament to his reading of the character and to Penn's directing. Jerry (Nicholson) is a retired detective who is so disturbed by a violent rape/murder of a girl and the subsequent mishandling of the case that he obsesses over finding the killer for a very long time afterward.

This is not an uplifting film, and most of it paints the undoing of the main character. There are some familiar plot devices, but they are all handled artfully and with finesse. The ending is, I believe, intentionally confusing and frustrating, in the same way Chinatown's was. Perhaps it's not coincidence that Nicholson is in both films.

I have read several comments that bash this film. Obviously, I disagree with them. But also, I don't think that it's fair to say that plot developments make no sense or, in other cases, are too predictable. Most importantly, this is not structured as a detective/crime/whodunit film, and it should not be treated like one.

Having said that, enjoy. I hope Mr. Penn continues with work of this quality.

There were moments in this film when I was moved to laugh or feel genuine empathy for the characters. I think that's the most positive remark I can make. I felt a lot of the humor was of the tedious unfortunate-misunderstanding-or-miscommunication variety.

Also, I don't think Robert DeNiro turns in the performance he usually does. For the most part, though, he and the rest of the cast make it work. I never really felt everything come together here the way it has in other movies involving Ben Stiller or DeNiro.

Having said that, I'm glad I saw it, and it's probably better than a lot of what is out there.