mattmav45

I wish I could share the love here, but it's been over a month and to say the film lacks staying power is an understatement. In two months time I won't remember a damn thing about this film. Enough said.

I'm not simply "anyone" honey. IMO.

I've been a bit back and forth with this one, but a night of sleep has ultimately allowed me to come to a conclusion on this one. The story here is of course focused on the "deadliest sniper in US history." You know a film has reached hyperbolic status when the mere tagline is synonymous with the film itself. A great amount of attention has been centered on the individual of Chris Kyle, and perhaps even a great amount has been put on the manner in which his story is told. After a viewing, I have to say, at least in my opinion, the attention is misguided here. I tend to try my best to put any biases behind me when I go into a viewing. After all, it's always not about the story itself, but instead the way in which the story is told. As such, my problems here aren't ultimately tied to any kind of controversial root, but rather simply think the story was downright bland in the manner in which it told the story of this individual. I do not think Eastwood was trying to convey any kind of motive or internal biases here. On the contrary, I think he told the story in a very neutral way. There is a very distant and fact-based approach taken here regarding the life of Chris Kyle. The positives that come with an approach like this is that the viewer can go in whatever direction they see fit as their interpretation. My problem isn't this approach so much as it is the way the approach is handled. It's not near controversial as some may make you believe, but is rather too ordinary to even warrant much, if any deep thought. I appreciate the open-ended approach regarding the story, but I can't help but feel that the story itself is simply bland. It is one thing to tell a story in this way, but it is quite another to not inject any personality and style to it. Sure, a viewer can go in many different directions with this, but to me it's just not interesting enough to want to go down any particular path here. It's told in such a bland and somewhat safe manner that my inner psyche followed suite in regard to the path I wanted to take with this. After a viewing of a film, I always try to imagine what my thoughts may be in one year's time. Unfortunately I have a hard time seeing this hold up much, if at all, during that time frame.

This is something else. I wasn't really sure what to think of this, even up to the final ten minutes or so. I knew I liked it quite a bit, but it was nonetheless one of those films that I had trouble gathering my thoughts on. Every now and then I have a viewing where the ending not only wraps up the story in the best way possible, but also serves as an enlightenment of sorts in clearing up my thoughts regarding the film. Thankfully, such was very much the case here. The story is initially focused on Jon, a wannabe musician who plays the keyboard and can't write songs worth a damn. Jon falls into a gig with a band led by Frank and his group of abstract musicians. This basic set-up ultimately has severe ramifications for all. It is very much the type of film in which each character and their layers within is peeled off bit by bit throughout the run time. It makes sense to start with Frank. He serves as as the symbol of all the abstraction on display. There is a heavy aurora of mystery that tends to follow him in the viewer's initial encounters with the man. The one constant tends to be Frank's love and passion for music. It is quite easy to see that music is the man's energy source in life, and the one thing that keeps him ticking. In stark contrast to Frank lies Jon. He is very much the straight character of the group, and perhaps more importantly he is the character responsible for trying to find that balance between what is acceptable and what is abstract. In the course of trying to do so, a cycle begins that nearly leads to the destruction of all involved. It was at this point that I was having trouble levying meaning to all this, and connecting the dots in a way that made sense to me. Fortunately, the ending not only connected the dots, but connected with me as an individual. The ending of course finds Frank re-united with his band mates wherein he beings singing "I love you all." What a great tribute to the power of music this film ultimately is, at least this is how I am choosing to interpret it. It is hard to describe the power that music holds over us. At times a mere happenstance listen of a tune can send us whirling back to a specific time period in our life. I like to think of it as a deeply ingrained energy that we all have, but ultimately it is one's approach that determines the rewards that energy has to offer. Music, in its most pure form, is unadulterated emotion. It is raw, it is primal, and and it is most importantly glorious. When Jon tries to to inject his outlook and viewpoint on music, the purity is lost. Frank's life has been grounded by music, but only music in its most pure form. Put some artificial ingredients in there, and unfortunately Frank's mental illness begins to seep through. Music is the soul and rock of the life of Frank. By tinkering with his music, Jon was in fact tinkering with Frank's soul. This interpretation will likely not work for all, but the memory that won't soon leave my mind is that of Frank in that bar belting out "I love you all" at the top of his lungs to his true family.

