Roller-coaster in a theater on film

Rating: 8/10 (15 January 2015)

If the title doesn't wake sense it's because this movie takes some time to wrap ones head around. It is shot to look like one continuous shot and this gives the film a surreal feeling. I was uneasy when watching this film because I as a viewer am not accustomed to see a film without cuts. The camera isn't immobile either throughout and it isn't like in Russian Ark where the camera moves like a ballet. The camera here dances around the characters like rock and roll. And this movement is disorienting as much as it is a good ride. The camera gives the story intensity, rapidity and drama. The story is well told: a now director who used to be a blockbuster actor wants to create a significant play to feel relevant again. He has issues with his actors and family and all that drama unfolds around the play. The main character experiences delusions as well and this is explored throughout the movie. The acting is fantastic and it is hard to look away when Michael Keaton, Edward Norton and Emma Stone are on screen. This film has to be seen by any cinema buff simply because of the unique cinematography.