POSITIVES…
Gotta hand it to Directors Benny Safdie and Josh Safdie, they know how to make a movie going audience really feel the anxiety and the tension of somebody having a really really really bad week.
There’s a certain skill of having the proper pacing, tone, and editing, for a movie to make you really go through an emotional rollercoaster while watching somebody go through an emotional rollercoaster on screen.
Writers expertly knows how to make bad situations get even worse, and then piles on more bad things. That’s the point of the movie I guess, but the unpredictability is something to applaud.
Several moments while watching this in a movie theater, I had the urge to leave early because I was starting to think I was going to have a panic attack from what was happening to the main character. He’s a hateable kinda man too! i should be relishing in his life coming undone! Kudos to the Safdies Brothers for pulling this trick off.
Adam Sandler is fantastic as Howard Ratner. That hateable annoying lying slimeball kinda guy who is going through the whole ordeal in this story. He goes through so much; that is mostly his fault too, and Sandler really was the perfect actor to take on a role like this.
Supporting cast are great too, from Julia Fox, LaKeith Stanfield, Idina Menzel, Eric Bogosian, to Kevin Garnett.
That’s right, NBA athlete Kevin Garnett. If you’re a Celtics fan, this movie will reward you for being one. It’ll also spoil a major plot point of the story, but I think you Celtics fans won’t mind.
Final act and ending was just the perfect way to finish the story. Bravo Safdies!
NEGATIVES…
Considering the premise and what happens, this is what one would call a rather unpleasant and obnoxious movie to watch.
For some people, this is going to feel like a very long movie to put up with.
At a certain point, you’ll probably be thinking that it’s getting too indulgently contrived with all the unfortunate plot points that happen.
I hope you can stand ALL THE YELLING IN THIS!!! SO MUCH SHOUTING!!! LOUD NOISES!!!
P.S….
lovedit ”ENJOYED” IT likedititsokayitsmehitsterrible
