mdc3000

I searched and couldn't find a thread on this one....all I have to say is WOW.

What a spectacularly flat failure! Heavy handed melodrama with unlikeable characters, zero thrills and a script full of nothing but tired cliches. The performances are OK but I think you get a sense that the cast realized part way through shooting they were making a piece of shit.

Eva Mendes shouldn't be allowed to 'act' as she's terrible here as usual. The film had the least cinematic cinematography in recent memory which was drab and dull (not a stylistic choice IMO, just BAD). The movie 'ends' about 10 times and then keeps going and Gray doesn't know how to end lots of scenes...with many running a minute or more past their natural conclusion and then just fading to black...like seriously 25 fades to black which got on my nerves big time.

I thought this had the makings to be a classic - great cast and a plot that sounds intriguing, but it was torture to watch...one of the worst of the year IMO. I'm being very generous with giving this 2 stars and that's only because of Joaquin.

2/5

Brent_MN

I agree. Saw it this afternoon. Torture is a good way to describe it.

Although I did enjoy seeing the cameo of Eva's puffy nipple. If I woulda known that the first scene was all we'd see of that, I'da left after the first 3 minutes.

rhcp1214

I LOVED this movie. The style of filming WAS a stylistic choice and looked like an old late eighties, early nineties cop/mob movie. The performances were great and I thought the pacing was perfect. This is not an action movie, this is a drama about family and quite frankly I thought it was great. Favorite movie of 2007 along with Zodiac- 9/10

Geofferson

I liked The Yards. Is this a worthy companion piece?

rhcp1214

Yes, similar in many ways...yet vastly different. If your a fan of the directing, acting, and feel of the Yards. You will love this.

mdc3000

See, I'm not so sure, because I thought 'The Yards' was a decent movie (3 out of 5) but couldn't stand this movie. (and you mentioned Zodiac, which is in my top 10 of the year so far) A movie like Zodiac uses the pacing and style of the 70's as a stylistic choice, but I did not feel that for this movie...I know what Gray was trying to do with the 80's style, I just think he totally missed the mark.

FantasticVSDoom

I like the setting and look of the film, but yeah it was just a little flat... Really no emotion and well, pretty boring. Story was decent, but its like everyone just kind of phoned in the performance.

chris_sc77

This film started off pretty good and the ending , while extremely familiar, was decent but overall the film felt too slow and felt like I'd seen this movie before. I liked it a lot better than Michael Clayton but not as much as The Yards.
I give it a B or B-.

B5Erik

I thought this was a pretty good movie. Joaquin Phoenix has always struck me as an overrated actor with very limited range, but here he was acceptable. I thought the script was fairly strong, and the direction & cinematography were solid (if unspectacular)

Maybe the story itself seemed a little too familiar, but I thought that the pacing of the movie was right - it wasn't rushed. It wasn't Godfather slow, but it didn't zip by like Goodfellas, either.

Nothing overly original, but like a classic 40's programmer it was a solid movie. I'd rate it 7/10.

DeanoBKN

It was decent. Forgettable, but a nice way to spend 2 hours.

B5Erik

Interesting, in San Diego We Own the Night came in FIRST for the weekend...

TheNightFlier

I enjoyed it. Thought it would be a lot better though.

FiveO

I found this movie very depressing. I left with a kinda of "blah" feeling.


Not bad but not my favorite this year by far.