• It is an excellent film, but more than that, it is a work of very promising young filmmakers who make clear ambitious aesthetic choices throughout- I think at least one of the Safdie brothers is 33 so these are young filmmakers. If you follow the credits they have their hand in the writing, direction, acting, music and editing
  • First off, from the opening shot, you’ll notice the choice to focus in on close-ups, this Cinéma vérité hand-held approach to it is very different than the somewhat similar close-up style work of Tom Hooper and say Jonathan Demme
  • JJ Leigh steals a few scenes as do a few others but it is largely Pattison’s show. I’m still not convinced he’s a great actor- he’s really a vehicle here for the Safdie brothers and he’s in great hands. There are a lot of things going on around him here but this is his best work and I’m more optimistic than ever on his future. He’s making great choices on directors to work with similar to his twilight co-star Kristen stewart- he’s good at playing rather vacant characters who are really lifeless behind the eyes
  • The film has an energetic tonic of narrative momentum sapped in formal and reoccurring visual choices like close ups, neon color scheme, and driving score
  • The narrative reminds me of north by northwest, inside lleweyn davis, it’s just indiscriminate narrative propulsion- a yarn- similar to the game maybe as well by fincher. Fascinating
  • It’s hard not to mention scorsese’s After hours as well
  • Bold colors in the mise-en-scene all over the place, the bank dye, the Christmas lights (eyes wide shut), the fun house, the arcade—reminds me of refn’s only god forgives more than anything and I loved that
  • Reviled by Rex reed which is another good thing going for the movie
  • The score is like tangerine dream 80’s meets a driving john carpenter score- it’s wonderful
  • I’m not sure about the flashback yarn by secondary character about half way through the movie but it’s such a good tangent that it’s hard to be too upset at the break of form
  • I’m not sure on the coda
  • Very promising young filmmakers
  • After one viewing Id be happy calling this a top 10 film
  • Highly Recommend

2.0 Viewing May 2018

  • I feel the influences from Scorsese (After Hours– one night, NYC, drug/rush, heavily stylized), to Lumet (gritty, raw NYC, bank heist), to Carpenter (genre-plus, crazy score)
  • I think Benny Safdie does a hell of a job acting as Nick– it’s not easy to act like that
  • neon and heavy color- red Ecko sweatshirt
  • non-stop narrative
  • the copy writing in the credits is almost like QT’s and Rodriguez’s grindhouse
  • the Safdie’s to the sound, writing and editing- lots of work on the non-diegetic music
  • credits take 22 minutes to end in 100 min movie
  • the Safdie’s turn a phone conversation at the bail bond place into an enthralling thriller
  • the score- Daniel Lopatin (as Oneohtrix Point Never) is amazing- it makes a stroll down the hall seem intense
  • Pattinson’s Connie is a fantastic character- a pariah– leech– I’m more impressed with Pattinson’s performance with a second visit here
  • the set pieces are very well thought out for the visual motifs– we have an Arcade, Adventureland, Cop cars galore, Christmas lights
  • i’m not sure i’m 100% in on the ending with Nick at the care center– could be wrong– i guess you had to end there since you started with Nick but I prefer the long stare of Pattinson’s Connie in the cop car
  • Must-See quality film- impressive