Originally Posted by TheUsualSuspect
Stellar performances from Gyllenhaal, Shannon, and Taylor-Johnson elevate this film a bit. Amy Adams is one of two anchor points, but she is mostly seen just being depressed while reading this manuscript. A tad underwhelming for me, especially with how good everyone else is. With a tight script and meticulous directing, Ford compliments the actors, but I can't help but ask myself if I card enough for these people. Yes, Gyllenhaal's story is depressing and I want to see him succeed, but we all know it's a story within a story. Adams garners no sympathy from me and bits of the story left me a little confused. Ford goes for an anticlimactic ending that feels ominously ambiguous. I wanted an answer or two and ended up with more questions.
Suspect, I enjoyed your review and agree with most of it. The beginning reminded me of Lynch also. Tom Ford, for a fashion designer and now a director, was once called on the carpet for objectifying women in his ads, etc.
WARNING: spoilers below
So was he doing some body-shaming at the first?
So was he doing some body-shaming at the first?
I liked the same three performers you did and felt the book that Adams was reading that we see play out in her mind, with those three performers, was the best part of the movie and was really the core of it. But was Adams also
WARNING: spoilers below
worried that her ex, Gyllenhaal, was out for revenge? I mean, she only noticed the "Revenge" poster on her work wall (that had been there for a long time) until after she was reading the book. Then she began to see things (like the image of Taylor-Johnson on Jena Malone's phone). And lastly, as she sat there at the end, waiting for him to arrive, the time slipped by really slowly. Where we just seeing it from her viewpoint and worry? Or was he really late arriving, maybe standing her up for revenge? I noticed she no longer had her wedding ring from her marriage to Armie Hammer on and was playing with that finger. Maybe she expected her and Gyllenhaal to get back together and that was another reason for touching her bare ring finger?
worried that her ex, Gyllenhaal, was out for revenge? I mean, she only noticed the "Revenge" poster on her work wall (that had been there for a long time) until after she was reading the book. Then she began to see things (like the image of Taylor-Johnson on Jena Malone's phone). And lastly, as she sat there at the end, waiting for him to arrive, the time slipped by really slowly. Where we just seeing it from her viewpoint and worry? Or was he really late arriving, maybe standing her up for revenge? I noticed she no longer had her wedding ring from her marriage to Armie Hammer on and was playing with that finger. Maybe she expected her and Gyllenhaal to get back together and that was another reason for touching her bare ring finger?
. But still, as you said, the fact that it was left ambiguous was irritating. Was Ford trying to be Lynch with his lack of resolution? If so, he didn't even come close to Lynch's way of doing that.
Thaddy, nice review of
There Will Be Blood. I agree about your feeling of Day-Lewis' performance. It wouldn't be the same movie without him as Plainview.
MM, I still haven't seen
IT yet but I enjoyed your 2nd viewing remarks. I cannot wait to see this, but I have to for several more days. But that will just pump me up more for it.
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