The real decision to leave comes at the halfway mark of this two hour and eighteen minute opus. See, there's really two movies here, and though they are joined by characters and plot, work quite well as separate parts. Also: it is two hours and eighteen minutes long!
The first act is a straight ahead mystery whodunnit, with a sharp insomniac Sherlock cop fighting loin urges with his chief suspect. Cracker Jack old story, unfolded stylishly, shot beautifully, adventurously edited, and uh, disappointingly bland. The hunter and hunted waste no time in exchanging deep, doughy-eyed stares in their cat and mouse lovers' game, which is a tad odd for a seemingly devout married man, and someone who should be grieving her recently breathing hubby. Silly instant crush aside, the plot is set for some Hitchcockian twisting and shouting. It comes, but not for a long spell, and when the reveal is revealed, it is muddy and perplexing. Not that movie confusion is a terrible thing, as it implores repeated viewings, which showcase a bounty of striking details often missed (well worth it here), but it takes two hours and eighteen minutes to get there!
The second act plays like a wacky reboot of the first act: same characters, another dodgy death, more lovey dovey eyes. This one has more bite though, and starts to bring everything together, muddy as it may be.
Perhaps less attention should be paid to the plot and various distractions that lead nowhere, and more to the sumptuous cinema making excellence. The advantage and foible of modern technology as communication means, depicted through innovative angles and personal gadget sorcery, is key to telling the story in a disarming and disorienting manner: via text and apps. There is never any certainty as to the voracity of what is happening on screen, and yet it is hard not to be invested in the characters and their foolishness. Sometimes cloudy is what works best.
The first act is a straight ahead mystery whodunnit, with a sharp insomniac Sherlock cop fighting loin urges with his chief suspect. Cracker Jack old story, unfolded stylishly, shot beautifully, adventurously edited, and uh, disappointingly bland. The hunter and hunted waste no time in exchanging deep, doughy-eyed stares in their cat and mouse lovers' game, which is a tad odd for a seemingly devout married man, and someone who should be grieving her recently breathing hubby. Silly instant crush aside, the plot is set for some Hitchcockian twisting and shouting. It comes, but not for a long spell, and when the reveal is revealed, it is muddy and perplexing. Not that movie confusion is a terrible thing, as it implores repeated viewings, which showcase a bounty of striking details often missed (well worth it here), but it takes two hours and eighteen minutes to get there!
The second act plays like a wacky reboot of the first act: same characters, another dodgy death, more lovey dovey eyes. This one has more bite though, and starts to bring everything together, muddy as it may be.
Perhaps less attention should be paid to the plot and various distractions that lead nowhere, and more to the sumptuous cinema making excellence. The advantage and foible of modern technology as communication means, depicted through innovative angles and personal gadget sorcery, is key to telling the story in a disarming and disorienting manner: via text and apps. There is never any certainty as to the voracity of what is happening on screen, and yet it is hard not to be invested in the characters and their foolishness. Sometimes cloudy is what works best.
- hipCRANK.