Positives:
The cinematography, lighting, and set design is top notch. The costumes are great. The sound design and mixing is great.
Negatives: The dialogue and most of the acting is boring. I didn't feel strong enough emotion about any of the characters to be interested in the plot (not there really was one). Every character that showed up was under developed. To add, the children were having these intensely philosophical discussions that only adults would have. It feels like Scorsese is trying to normalize children to act as adults, instead of children.
I love filmmaking. I've worked in film and TV since I was 15, but I HATE movies about filmmaking. I think it is because filmmakers tend to romanticize what filmmaking is way too much, and it feeds a culture that enables narcism and celebrity worship. This film dials back from that, but ultimately we're left with a piece that doesn't engage with the audience or provoke imagination. It is a lecture piece, and we're all supposed to just shut up and listen--not question--what we're being presented with. It very much does feel like this wasn't so much a collaboration of artists, but a glorification of the director. The result is that it's boring, predictable and plain.
Negatives: The dialogue and most of the acting is boring. I didn't feel strong enough emotion about any of the characters to be interested in the plot (not there really was one). Every character that showed up was under developed. To add, the children were having these intensely philosophical discussions that only adults would have. It feels like Scorsese is trying to normalize children to act as adults, instead of children.
I love filmmaking. I've worked in film and TV since I was 15, but I HATE movies about filmmaking. I think it is because filmmakers tend to romanticize what filmmaking is way too much, and it feeds a culture that enables narcism and celebrity worship. This film dials back from that, but ultimately we're left with a piece that doesn't engage with the audience or provoke imagination. It is a lecture piece, and we're all supposed to just shut up and listen--not question--what we're being presented with. It very much does feel like this wasn't so much a collaboration of artists, but a glorification of the director. The result is that it's boring, predictable and plain.