ppsolved Reviews

The Irishman (2019)

Beating a Dead Horse and Taking a Hell of a Long Time To Do it

[1/10 · 29 December 2019]

Scorsese has come full circle and is now imitating his earlier and more interesting films. DeNiro has basically one facial expression now, a grimace, and even Joe Pesci can't save the scenes they're in together. THREE HOURS long, when a tightly edited and less self-conscious 90 minutes would have made for a more interesting film. This movie tries so hard to be IMPORTANT that it's actually painful at times.

The Boy (I) (2015)

Unusual and Absorbing

[9/10 · 3 September 2015]

The reviewers who disliked this movie didn't understand it. It's more European in its pacing and story arc, not for the simple-minded or those who do no outside reading. It is the best movie I've yet seen on the genesis of a sociopath and murderer, but it'a "quiet" film and assumes the viewer may know at least SOMEthing about one of the biggest topics of the last 50 years, serial murderers, and how they got that way. This boy has no guidance or love, his father is too wounded to notice or be of any real help. David Morse is always good, and Rainn Wilson's performance was revelatory.

I liked The Boy and have been recommending it to people I know who will "get" it. It gave me the creeps.