#movie Timeline

I found myself enjoying this mainly because of its taut construction, but what was a bit of a letdown was the recycled narrative of the 'man divided by his responsibilities' bit. That being said, the writing is good enough to explain the nuances of Ivan--and Hardy's acting is top-notch--but his matter-of-fact approach to shifting life circumstances doesn't inspire enough dread or tension (often leaving viewers with a vague sense that everything will resolve itself).This makes it particularly crushing--or annoying, I'm not yet sure--that the film doesn't end with Ivan's demise. Others have talked about the symbolism of the passenger as a stand-in for Ivan's leviathan, but I've seen less commentary on what's depicted outside the BMW. Shots of speeding police cars and road crews suggest a possible car accident involving our protagonist, but this reality is never consummated or realized.Looked at as a one-way road trip to his inevitable end, it's hard not to assume that the film is largely about his descent into hell (a la Dante Alighieri) and how coming to terms with his nature is the focal point. The fact that his descent changes him in the eyes of other characters is unsurprising and I was pleased that it was at least referenced, but this film could've been so much more. It seems like writer-director Steven Knight had all the pieces, but was unsure of how to piece them together.

Edited 82d ago

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82d

Rated Detention 8/10

Easily the most ridiculous amalgamation of a film I've ever seen, Detention presents some of the funniest parodies of the oft-mythologized 90s era and does so in hyper-kinetic fashion. Part slasher, part time-travel flick it holds as its primary setting the high school experience. It's an utterly nonsensical concept that somehow manages to be insidiously clever.

Edited 82d ago