Simply a damn good film. Making a film based off a true story is more tricky than what may initially appear. Typically, a director needs to supplement his own style in different ways to account for the somewhat blandness inherent in everyday life. On the rare occasion there comes along a story in and ofit itself has ingredients ripe for damn good cinema. Thankfully for the viewer, such is very much the case here. This is a film that is firmly engrained in its characters. Not only is this focus placed on the development of said characters, but perhaps how the dynamics of those characters mesh and mingle with one another. In fact, my memory of this film will be the three central characters at the forefront, and the manner in which the three characters breathed off of one another. It makes sense to start with John du Pont, played by Steve Carrell. This is a character that thrives off mystery. We are not initially given information regarding the psyche of John du Pont. The mystery regarding his motives makes up a large part of why this film works, particulary in the firt half. Unfortunately, once the inner workings of his persona are fully relieved, the character loses a great deal of its luster. Thankfully, there are two more characters in this film more than willing to pick up some slack. For me, Mark and David Schultz provide the core and energy of the film. On one hand you have older brother David, somewhat of a golden child and well-though of by many. On the other lies Mark, more of a forgotten child and definitely on the more vunerable side. It is the interplay between these two characters that make this film memorable to me, particulary when the two characters analyzed in the context of John du Pont. The negative factor regarding this film to me has to be the lack of a single defining power. What I mean by this is simply that the film delves into many different areas into three main characters, and not one really stand out from one another. This is not a big problem, but when I think back on this film I will likely remember it being as a good film rather than having that extra something to make it truly special. I mentioned before that this is the rare film that is able to get by on story alone, but the insertion of some kind of personal style or vision would have elevated it even further. A damn good story with just a few personal touches short of being something transcendent.

Wife and I bought a bottle of wine last night to supplement/improve the viewing, and it didn't do a damn thing. It's not offensive, but it is awful.

The commentary about critics and mainstream entertainment derails the whole damn thing. The film is too concerned with its own self-importance that it forgets about the actual story. There is a thin line between pretension and downright smugness. Unfortunately this is firmly in the latter category.

Dense as fuck. Density comes in a variety of forms in the cinema world. It can masquerade in the form of themes, symbolism, or story-line, but in this case we come across some density by way of atmosphere. This is a film that is quite frankly atmospheric as fuck. The atmosphere is displayed in a way that it is so thick to become tangible in nature. It is through the thick blanket of atmosphere that the emotions are expanded upon. The atmosphere is nothing less than the perfect complement to the emotions of the two living beings the film centers on. The first thing I noticed during my viewing was the camera work and look of the film. Jim Jarmusch is one of those directors who I like to refer to as a superior talent behind the lens. There is an intoxicating look for the viewer to take in here. One gets the feeling every shot was made with meticulousness and care as the film lives and breathes off of light and dark contrast. Nothing less than a showcase of elegant film-making for the viewer to bask in. Outside of the atmosphere and look on display here, there are two different aspects that I feel makes this film work. The first has to be the performances of Hiddleston and Swinton. I feel that these two are the glue that holds everything together. It is hard to imagine any other couple at the forefront here. Not only do both give strong performances, but both carry a distinct sense of elegance and grace to the screen. One has to believe that these individuals have lived through various time periods and centuries, and thankfully for the viewer such is very much the case here. The second aspect has to be what I feel is Jarmusch's strongest strength as a director, and that is how he uses music in his films. Thankfully, I'm not sure he's ever been more adept at music selection than he is here. The music and score here acts as the energy and soul of the film. It is through the use of music that one is able to find the beating heart at the center of this film. A vampire film in name only as what we have here is a film that uses some clever cinematic devices to display some powerful cerebral musings.

This was fucking awful. One of those viewings where you feel a sense of accomplishment for just finishing the damn thing. Enough said.

