The Hunting Party is entertaining enough as a movie, because it's funny, it has an interesting story, and it's not difficult to become invested in what's going on, but the reason the film simply lands on a bland note is because it can never make up its mind what movie it wants to be. Its tone is the mood of a person with ADHD. It's a black comedy first, then it's suddenly a drama, then it's a bloody revenge film, then it's a comedy again, and soon, it's become so muddled that it has no idea what it is.
Writer-director Richard Shephard's last film, The Matador, was better upon reflection because at the time I was watching it, it seemed so light. The humor was always medium-gauge, never unfunny but never gut-busting, just as in The Hunting Party. The characteristics of the plot were often recycled features, which is screamingly the case in The Hunting Party. However, The Matador was actually a pretty good film, because though it seemed so thin and unaffecting at the time, it wasn't. It had a subtle way of connecting with the audience. The Hunting Party was written in a hurry, directed without any clarity, and so all of Shephard's weaknesses which I just mentioned, are without the pay-off of his previous effort. However, as I say, it's not hard to get into it, because, despite its directionless motive as to what tone it wants its message and feelings to be transmitted to the audience with, the story itself is interesting, and when revenge comes into play, I am immediately invested to the fullest extent one is capable of being.
Also, Richard Gere, who to me did not quite live up to par with his other recent true story, The Hoax, he certainly does here, actually playing more of the sort of character he should've been playing in The Hoax. Terence Howard, who before this I had never seen in a leading role, impressed me very much with the entertaining nature of his presence. Jesse Eisenberg, the third in the trio of main characters, is one of the most aggravating presences in a movie in a long time. In The Squid and the Whale, he was supposed to be in a way. Here, Shephard only intended another recycled feature in his case, and I only wanted him to die off.
Writer-director Richard Shephard's last film, The Matador, was better upon reflection because at the time I was watching it, it seemed so light. The humor was always medium-gauge, never unfunny but never gut-busting, just as in The Hunting Party. The characteristics of the plot were often recycled features, which is screamingly the case in The Hunting Party. However, The Matador was actually a pretty good film, because though it seemed so thin and unaffecting at the time, it wasn't. It had a subtle way of connecting with the audience. The Hunting Party was written in a hurry, directed without any clarity, and so all of Shephard's weaknesses which I just mentioned, are without the pay-off of his previous effort. However, as I say, it's not hard to get into it, because, despite its directionless motive as to what tone it wants its message and feelings to be transmitted to the audience with, the story itself is interesting, and when revenge comes into play, I am immediately invested to the fullest extent one is capable of being.
Also, Richard Gere, who to me did not quite live up to par with his other recent true story, The Hoax, he certainly does here, actually playing more of the sort of character he should've been playing in The Hoax. Terence Howard, who before this I had never seen in a leading role, impressed me very much with the entertaining nature of his presence. Jesse Eisenberg, the third in the trio of main characters, is one of the most aggravating presences in a movie in a long time. In The Squid and the Whale, he was supposed to be in a way. Here, Shephard only intended another recycled feature in his case, and I only wanted him to die off.