Yeah but I'm in it for the art..

Rating: 8/10 (4 January 2020)

I went into my viewing of this film with the idea that it would be wonderfully acted, that was my one expectation having previously seen several scenes flash across my Instagram feed. The film was. Oh but that's not all...
First, there are so many stylistic choices that the director/writers made such as overlapping of voices in tense moments, tempo of action, and an overall mesmerizing choreography, (especially during a scene based around a film set) that make subconscious emotions flood into any viewers head. I loved it.
Second, framing by the cinematographer is excellent even when it breaks rules. In fact, especially when it breaks rules. There is a monologue that goes on for minutes, (feels like hours) where, as the dialogue progresses, the camera gets tighter and tighter on the subjects face. Not only does this highlight the emotion of the scene but draws the viewer in and makes them feel the "trapped" perspective of the helpless character. Another particularly beautiful idea was to stick 2 characters in the corner of a room and use the walls to guide the viewers perspective all the way into the corner. Normally this would be a no-no, especially because one of the characters bodies is turned to the camera, however again this illustrates the characters metaphorical position in life, he/she is being backed into a corner and their fate is unclear. Absolutely brilliant!
Here's why it's not a 10/10. A. I'm biased against sad movies, sorry I just am. B. There are several lines delivered by an otherwise Oscar-worthy performance by Adam Driver that feel like he didn't even try to deliver them. They fell so flat and ruined some scenes credibility. It made me remember I was watching a movie, (not good).
All in all it was a phenomenal experience and I feel like a better person after having viewed it, it puts a lot of things into perspective. This movie is centralized around divorce and I'm fortunate enough to not have had people close to me experience it (yet). Having said that it made me feel a ton of emotions and if it can do that for me, I'm sure it can for you!