Enchanting as fuck. My wife typically voices her displeasure whenever I curse in a review for a children's animated film. Like any good husband, such displeasure is met with a concerted effort to do the exact opposite. As one can see from above, such is very much the case here. Marital banter aside, enchanting is likely the best word I can use to describe my experience watching this film. As referenced above, I wouldn't argue if one made the statement that the film is simply enchanting as fuck at times. I say this as a result of not really being that enamored with the love story on display here. Thankfully, there were a couple of cinematic factors that allowed me to move past this indifference. I'm not going to sit here and deny that as a 29-year old male I didn't wake up to the tune of "Something There" dancing in my head. Opening up myself to ridicule or not, this is a fitting event as it was the music that I found most endearing about this film. Despite not being fully invested in the love story, the music was used in a way that it acted as a bridge between my indifference to the love story and my affection for the tunes. "Be My Guest" in particular was the highlight of the film for me. Up to this point the tone and mood was somewhat more somber in nature, and this song served as the transition into a lighter and more period of the film. Outside of the tunes on display here, the animation has to be the other stand-out aspect for me. Vibrant and colorful, but most importantly in many ways it served as extra depth to the film. Specifically I remember the scene in the woods where the Beast rescues Belle. Thereafter Belle puts the Beast on the horse and the trudge back to the castle. A great scene that is accentuated by that visual of Belle walking to the castle with the Beast draped over the horse. As for my general indifference to the love story, I have made no reservations about typically being a heartless bastard. I honestly can't pin-point the way or manner in which this didn't work for me. I will say my wife's affection for the love story overrode any problem I had with it. Hell, in a vicarious manner I think she's the one who married the Beast last night. It is a testament to how well-rounded this film is that I liked it quite a bit despite not being on board with its main calling card.

There are so many great scenes here that it's unfortunate that so many dynamics simply don't work. Very much the definition of a mixed bag for me. In many instances the film felt like a director stuck in the wasteland between trying to make a big blockuster about space and at the same time trying to make an existential space opera epic heavy on themes.

Theatrical as fuck. No matter what you may believe about Nolan there is very little doubt of the man's power in the cinema world. Every Nolan release feels like a bigger cinematic event than before. I am not a Nolan hater by any means, and have liked some of his films quite a bit in the past. The problem I have always had with Nolan concerns the somewhat mechanical and calculated devices Nolan is prone to use in his films. Unfortunately for me as a viewer, such is very much the case here. It makes sense to begin with the run time here, and I'll be frank and just state that the three hour run time here is a bit ridiculous. As I look back on my viewing last night it is in fact hard to remember just how it achieved that run time in the first place. What that tells me is there is a good amount of bloat to the script that could have been cut off. The initial scenes at the farm are a good example of this. No doubt those were meant to set-up and lay the foundation for the future, but I found it failed to really develop any of the characters and instead just treaded water for the first part of the film. The film as a whole is very disjointed and almost acts as three different scenes in a play. Each third of the film stands out and differs quite a bit from one another. While that may not be a problem in and of itself, a problem enters the pictureas a result of the scenes not feeling connected to each other in any real manner. Nolan has never been a very fluid or organic film-maker, but this would have come in handy here. The transitions here were nothing less than jarring, plain and simple. There is a concerted attempt at providing an emotional undercurrent that drives the film and story, and unfortunately this is where the film completely loses me. I'll be clear here and say the tears flow freely and throughout the film. McConaughey in particular could fill up half of the damn Amazon River with his tear-flowing prowess. The problem with all this emotion is that not only does it detract from the power of space exploration, but is quite frankly a laughable device tailored to providing emotion. I can understand how it worked for some, but for me it merely served to under-cut the power that is already inherent in space exploration, particularly when such exploration is aimed at saving the human race. I'll end with a short spiel concerning the depth that this film provides. I couldn't help but feel that too much time in the film is spent trying to tell you how deep everything is instead of letting that depth come naturally. This is a film about deep space exploration aimed at saving the human race. All this avant garde dialogue served once again to under-cut the innate power of space exploration. I didn't want to put any thoughts down after my viewing yesterday as these are themes best returned to after a night of sleep and rest. Unfortunately, a night of sleep merely confirmed that the depth here is fleeting in nature at best. That third act seemed cool after the initial viewing, but upon reflection it is not the kind of story-telling that warrants comparisons to 2001 and so on. It's big, it's ballsy, and it's ambitious, but in the end it never understands where the true source of its power should ultimately reside.

Above average sci-fi blockbuster with an original story (always a welcome sight), and yet I'd be lying if I didn't find this to be forgettable. Watched this last night and I'm already having trouble remembering the damn thing.

