Scale it down, Wes. I’ve been a fan of everything he’s done since Fantastic Mr. Fox, and this is the first one in a long time that doesn’t sit well with me. It’s easily his loosest film since The Darjeerling Limited, and as a result he kinda lost sight of a coherent narrative here. It simply has too many characters, and while they’re all decently interesting, none of the arcs are developed to a point where I felt an emotional pay-off. The postmodern/meta stuff tanks the pacing and adds little to the overall narrative. There’s an attempt to use that layer to give the film a deeper meaning in the third act, but it feels like an anticlimax. The deeper meaning is that there is no deeper meaning, we’re just putting on a show . Ok? Did Rian Johnson have input on this script? Is this Wes trolling the people who claim that he’s style over substance? Add to that that this is one of his films that relies the least on comedy, and I can only conclude that this might just be his weakest screenplay. The reason why I still like it, however, is mostly because of the technical aspects. The cinematography, set design, editing and music are all fantastic and I’m continuously amazed by how this man is able to build a complete, original world for every new film. There’s always enough quirk and detail in the frame to keep the movie alive. The acting’s also really solid, I don’t quite get the complaint from some people that it’s emotionless. While the delivery is as deadpan as ever, the actors add plenty of emotion though the tone and cadence of their voice. Overall, I think he really needs to stop worrying about topping the scale of his last film, because it’s making him lose focus as a director and writer. It’s enjoyable, but for me it’s his worst next to The Life Aquatic.
6/10
On the news I heard that Sofia was worried she wouldn't be taken seriously in a dramatic role, I understand in the way a Woman who falls under that traditional "super hot bimbo/tropy wife" role, but she has more than proved her talent in Modern Family (hell, they even thought she was just a trophy wife at the beginning, but that quickly changed didn't it ;) ) alone as far as I am concerned.
I don't like binging new shows, I love to take the time and process each episode, but I could not stop watching it was so damn good. I don't even watch narco-esque shows or movies, I only watched it after I heard her comment on the news doubting herself, and if you have any question about the truth of her statement... Episode 4, go to the 26 minute mark (something like that when she starts her speech) and in a spoiler free way, that alone was the minute where any doubt you may have had left should been gone.
I hope the hate due to it being a female lead is minimal (or gone), as this really deserves to be looked at during the awards season.
