With source material (based on a true story) this compelling, a cast this littered with star power and legitimate award-winning talent, and a respected director (who directed "Short Term 12"), this movie should be been an unstoppable smashing success. It should have been GREAT. It should have won Oscars. But it didn't. It didn't because something is missing.
What exactly is missing is a bit hard to put a finger on. For some reason or another, the movie simply misses the mark. Part of the explanation involves the approach the film takes. Filmmakers clearly had seen other successful true stories that let the events speak loudly rather than attempt to falsely drum up intensity. They trusted that the story would be enough. And it is unquestionably an engrossing story, but that does not necessarily mean the movie will reach the heights that it should. Ultimately, the miscalculations of tone and lack of a visceral kick lead to the movie falling a notch below understated and landing somewhere in the dull zone.
I love Michael B. Jordan. He's one of the most talented actors of his generation and has been one of my favorites for the past decade. That's why I was disappointed by his performance here. He's a bit flat. In all the scenes featuring lingering shots of his face as he smolders with anger and sadness, I see very little depth. These sorts of shots appear in the film many times, and each time I kept searching for the layers of emotion in eyes and on his face, only to realize that there isn't much there. His emoting contrasts greatly with the instances when Jamie Fox and Rob Morgan have their opportunities. The deliver an emotional wallop whenever given the chance. Their towering displays make it all the more obvious that Jordan did not perform on their level in this movie.
It pains me to type this. I know in my heart that Michael B. Jordan will once again reach his top form in one of his upcoming movies. He's far too talented not to do so.
Overall, the movie needed a little bit more. The dialogue needed to be a bit sharper, for one. The story building also left a bit to be desired. In no way am I suggested that this is a bad movie - it's not. Actually, it's a pretty good one. Unfortunately, it had the potential to be so much more.
What exactly is missing is a bit hard to put a finger on. For some reason or another, the movie simply misses the mark. Part of the explanation involves the approach the film takes. Filmmakers clearly had seen other successful true stories that let the events speak loudly rather than attempt to falsely drum up intensity. They trusted that the story would be enough. And it is unquestionably an engrossing story, but that does not necessarily mean the movie will reach the heights that it should. Ultimately, the miscalculations of tone and lack of a visceral kick lead to the movie falling a notch below understated and landing somewhere in the dull zone.
I love Michael B. Jordan. He's one of the most talented actors of his generation and has been one of my favorites for the past decade. That's why I was disappointed by his performance here. He's a bit flat. In all the scenes featuring lingering shots of his face as he smolders with anger and sadness, I see very little depth. These sorts of shots appear in the film many times, and each time I kept searching for the layers of emotion in eyes and on his face, only to realize that there isn't much there. His emoting contrasts greatly with the instances when Jamie Fox and Rob Morgan have their opportunities. The deliver an emotional wallop whenever given the chance. Their towering displays make it all the more obvious that Jordan did not perform on their level in this movie.
It pains me to type this. I know in my heart that Michael B. Jordan will once again reach his top form in one of his upcoming movies. He's far too talented not to do so.
Overall, the movie needed a little bit more. The dialogue needed to be a bit sharper, for one. The story building also left a bit to be desired. In no way am I suggested that this is a bad movie - it's not. Actually, it's a pretty good one. Unfortunately, it had the potential to be so much more.