Gloriously seedy as fuck. You don't come across these type of films very often, and yet there's nothing quite like a film driven almost solely by a prevalent mood or tone. Inject a mood, let it simmer and boil, and watch as some damn good cinema ensues. At times it is best to let emotion, mood, and tone drive the film's story, and thankfully for the viewer such is very much the case here. The mood on display here is injected at the very start of the film with that damn cool introduction. Reminiscent of the introduction of Alien, the camera zooms over, around, and through the night streets of Los Angeles. What a great way of not only establishing the atmosphere and mood of the film, but also establishing the playing field of where the film will prosper. It is a rare moment when as a viewer that I am sucked into a film in the opening minutes. Suffice to say this introduction did the job for me and had me anticipating what was to come. The story begins with Louis Bloom living as some kind of night vampire among the LA streets. Not much is known about Louis at the start. He seemingly meanders through the night streets without any real purpose. In these early moments I couldn't help but think of Louis as a parasite looking for his host. Transgressing through the night streets, Louis is searching for anything to live off of. Unfortunately for the characters in the film, he finds his host in the form of independent video journalism. There are a couple of dynamics at play here that allow the viewer to go in two different directions with this film. While a scathing meditation on the modern media is part of this film's greatness, to me this is all about Louis. More specifically, I view this as a character study for one to completely immerse themselves in. In fact, it is through the character of Louis that insights and commentary about the media can be found. The musings on the media are merely a complement and accentuation of the character of Louis. What a brilliant handling of cinematic dynamics on display here. Regarding Louis, we see an individual who on appearance alone comes off as snaky, oily, and quite frankly slimy as fuck. I for one loved how his character was developed. Starting with the base of his surface appearance, throughout the run time we are able to peel off layer and layer of character of Louis. Granted, we may not always like what we find, but nonetheless we are unable to look away. The natural and nuanced progression of Louis as he digs and buries himself deeper into this dark night world is nothing less than an intoxicating watch. The time has come to mention Jake Gyllenhaal here. It's been hard for me to wait this long, but I feel mention of his performance has to be the clincher of the review. This has to be, in my opinion, the performance of his career to this point. Sure, the character of Louis is pretty damn rich to begin with, but it is Gyllenhaal here who masters not only the look of his character, but the nuances needed for him to rise above the metric. I won't say any more as this is the kind of performance needs to be watched rather than described. Dark, grimy character study highlighted by a fantastic performance from one of the best in the business.

Stylish as fuck. Revenge films are typically of a different breed in the cinema world. For one, story is clearly not the aspect that will make or break a film such as this. Revenge flicks typically fail when there is an absence of style to complement the inherent weakness of the story. Inject some style and energy, however, and you may just be setting yourself up for a damn good time. Thankfully, the latter is the case here. The style is very much the driver of the film here. Electro-fueled mayhem basked in dark neon waves of color makes for a pretty entertaining watch if I don't say so myself. I specifically enjoyed how the music on display tended to drive the action scenes, and give them a little extra energy to boot. The action tended to be enhanced beautifully by aesthetic devices along with some killer tunes. Simply some damn cool cinematic aspects on display here. One also has to commend the way in which the action was shot. Hard-hitting to be sure, but most importantly very crisp and clear. There is no shaky cam to speak of. As a result the action appears downright refined and elegant at times. Most definitely a throwback to the old school hard hitting action flicks of a couple decades ago. In the end one cannot discuss a film such as this without a mention of Mr. Reeves. I have noticed he has somewhat of a cult following across the world of cinema, and I've come to think of the guy as simply being a man's man. My wife is not fond of him nor his films, and yet I've always found the guy to be likeable as fuck. This is no different here as one is reminded just how at ease he is in the cinematic action realm. He speaks rarely, grunts often, and belts out the occasional one-liner. To be blunt here he is a badass, plain and simple. Any seasoned cinema fan should know what they're getting into with a viewing here. We're not looking for a story-driven affair, but rather just enough story to allow the action and style to take center stage. Simply put.......sit back and bask in some damn good action vengeance.

