It is the type of film that leaves even cineliterate viewers wondering who the hell it is trying to impress

Rating: 2/10 (8 September 2015)

I just don't get it. I really wanted to like Birman and went in with no expectation other than the knowledge it had won many awards. I was thoroughly disappointed, and as others have pointed out if it doesn't capture yo in the first twenty minutes turn it off, it doesn't get better. It is the type of film that leaves even cineliterate viewers wondering who the hell it is trying to impress and I have to agree that I think it is critics, in a way it sees it was made to win awards not to entertain, or provide insight or commentary. The final half hour is the best part of the film and it finally picks up the pace and starts to become bit more interesting, but then it ends. It just ends. It is one of the worst endings I have seen since I watched Eden Lake and even that frustrated me, this ending was just the cherry on top of a sh*tty cake of a movie and instead of being annoyed I just thought oh, its ended. The plot is poor, the dialogue pretentious and the whole thing leaves you wondering what you've missed that others must've somehow understood. The only positive about this film is the acting by Stone and Keaton. I don't know what Edward Norton was doing but it was incredibly cringey. I see what the director was trying to do with the shooting style but unfortunately this is a case of style over substance, and there is little of both.