I didnt expect much from this movie, since Sean Penn has been starring in several flops lately, but he has only got a smaller, supporting role now and fortunately he does act rather well this time around. The real leading role is reserved for Tye Sheridan though, who does an impressive job.
The good: from the get go we as viewers get overwhelmed with an orchestrated BARRAGE of disorienting and distorted sounds and visuals, masterfully depicting the intensely STRESSful life of an ambulance crew (Tye Sheridan and Sean Penn), who have to BATTLE the big city's jungle, working under incredibly strenuous conditions, in some of which they even have to FIGHT their way out of a building trying to save a patient's life.
Fireblazes, overdosed pregnant mothers covered in blood, children in shock who are refused help because their parents religion wont allow them to intervene. One after the other emergency situation gets washed over us viewers, nonstop, in a blistering videoclip styled pace.
What's good about this movie, (it's feverish, hypnotizing nonstop visual and sonic barrage of misery), that visual barrage is also it's weakest part, because this movie got a bit out of balance during the middle part, because there are too FEW breathers, in which the characters and not the visuals and sounds are on the foreground. This movie needed more character interaction half way through.
The start of this movie is ONE CONTINUOUS RUSH of witnessing LIFE and DEATH moments. And I got a bit overwhelmed by it, up to a point I wanted a breeze, a pause from all the mayhem. I got that pause, only to get hammered by a final that was even more hardhiting and emotional, but fortunately in a more balanced and satisfying way in which the CHARACTERS were central to the story. These final 30 minutes are really what made me award it with 8 stars!
NOT a cheery movie (pun intended). It has got a rewarding, even uplifting final though, but with a very DARK edge to it. Probably best (only?) suited for those die hard arthouse movie fans out there who can stumach (and appreciate) a bleak, hardhitting, depressing portrayal of big city's darkest side.
The good: from the get go we as viewers get overwhelmed with an orchestrated BARRAGE of disorienting and distorted sounds and visuals, masterfully depicting the intensely STRESSful life of an ambulance crew (Tye Sheridan and Sean Penn), who have to BATTLE the big city's jungle, working under incredibly strenuous conditions, in some of which they even have to FIGHT their way out of a building trying to save a patient's life.
Fireblazes, overdosed pregnant mothers covered in blood, children in shock who are refused help because their parents religion wont allow them to intervene. One after the other emergency situation gets washed over us viewers, nonstop, in a blistering videoclip styled pace.
What's good about this movie, (it's feverish, hypnotizing nonstop visual and sonic barrage of misery), that visual barrage is also it's weakest part, because this movie got a bit out of balance during the middle part, because there are too FEW breathers, in which the characters and not the visuals and sounds are on the foreground. This movie needed more character interaction half way through.
The start of this movie is ONE CONTINUOUS RUSH of witnessing LIFE and DEATH moments. And I got a bit overwhelmed by it, up to a point I wanted a breeze, a pause from all the mayhem. I got that pause, only to get hammered by a final that was even more hardhiting and emotional, but fortunately in a more balanced and satisfying way in which the CHARACTERS were central to the story. These final 30 minutes are really what made me award it with 8 stars!
NOT a cheery movie (pun intended). It has got a rewarding, even uplifting final though, but with a very DARK edge to it. Probably best (only?) suited for those die hard arthouse movie fans out there who can stumach (and appreciate) a bleak, hardhitting, depressing portrayal of big city's darkest side.