While it is no doubt better than X-Men Origins: Wolverine, such a statement is akin to saying having sex with a prostitute with herpes is more enticing than having sex with one that has AIDS. To be fair here this is far from an awful film. I am always on the look-out for comic material that strives to be a bit different from all its peers. Such is generally the case here as this is a film that strives to be a bit more slowly paced and more personal than similarly categorized material. Despite not working with me, this is to be commended as it was refreshing to watch a comic film that felt smaller in scale. The hope is that that smaller scale would inevitably lead to an end output that is dependent on character and personality. While the attempt is respectable, unfortunately such is not the case here. The film begins with Logan seemingly milking away his existence. A visitor comes upon him and informs him of a request from a past acquaintance. Naturally, there is more to this request than meets the eye, and what ensues is Logan once again embracing who he is as Wolverine all while helping out innocent people in the spirit of good old-fashioned chivalry. Perhaps the biggest issue with me regarding this film was in the constant tug and pull between placing an emphasis on character and personality and supplying the action needed to succeed as comic material. I didn't feel the drama was good enough to drive the film, nor did I feel the action was good enough to make for solid entertainment. As such, the film fell into the vast wasteland of films that tread lightly in multiple areas, but never stay in one area long enough to make a significant impact. The following short synopsis of my viewing experience with this film aptly displays my mindset and overall impression of this material. I dozed off a few times during the viewing, but nonetheless was able to maintain attention. One of the longer dozing session just happened to be the last fifteen minutes of the film. I woke up, and rewound back to where I had left off. Upon the credits rolling, I was hit with the revelation that in reality I hadn't really missed a damn thing. Some credit is deserved for attempting something different in the comic realm, but in the end I won't remember a damn thing about this film in a week's time.

Favorite Pixar offering thus far. I can't begin a review with this film and not mention the animation design and complementing world on display here. Simply a fantastic world to take in as a viewer. The world here is at times colorful, dark, menacing, and inviting, but most importantly it's always magical as fuck. Most importantly the ocean is used in a way that brings out the themes and trials of the characters here. Of course, you wouldn't expect anything else from Pixar. I can imagine that this is one of those films that is loved by parents and children alike. In fact, despite having no kids of my own it is quite obvious that a parent would likely find a great array of awards on display here. At the very core of this film lies the emotion bond between a father and his son. What makes this bond so special is that opening five minutes of the film. Not only does it shape the characters for the rest of the film, but it also magnifies this relationship between a man and his son. Once again Pixar takes the familiar father-son bond, but just provides a little more depth and emotion to it. It is from that first event in the film that the main character's journey begins. This may be a film about finding Nemo, but this is really all about Marlin's journey. It is very much about Marlin re-discovering trust in not only other fish, but in the world in general. One is able to see quite easily how the traumatic events of the past plague Marlin and his outlook on life. It is fitting that is the disappearance of Nemo that provokes Marlin to re-discovering not only the world, but life in general. To me, this is a film more about loss and coping with that loss than it is a man finding his son. As a viewer, what a great journey we are able to witness as a dad is able to overcome shadows in his past to locate his lost son. While doing this Marlin is able to move on from his past and once again begin living life. Awesome stuff on display here. Pixar has always had a a vast array of endearing supporting characters, but I'm not sure any are more important than Dory here. While it would have been easily for her to simply have been a gimmick used for comic relief, instead she is the most important driver of Marlin's journey and re-awakening. The contrast here is something to behold as you have Dory's uninhibited trust of any and all things clashing with the overly-analytic and worrying nature of Marlin. Over time it is through the character of Dory that Marlin is able to re-gain his trust in the world and perhaps more importantly, other fish. I feel like I've been saying this way too much of late with these Pixar films, and yet once again the word poetic seems perfect to describe the dynamics on display here. A father searches for his son and in the process is able to put the past behind him and once again find his way in the world. It doesn't get much better than this.

Perhaps "didn't make sense" isn't the best way to put it. This is the kind of film in which you need to buy into the atmosphere and associating characters, and it just didn't work for me.

If the whole film is the quest of Eric to find his car so he can bury his dog, why then does he go with Rey into the house once they locate the car? The car was sitting outside the house early in the morning and could have been taken quite easily. Were the keys in the house? If so that makes more sense, but I distinctly remember the car being stolen by way of a wiring job. Thus, Eric should still of had the keys on him if they existed. I understand they are trying to show that Eric made a human connection with Rey and that he feels the need to protect him, but the whole scene just felt off to me. Going into the house and holding the gang at gun point didn't really serve any purpose other than allowing an outlet for Rey to get killed. I can understand how some may like this quite a bit, but for me I was constantly reminded of the fact that there are bigger and better atmospheric dystopian action flicks to be had.

