Considering its premise, this type of film could have easily came across as implausible and fanciful, but due to its mostly impeccable writing and performances, what unfolds is a mostly human story that felt more real and unfeigned than most of the other stuff that gets forked out in American cinema. An imaginative tale with both striking photography and some interesting things to say about not just our direct connection with technology, but also our very fellow beings in - what is - a largely altering and increasingly disconnecting world. In saying that, the film was bit too mawkish for me, containing one too many heavy-handed moments. I understood its intent, but it was off-putting and damaged the flow of the film (to an extent). I would have preferred a more subdued and distant approach to its very dramatic moments.
However, it was Joaquin Phoenix who proved to be absolutely remarkable, and this performance further solidifies the fact that he is one of the best actors working today. In saying that, and sadly, if he could not win an Oscar for his role in
The Master, I doubt he'll get one for this, in spite of it being very much deserving. The whole cast pretty much excelled in their roles, especially Amy Adams who gave this really... authentic and
real performance. Ultimately, a very good film, but not without its flaws. To me, it's best summed up as a moderately inventive dramedy piece, with some very interesting things to say about relationships (which includes understanding yourself within them) whilst also summoning as a compelling character piece, and, despite its somewhat maladroit approach, manages to hit all the right notes and prove to be one of the more accomplished and complete works of recent times. I think a 7.5 or 8 seems applicable here.
Reply to Topic
