A cliché story. Lots of cliché moments. The lack of a feel-good ending where one might be expected is itself being cliché these days (although the film does end on a high note, just not a sickeningly sweet one).
Good direction. Adequate cinematography. Rather good cast.
That doesn't sound like an 8 to you? Well, it's an 8 to me. Compared to the other movies I've seen recently this was a breath of fresh air. The cast really is excellent. The script is mostly understated with a few slip-ups. The characters aren't believable, but hey, they do a good enough job being unbelievable.
This movie shows what talented, meticulous filmmakers can do with a good cast and without much money. The result is more entertaining than explosions and special effects. Too bad more people don't feel that way. I'd love to see more movies like this. To me, they're much more absorbing than what's being made in bulk these days.
Praise aside, I feel like there was a definite missed opportunity to explore some interesting or unique elements. The jail scenes were begging for some psychedelic flashes or a breakdown of reality in some way. Think the ant scene from Oldboy or the rabbit dream sequence from Sexy Beast. That's just my inclination though. Either way, I can't rate what wasn't in the movie, only what was. This one is good all the way around.
Good direction. Adequate cinematography. Rather good cast.
That doesn't sound like an 8 to you? Well, it's an 8 to me. Compared to the other movies I've seen recently this was a breath of fresh air. The cast really is excellent. The script is mostly understated with a few slip-ups. The characters aren't believable, but hey, they do a good enough job being unbelievable.
This movie shows what talented, meticulous filmmakers can do with a good cast and without much money. The result is more entertaining than explosions and special effects. Too bad more people don't feel that way. I'd love to see more movies like this. To me, they're much more absorbing than what's being made in bulk these days.
Praise aside, I feel like there was a definite missed opportunity to explore some interesting or unique elements. The jail scenes were begging for some psychedelic flashes or a breakdown of reality in some way. Think the ant scene from Oldboy or the rabbit dream sequence from Sexy Beast. That's just my inclination though. Either way, I can't rate what wasn't in the movie, only what was. This one is good all the way around.