Ah yes, the January slump. The posts may slow down a bit for the next week or two. Doesn’t mean they’re any less interesting.
By the time this post reaches you, you should have already picked up on the reputation this film has. Everything you’re hearing is true, even though presumably everything you’re hearing is wildly different. It’s kinda terrible, but I kinda really enjoyed it. Some people can’t get thru it, some find it hilarious. I found it suspenseful. I’ve heard comparisons to The Room. It’s def something to experience.
Matthew Mcconaughey is a fisherman on a small island. He takes whatever work he can with his boat that also allows him to chase his Moby Dick–a giant tuna that always eludes him. A mysterious woman from his past, Anne Hathaway in a blonde wig, arrives on his boat and offers him an exorbitant sum if he’ll kill her abusive husband. The film plays out as a sexy modern day film noir, until…
There’s a big twist halfway thru. I won’t say what it is, but it’s common knowledge by now that there is one. That twist is the source of most derision this film is receiving. It sounds dumb when you hear it. It especially sounds dumb out of context. For me, it didn’t fit the tone of the film and completely pulled me out of it. However, I get what they were trying to do. And I think it’s ultimately a cool concept, esp how it plays out, it just didn’t work. The execution was poor, and I’m not sure what they needed to do to fix it. I found that frustrating. Others have found it hilarious.
I’m big into thrillers, so personally I was held in by the suspense. That’s what eventually pulled me back into the film. I wanted to know how it was gonna end and what choices Matthew was gonna make. I was certainly more forgiving of the crazy than others were, at least in the moment. I think this film is gonna be some bizarre Rorschach test because every one I’ve talked to has a completely different reaction to it. Again, it’s just something you gotta experience
Serenity – \m/ \m/ \m/