Having basically no expectations for this movie other than it being nominated for Best Picture, I went into this movie not really familiar with it nor having read any of the other reviews online for it.
Almost everyone have talked about Carey Mulligan's performance in the movie and it indeed is amazing. It is very much like watching a young Audrey Hepburn....heck, even the brief montage in Paris is reminiscent of Ms. Hepburn in Love in the Afternoon or Funny Face. However, for me, the real star is Alfred Molina and his performance. He gives the film more gravity although we don't really know more about his background as a character.
Which is the thing -- we as an audience don't really know much about any of the characters' backgrounds other than how easily swayed they are by David (Peter Sarsgaard). They are hints throughout the movie even toward the beginning that there is something more sinister going on with David. The way David's 'friends' acted upon meeting Jenny (Carey Mulligan) and the evasive way David would answer any questions about himself. It even seemed like Jenny's teacher knew something about David or the schoolmaster (the throughly unlikable Emma Thompson, who is ill-used in this) knew something more as well.
Instead, the grand reveal was that David was not who he said he was, but something more boring. I had half-expected for David to be involved in organized crime or for him to have previously been married to one of the teachers at Jenny's school....even for him to have murdered a girl from the school.
I would say that this movie is one of the weaker Best Picture nominations I've seen (although not as bad as Crash or The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) and it probably should have been shown on BBC America rather than gone to the theaters. It might be unfair to judge the movie that way though. I would say see it if you can.
Almost everyone have talked about Carey Mulligan's performance in the movie and it indeed is amazing. It is very much like watching a young Audrey Hepburn....heck, even the brief montage in Paris is reminiscent of Ms. Hepburn in Love in the Afternoon or Funny Face. However, for me, the real star is Alfred Molina and his performance. He gives the film more gravity although we don't really know more about his background as a character.
Which is the thing -- we as an audience don't really know much about any of the characters' backgrounds other than how easily swayed they are by David (Peter Sarsgaard). They are hints throughout the movie even toward the beginning that there is something more sinister going on with David. The way David's 'friends' acted upon meeting Jenny (Carey Mulligan) and the evasive way David would answer any questions about himself. It even seemed like Jenny's teacher knew something about David or the schoolmaster (the throughly unlikable Emma Thompson, who is ill-used in this) knew something more as well.
Instead, the grand reveal was that David was not who he said he was, but something more boring. I had half-expected for David to be involved in organized crime or for him to have previously been married to one of the teachers at Jenny's school....even for him to have murdered a girl from the school.
I would say that this movie is one of the weaker Best Picture nominations I've seen (although not as bad as Crash or The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) and it probably should have been shown on BBC America rather than gone to the theaters. It might be unfair to judge the movie that way though. I would say see it if you can.