Interesting But Not Enough

Rating: 5/10 (3 November 2014)

Every once in a while, a movie will come along that people will glow over...and if you don't, they consider you an idiot. I feel this is that movie. It's a snob's movie.
It's an interesting idea, but the main character is so despicable and so removed from being an empathetic character, you really just want to strangle him rather than understand.
It's a simple idea, that goes against the norm. Why? Not because the story is that interesting, it's because the script requires it to. Let me give you an example... If I were to tell you that in every movie a man will start up his car, drive down the street and pull into work, my solution to making it mundane is to make the guy an assassin. The anticipation of his drive becomes different. Does it make it a little more interesting? Yes. Does it make it a good movie. No.
What I do like were the supporting characters. It's frustratingly easy to play them mental case, as Jake G. does. It's a slow burn, but a constant one. He isn't right for this role. He's got a dull look. And losing weight to look gaunt doesn't improve the interior storm. He becomes a bargain basement Tobey Maguire when they needed someone that could balance the dark and funny. Gyllenhall is just too bland.
To the movie though, there are just too many open ended moments. What really irritates me abut this, is that ratings are so high that a pedestrian movie watcher is going to feel really driven to watch it. Most should be warned, it's not typical "entertainment." Most will be confused as to what they just watched. It's unfair for intellectuals to not realize that a guy from a factory coming home for a weekend is going to take your suggestions and think it's really great. It's not. It's so interior with its ideas most people outside of L.A. may be disappointed. It's the culture that doesn't exist outside of oddball self-involved jerks.