“you can't ask government to be infallible, but you can ask it to be accountable.”
man, movies like this are like a really tasty looking but ultimately unsatisfying sandwich.
the beginning and the ending of this movie are fantastic. it has a really strong opening that i really enjoyed as well as an ending that makes you feel like the payoff was overall worth it, but then when you remember how unfulfilled you were during the middle portion of the movie you have this overwhelming feeling of coming away empty handed.
it’s also disappointing because it has three really talented stars in tim robbins, jeff bridges and joan cusack. cusack isn’t in the film nearly enough but shines when she is on screen, but the heavy lifting is done by both robbins and bridges. something i always talk about is how crazy it is to me that i never really appreciated robbins until i really started getting into film heavily a few years ago. he’s such a great actor and i don’t believe i’ve ever had a bad moment with him, which if you read my reviews, elevates my love for an actor.
similarly, bridges leans into his role really well, and seeing the slow degradation of his character makes you want to see more. he goes from being a smart, if not cynical, man to being this paranoid, anxious mess by films end. again, that’s where my biggest frustration with the film lies though.
there’s a lot of good ideas here, and at several points i was even thinking of how this could be a parallel for modern politics and their weight on the american conscience. however, it loses any inkling of that and transitions into this analytical prodding of how the average american had this paranoia and distrust if government that led to some rather explosive real life scenarios. when you begin to look more into it from this angle, it feels (and in reality is) a lot more divisive propaganda that aims to remind us that the government is our friend and it’s the RADICALS that are out to get us.
don’t read that as me saying these right wing militia groups are justified in what they do. they’re not, i think they’re insane. i just think the movie took the safer route instead of showing us why certain groups are aggrieved and why they feel the need to respond in such a way. honestly, if what oliver says happened to him did happen to him, he should be pissed, and we should be too. but to then say “oh he’s the lunatic” is not the powerful message today that it might have been in the late 90’s.
would love to see this remade with a greater emphasis on the evils of both sides as i feel there’s so much untapped potential here.
“you can't ask government to be infallible, but you can ask it to be accountable.”
man, movies like this are like a really tasty looking but ultimately unsatisfying sandwich.
the beginning and the ending of this movie are fantastic. it has a really strong opening that i really enjoyed as well as an ending that makes you feel like the payoff was overall worth it, but then when you remember how unfulfilled you were during the middle portion of the movie you have this overwhelming feeling of coming away empty handed.
it’s also disappointing because it has three really talented stars in tim robbins, jeff bridges and joan cusack. cusack isn’t in the film nearly enough but shines when she is on screen, but the heavy lifting is done by both robbins and bridges. something i always talk about is how crazy it is to me that i never really appreciated robbins until i really started getting into film heavily a few years ago. he’s such a great actor and i don’t believe i’ve ever had a bad moment with him, which if you read my reviews, elevates my love for an actor.
similarly, bridges leans into his role really well, and seeing the slow degradation of his character makes you want to see more. he goes from being a smart, if not cynical, man to being this paranoid, anxious mess by films end. again, that’s where my biggest frustration with the film lies though.
there’s a lot of good ideas here, and at several points i was even thinking of how this could be a parallel for modern politics and their weight on the american conscience. however, it loses any inkling of that and transitions into this analytical prodding of how the average american had this paranoia and distrust if government that led to some rather explosive real life scenarios. when you begin to look more into it from this angle, it feels (and in reality is) a lot more divisive propaganda that aims to remind us that the government is our friend and it’s the RADICALS that are out to get us.
don’t read that as me saying these right wing militia groups are justified in what they do. they’re not, i think they’re insane. i just think the movie took the safer route instead of showing us why certain groups are aggrieved and why they feel the need to respond in such a way. honestly, if what oliver says happened to him did happen to him, he should be pissed, and we should be too. but to then say “oh he’s the lunatic” is not the powerful message today that it might have been in the late 90’s.
would love to see this remade with a greater emphasis on the evils of both sides as i feel there’s so much untapped potential here.
