christmastiger-16003 — 9 years ago(February 10, 2017 12:41 PM)

Personally I think this review hits the nail on the head.
The whole "hillbillies come after a family" plot was stereotypical enough without adding the revenge bit to it. The "rich, successful person isn't happy with their perfect life" didn't need to be beaten like a dead horse either. It did feel like we were being torn between 3 different genres of movies, but it didn't work all together.
I don't really feel any emotions towards the characters, probably because they didn't really go out of their way to make them likable.
The visuals and cinematography were great, everyone outside of Amy Adams did a spectacular job with their parts, but that doesn't really make up for a weak script personally.
Maybe it was just that I was expecting a lot more for as much hype as it got.

christmastiger-16003 — 9 years ago(February 10, 2017 12:41 PM)

Personally I think this review hits the nail on the head.
The whole "hillbillies come after a family" plot was stereotypical enough without adding the revenge bit to it. The "rich, successful person isn't happy with their perfect life" didn't need to be beaten like a dead horse either. It did feel like we were being torn between 3 different genres of movies, but it didn't work all together.
I don't really feel any emotions towards the characters, probably because they didn't really go out of their way to make them likable.
The visuals and cinematography were great, everyone outside of Amy Adams did a spectacular job with their parts, but that doesn't really make up for a weak script personally.
Maybe it was just that I was expecting a lot more for as much hype as it got.

The_Boxing_Cat — 9 years ago(February 10, 2017 05:18 PM)

The sticker on the car windshield is 2014

The_Boxing_Cat — 9 years ago(February 10, 2017 05:18 PM)

The sticker on the car windshield is 2014

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lindewell — 9 years ago(February 11, 2017 03:10 AM)

It's the contrary, he refused to be weak anymore and shot the guy, the good weak guy would have made sure there was a trial but he shot him and then shot himself, the good guy. That's why he wouldn't show up at the restaurant were Susan was waiting, they were both already dead. Also the book is dedicated to Susan, as if she was dead.

lindewell — 9 years ago(February 11, 2017 03:10 AM)

It's the contrary, he refused to be weak anymore and shot the guy, the good weak guy would have made sure there was a trial but he shot him and then shot himself, the good guy. That's why he wouldn't show up at the restaurant were Susan was waiting, they were both already dead. Also the book is dedicated to Susan, as if she was dead.

tigerfish50 — 9 years ago(January 11, 2017 10:36 AM)

Anybody who is bewildered by the significance of the opening sequence needs to do some reading about the idea of
Carnival
in art.

tigerfish50 — 9 years ago(January 11, 2017 10:36 AM)

Anybody who is bewildered by the significance of the opening sequence needs to do some reading about the idea of
Carnival
in art.

leanne-kershaw1 — 9 years ago(February 11, 2017 06:44 AM)

I thought Jake gave the best performance

leanne-kershaw1 — 9 years ago(February 11, 2017 06:44 AM)

I thought Jake gave the best performance

tigerfish50 — 9 years ago(February 11, 2017 08:49 AM)

This movie is all about how evil women are.
Hahahahaha . . . speaking personally, women are a source of great friendship and pleasure to me. If women are treating you badly, it's probably a reflection of how you're treating them. Did that thought ever occur to you? I thought not.

tigerfish50 — 9 years ago(February 11, 2017 08:49 AM)

This movie is all about how evil women are.
Hahahahaha . . . speaking personally, women are a source of great friendship and pleasure to me. If women are treating you badly, it's probably a reflection of how you're treating them. Did that thought ever occur to you? I thought not.

VBeretta — 9 years ago(February 11, 2017 10:29 AM)

IMHO, there is a sequence of Jake Gyllenhaal under a grim, overcast screen, that was created in post- and green screen. The light and other visual elements in that sequence do seem strangely "off" - and since that sky was, IMHO, visually important, it was easier to use VFX than to wait for the right weather.

VBeretta — 9 years ago(February 11, 2017 10:29 AM)

IMHO, there is a sequence of Jake Gyllenhaal under a grim, overcast screen, that was created in post- and green screen. The light and other visual elements in that sequence do seem strangely "off" - and since that sky was, IMHO, visually important, it was easier to use VFX than to wait for the right weather.

DHfilmfan — 9 years ago(February 11, 2017 12:39 PM)

I agree. But that's precisely why the soliloquy sticks out, for me, like a sore thumband also invites the side-eye with the abortion plot point. Restraint and staying true to the story would have been better here.
In contrast, there's a nice scene in this newest season of Sherlock where Watson's wife figures out how Sherlock inferred that Watson would find a female psychiatrist. She says something along the lines of choosing a female psychiatrist because Watson was tired of having the world explained to him by a man, "and aren't we all?"
So here the writers are bringing in a little topical element in reference to "mansplaining" but doing so with wit and brevity, rather than making a political 'statement' out of it.

jimmer69 — 9 years ago(January 12, 2017 05:25 PM)

I watched the movie and, because of how it was presented, I came to the conclusion those three revelations did happen at once. I'd like to see some reasoning as to why it didn't.
Susan's conversation in the car after the abortion
Her: I just don't think I'm ever going to be able to look at Edward again after what I did to his child.
Him: He'll never find out.
Ok, so let's look at that.
They didn't know Edward was there when this conversation was happening. If Edward knew before that moment, how is it possible that he wouldn't ever find out about the abortion? How can her new man even believe Edward would never know about the abortion if Edward knew about the pregnancy? Was he going to give advice like, 'tell Edward you had the baby but he can't ever talk to her or see pictures or be involved at all in her life?'
He didn't know she was pregnant before that moment. The same moment he found out she aborted the baby.
And, Susan IS irredeemable. Even at the end, as this married woman is dressing sexy for her reunion/date with her ex-husband, she makes a point to slip off her wedding ring.