The story: yes it's one insane scenario after another, but honestly, knowing what would really happen a few years later ... not that insane. The New York response: it's a scenario. A possibility. I mean we watch movies about viruses spreading and can believe the army moves in. Why not here. I was willing to go on for the ride.
So for trying to allow us to imagine a worst case scenario, I think: good job.
It's the filming that made this less impactful. I don't know if it's the direction, or what other technical role but it just doesn't flow well. It's like someone singing that's just out of tune, you can't pinpoint it but you know it's off.
Example: after Tony Shaloub's character agrees to come back to work. Him, Denzel are leaning over the top of car while Annette Bening is in the car with her informant. She comes out. Her and Denzel exchange words. He kisses her on the cheek (which, in itself was weird, I don't think they had bonded that much). She gives him a sentence about "if it doesn't work out" and leaves. It should have dramatic. Tension building. Something! It left me cold. It was poorly paced. She didn't react off of him. They didn't bond. Something was missing.
Again I'm not technical, so I don't know how to pinpoint which filming role failed.
Anyway, I feel like it was like that for most scenes. The scenes should have impact and be dramatic by what was happening, but they weren't.
And thus, I think, the comments others are making about feeling disjointed and lack lustre.
With a story THAT big, we should have been on the edge of our seats.
So for trying to allow us to imagine a worst case scenario, I think: good job.
It's the filming that made this less impactful. I don't know if it's the direction, or what other technical role but it just doesn't flow well. It's like someone singing that's just out of tune, you can't pinpoint it but you know it's off.
Example: after Tony Shaloub's character agrees to come back to work. Him, Denzel are leaning over the top of car while Annette Bening is in the car with her informant. She comes out. Her and Denzel exchange words. He kisses her on the cheek (which, in itself was weird, I don't think they had bonded that much). She gives him a sentence about "if it doesn't work out" and leaves. It should have dramatic. Tension building. Something! It left me cold. It was poorly paced. She didn't react off of him. They didn't bond. Something was missing.
Again I'm not technical, so I don't know how to pinpoint which filming role failed.
Anyway, I feel like it was like that for most scenes. The scenes should have impact and be dramatic by what was happening, but they weren't.
And thus, I think, the comments others are making about feeling disjointed and lack lustre.
With a story THAT big, we should have been on the edge of our seats.