I'd be interested in hearing other opinions as they come in, but I was disappointed.
CK
Edited by: chriskean1, to tone down the original for the sake of having some discussion.
2
thoughtpolice
It was kind of blah, the heavily dramatic score and crescendos of thunder/lightning were over the top.
It was quiote hamhanded for a director with the long experience of Scorscese.
I'd read the book a few years ago, maybe that blunted the twists in the plot. They were also revealed a bit early in the movie.
I'd say it is worth renting but not worth the money at the cinema.
4
chriskean1
Don't want to spoil the thing for anyone, so no plot details below.
I went with pretty low expectations after seeing the trailer--Leonardo with his ramshackle Boston accent again, lots of overdone atmospherics, etc. But my low expectations were way too high for something I have trouble describing as anything but a turkey.
About five minutes in, the soundtrack (Robbie Robertson, bless him) blaringly announces that we're all supposed to be VERY VERY VERY UNEASY about this place. The guys discuss the different wards, and you know what's going to happen eventually. "High Anxiety" was directed (and written) with a lighter touch than this.
Then I guessed the main "surprise" about half an hour in, because of a couple of significant looks one minor character gives one of the major ones. From there on in it was a real bummer.
Some of the performances were very good; I'll single out Mark Ruffalo, and the kid from "Bad News Bears" who now has a fine career playing damaged types.
But aside from this, in my opinion it was overblown throughout--not just the soundtrack. The whole thing was sententious. It may as well have been a couple of hours' worth of Max von Sydow declaiming from some early-1900s psychiatric text.
Scorsese may not have been able to do much with the script, which was way over the top--I'm thinking especially of that speech by the warden as he and Leonardo drive along. We all know Scorsese likes exploring violence and violent impulses, but some of the words that come out of these characters' mouths are unbelievable, even in a movie that reaches for comic-book intensity.
I don't think I'm missing the point here, but I'm willing to be corrected. Scorsese has made some of my favorite movies. I don't think it's just that I wanted more of his usual material. I don't think it's that all the exaggerated stuff is being done with a nod and a wink to B-movies of the past. I just think the guy tried something that went rather badly wrong somewhere along the line.
Edited by: chriskean1
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