What we have here is a man and his quest for his damn car. Such a simple premise here may sound ridiculous, but rest assured that is far from the problem here. Many of my favorite films center around a very simple, ludicrous premise such as what is on display here. Inject some atmosphere, character, and style into a simple premise and you just may have something special. Unfortunately, such is not the case here. If there's one thing that usually be depended on regarding Australian film-making it would have to be their ability to enhance the proceedings with a dystopian landscape. Unfortunately, that doesn't really come to fruition here. Granted, there are some damn cool shots of the terrain along with some sunset shots, but that alone does not constitute an atmosphere. This is a film that should have thrived and breathed off the atmosphere of the surroundings. Such was not allowed to happen. I felt the score in particular was a deterrent to the film. Ideally the film would have had ample atmosphere and a complementing score that merely enhanced the proceedings in a natural manner. Instead, I felt the tunes here were too brash and loud for the subject material at hand here. Let the atmosphere drive and control, not the music. Once again, such was not allowed to happen. At the core of the film's problems has to be the story itself. I've already mentioned the failure to establish the atmosphere, but this is accentuated when story tries to be very minimal in its approach. A minimal approach like this simply can't work without supplementing atmosphere and style. Unfortunately, I felt no such aspects. My least favorite aspect of this film has to be the character of Rey played by Robert Pattinson. It wasn't really a bad acting performance, but I'll be a bit frank here and just say that Rey annoyed the fuck out of me as a character. Seemingly implanted to provide some pathos to the film, but it feels very manufactured and superficial in nature. This all leads up to the inexplicable ending. Not only does it not really make any sense, but once again it seems to exist merely to provide some pathos to the film. Not a fan of manipulative devices such as this. Simply put......manipulative and middling as fuck.

Harmless buffoonery. Instead of wasting everyone's time on a review I will attempt to provide a small picture of what kind of film we're dealing with here. This particular scene has Wahlberg crash land in an alien spaceship. The spaceship inexplicably hits the side of a Bud Light truck on the way to the ground. Prior to contact, camera work ensured everyone would see that it was in fact a Bud Light truck. After crashing, another shot ensures that everyone sees Bud Light cans littered over the crash impact. Walhberg gets out of the spaceship, bends down, picks up a can, takes a big chug with foam seeping down his face, and thereafter throws it to the ground. You can't make this shit up. Enough said.

Nothing less than a bit of perspective for those men who feel their wife yields to bouts of instability from time to time. I've never read the book, and as a result it thus follows that my viewing experience is likely quite a bit different than those who have. I made a concerted effort to go into this viewing as blind as possible and feel I came out the better for it. I liked this quite a bit, and I feel much of this can be attributed to my mind being equivalent to an open board. I am of the opinion that while this isn't Fincher's best film, it is absolutely one of his better directing efforts. The film is paced pretty damn brilliantly and flows seamlessly as a result. It takes a talented director to handle flashbacks in the manner that was on display here. The hyper-realistic style of the camera work is perfect here. What a great way to draw out the contrast between the real world and the crazy happenings going on in the film. The first hour or so serves as a dissection of sorts of the modern marriage. What separates this material is the manner in which flashbacks continually take us through the beginnings of their relationship as we witness happenings in the modern day. Not only does this add a strong sense of dread, but more importantly there is a strong tinge of mystery added to the proceedings. It in effect makes the material quite engrossing. Perhaps it is fair to say that at its core this film is about a power struggle within a modern marriage. Granted, one would hope this isn't the norm, but there are some damn cool dynamics on display here. As with any marriage, themes of control, power, manipulation, and conformity are put at the forefront here. At this point I'll just stop beating around the bush here and give mention to Rosamund Pike here. I'd be lying if I didn't say I got a little Pike'd myself during the viewing last night. She is without a doubt the strongest point and driver of the film. Her performance is essential as the film's themes depend entirely on her peformance. To say that she was up to the task would be an understatement. Great story, great director, and great acting performance. That being said.......stay away boys, this broad is simply crazy as fuck.

