The film is beautifully shot, making full use of the various surroundings they find themselves in. The use of music from the period was quite effective also, not always to my taste, but it seemed to fit pretty well. As to performances, well, all the major parts were excellently portrayed with Philip Seymour Hoffman standing out. I found I really paid attention to every scene he was in; without him, meaning no disrespect to the other actors involved, it kind of fell flat. I though Amy Adams was excellent too, although I felt she was underused. There appeared to be an awful lot of improvisation, particularly from Joaquin Phoenix and I found these scenes very hit and miss. I sometimes felt like I was watching an acting class. As far as the narrative goes, well I found it meandering; it was very slow (not that this is always a bad thing) and when we did get to a point it would then go off in a totally different direction. Over all, it didn't stand out as the particularly outstanding work the critics seem to think it is; but then again, I don't have to watch all the dross they have to on a day to day basis. Maybe I have to watch a lot of really bad films and then watch this one again, but for now it's 'Recommended', but only just.
SteelMonster's verdict: RECOMMENDED
My score: 6.1/10.
You can find an expanded version of this review on my blog: Thoughts of a SteelMonster.
SteelMonster's verdict: RECOMMENDED
My score: 6.1/10.
You can find an expanded version of this review on my blog: Thoughts of a SteelMonster.