I thought Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games) was excellent, showing the skills we had already seen in 'the Games' (and I think she'll win the AA Best Actress). I heard Robert de Niro (Stardust) was great. I thought he was good, not great (maybe he sets such a high standard in most of his other films that we are spoiled?) But it was Bradley Cooper (Wedding Crashers) who really surprised me with his range and depth - very impressive.
I liked the story, the visuals and the overall flow. It all felt like it could be a part of anyone's life, which is not always the case. I'd like to see it again.
What really impressed me about this movie wasn't the storyline, which was limp, or even the acting, overall, which I thought was uneven. It was when the actors did get it right, they conveyed sincere, raw emotions that were really gut wrenching--and you could hear it in the theatre as silence and stillness took over and your heart stopped for a moment. These scenes made me feel such compassion for the actors and their struggles. I could believe, at times, that it really was Bradley Cooper struggling with his condition, that Jennifer Lawrence was in despair over her dead spouse, and that Robert De Niro agonized over his son's illness.
ReplyDeleteBradley Cooper was the big surprise for me, as he gave depth to his character that, for me, was heartfelt (and unexpected).
Co-star Jennifer Lawrence was also good, continuing to build her CV of stellar performances. Possibly too beautiful to be believable.
I thought De Niro was brilliant, one of his best performances ever--touching, real.
The failure in this movie lay in the story line, the usual Hollywood everything-turns-out-beautifully drivel that just gets a bit hard to take. And sometimes playing it light with court orders, restraining orders, violence against women, just doesn't cut it. And of course the predictable happy-ever-after Hollywood ending was a yawner.
Still, a 4/5 score for me, and I'll watch it again.
Similar themes of mental illness, written for teenagers, worth watching: It's Kind of a Funny Story. 4/5 stars for me.
Recommended: The Sessions. Helen Hunt. This movie is a 5-star.
Clare
EDITOR'S COMMENT: As regular readers of this blog will know, I have tried NOT to share the plot's ending. The above comment by Clare has caused me to change the blog settings so that I can keep someone's Comment basically intact, or add 'SPOILER ALERT' at the start, or make changes / deletions as I see fit. I encourage Comments, thank you, but ask that key story lines (or plot twists) not be revealed, please. Thank you and I hope you continue to enjoy this blog. Derek
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