One of those films that has surprised me in its ability to stay in the mind after a viewing. I do not say this as a way of trying to promote this film as having more depth than one would expect. Rather, I simply mean I am surprised that my mind keeps wandering back to it the day after viewing. Granted, it's not necessarily causing my mind to drift into philosophical undertones, but has nonetheless caused my mind to take action and fire up a little bit. Such a statement is not to be taken lightly as there is something to be said about a film that refuses to drift away into short-term memory wasteland. What we have here is some kind of allegory on the class systems and wealth distribution. Of course one can always allow subject matter to take them in a variety of different areas, but for me this worked as a study of money and its corresponding effects on human behavior. I'm not going to sit here as an attorney and try to tell you that money does not mean anything to me. Hell, take any profession and I doubt one could make such a statement. The fact of the matter is that money is the largest driving force of culture and complementing cultural norms, whether you wish to accept this or not. As such it is easier for me to associate the film's material with the starting point of it all: Money. The characters here are pretty underwhelming on first approach, but this is a calculated choice. On one hand you have Vince who is content with just getting by. This is in sharp contrast to Craig who has hit a streak of bad luck and is struggling to support his family. The character dynamic here is in place for a damn good time. By simply looking at the characters on paper it would seem that Craig would be the morally-sound of the duo. Unfortunately, the film is very adept at showing how morality and persona are thrown out in window when it comes to the pursuit of that deadly green paper. Perhaps the creepiest aspect here has to be the manner in which the wealthy couple interacts and behaves. Rather than getting invested in any kind of manner, they for the most part nothing more than by-standers to the brutal carnage taking place in their home. Perhaps the magic of this film lies in its ability to make the viewer one of the by-standers. Looking back now, it is hard to not feel like all I did was simply sit back and bask in some utter destruction. Perhaps I'm just drawing this too far out, but it's simply too damn cool of a thought to just throw away in such a haphazard manner. Simply put.........first and foremost it works as a fine bit of entertainment, but don't be surprised if it doesn't fire off some neurons in the process.

Simply a damn cool film. Whereas the similarly-themed Enemy is more interested in the cerebral aspect and corresponding emotions of seeing one's identical self, here we have a different vision. I have this feeling it would be quite easy to watch The Double and claim the film is nothing more than an exercise of style over substance. While that may seem a somewhat fitting categorization on first glance, I will have to disagree here. I've always been a fan of well-placed atmosphere in a film. I find well-placed atmosphere to be more than just a conveyor of mood and tone, but rather atmosphere that is used to development the characters in context of the film. There is nothing quite like atmosphere that is used in such a way that the atmosphere in effect brings forth the substance in the film. Thankfully for the viewer, such is the case here. At first glance there is not much going on with Simon. Not only literally, but also in terms of what the film wants to show you. However, the film understands here that it is the atmosphere that is driving the development of Simon. The atmosphere on display here is the perfect conveyor of Simon's inner psyche. As a viewer we are introduced to a brown and gray word in which any and all associated feel very lifeless. The atmosphere and mood here establish the isolation and loneliness that so clearly consumes Simon. The establishment of the atmosphere serves as the jumping board for James to come into the picture (in my opinion, of course). It is from the established mood and tone that allows James to enter the picture. This is simply a damn cool aspect of the film here. Perhaps more interesting is the fact the atmosphere does not change, even with the emergence of James. As a result one has to infer that the film is still all about the inner anguish of Simon even with Jame's appearance. One has to make mention of Eisenberg here as well. While it's not particulary challenging to play such extremes as what is on display here, it is nonetheless essential for this film to work. Eisenberg does a good job in making James/Simon seem very different. Simply put..........a damn cool combination of acting and atmosphere.

No doubt there's enough penis on screen to account for a couple of lifetimes, but thankfully there's some damn good cinema to be had as well. It's takes a very minimalist approach regarding the themes, and I feel like that is the proper method. When dealing with themes such as seduction, attraction, and passion, over-cooking the themes tends to devalue the experience. These are primal urges that are best left played broadly. The human mind is more than willing to run with themes such as these. Love subtle playing with themes and ideas as is the case here. This is in many ways a subtle film outside of all the brash sexuality. I've already mentioned the themes, but the atmosphere and overall sense of creepiness is tangible. This is very much a mood and feel film as it must be watched to fully understand. While hard to watch at times, its gifts far outweigh any negatives. For those willing to give it a shot, a consistently unique and at times fascinating viewing experience.