helgis-63120

While the movie for the long periods plays out as another "dark comedy", very trendy in this season (Fincher's "The Killer", Allen's "Coup de Chance", apparently Ridley Scott's "Napoleon") when we are heading towards the dark and emotionally intense interrogation/prison/courtroom scenes, the viewer becomes gradually more and more uncomfortable... because of natural causes. Yes, I've taken the challenge to watch this long "for streaming" movie intended to be enjoyed at our home screens, in a cinema and I must honestly say that quite a lot of people were leaving but everyone always came back to continue watching. It obviously speaks to the power of filmmaking, especially screenplay and editing imho. Acting ranks from deliberately theatralic ups-and-downs of Brendan Fraser to the real killer's performance of Jesse Plemons (the movie's male MVP for me) - disciplined, concentrated, intense and... chilling. I have a feeling J. Edgar Hoover's FBI doesn't have the best reputation in the USA nowadays, hence these dark undertones. The female MVP is obviously Lily Gladstone, totally unknown to me prior today. The two Scorsese's most favorite actors (their pairing is a fine subtle shoutout to "This Boy's Life", the onscreen abusive relationship being very similar) place themselves somehow in the middle of this acting range. De Niro gives one of his most understated performances in years, but for what it's worth it's still "De Niro's performance", I'm a fan btw. DiCaprio gives us an impressive older and smarter version of Arnie Grape including powerful acting autoquotations, since now, a year shy of 50, he is in the well-deserved position for acting autoquotations. I encourage everyone to take the risk and enjoy the cinematic experience with this one, because the soundtrack and cinematography are also worth it.

I don't think HoC started with two "genius" seasons to end with the "abysmal" last season. For me HoC was a slow burner. Two first season were very good - the first one with the most standout episodes, the second one somehow dull but with the best acting. Then the series came crushing down with quite weak third season only to be resurrected in the genius fourth one when all the elements of the "Shakespearian soap opera" finally clicked - theatralic acting, over the top writing, symetric visuals, dim lightning etc. The fifth one with all his shortcomings was insanely brilliantly prophetic - it would be the most remembered and analyzed in the future IMO. The sixth one was a depressive, akward mixbag of good intentions and misguided concepts with the worst acting overall. And then we have a certain production assistant whose name once known to the world will stand for the most bizzare autodestruction of a legacy household brand in the history of Hollywood...