https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6S3phVSi0tI
Directed by: Steve McQueen
Written by: Gillian Flynn
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4218572/
No idea if this will actually be good or not (I mean, it's McQueen, so almost certainly yes), but good lord, what a cast.
Like I wrote in the Shoutbox: I was expecting something different. I didn't know it was by the writer of Gone Girl, and I find the Fincher movie desperate to be more than its material—but ultimately it's a silly pulp story. I wish Fincher and McQueen would do something else, especially with TV being the kingdom of silly pulp stories. But it might be fun.
I felt like Gone Girl was enough of a deconstruction of the genre to elevate it to a degree. His version of Girl With a Dragon Tattoo was much more frivolous, in my opinion.
In regards to this trailer, it's really hard to get a read on what level of depth this one actually has. I'm mostly excited about the congregation of so many amazing actors (ignoring Michelle Rodriguez for the moment).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN2yBBSRC78
The Gone Girl Prestige Universe (see: Sharp Objects) meets the Taken universe is still not what I expected from Steve McQueen.
Oh my. This does not disappoint! I wasn't a fan of Shame, but this is such a breath of fresh air. McQueen has so much substance to work with here. His mastery is put to good use.
It's a bit of a genre film, but it's also sort of a message movie in the way Roma wishes it were: unsubtle in places, beautifully subtle in others, offering some dark quirky delights, denying you any simple solutions.
Basically it's like Big Little Lies meets The Wire as directed by Michael Mann.
Listen, I'm probably overselling it, but Widows really worked for me.
can't wait to see this, may just blind buy it next week
Incredible cast indeed--which just made it all the more disappointing. I couldn't get past the improbability of it all, and it's too many genres stitched together trying to be something coherent. Gillian Flynn is 0 for 2 with me so far.
I think - thinking back on it - third act kinda reminds me of the downfall of many Elmore Leonard paperbacks - they set up world that feels very alive and dangerous, but then when push comes to shove the good guys win without much of any resistance. all obstacles were immediately diffused or dismissed.
I really liked this, too, though I'm not quite sure it's more than the sum of its parts. The typical genre elements that McQueen refuses to spoon out, amidst those he steadfastly embraces or subverts, threw me off a bit in terms of the pacing at a few points, and I'm not sure if it's a fault of the film or something that would work better on a second viewing. Really dug a lot of McQueen's typically indulgent (I say this as a good thing) bravura moments
the rap battle killings as the camera swirls endlessly around them - the camera staying outside the limo as Colin Farrell tells his assistant how he really feels and we catch a quick poignant glimpse of the driver - the brutality visited upon poor Henry Plainview
So yeah, really interesting film! Will have to see again to confirm some of my feelings.
count me as a big fan of this one, still, the genre cliche's did detract some from all that unexpected originality...like the scene where Michelle Rodriguez has that intimate encounter with a fellow widower. if only they subverted the rote heist elements further could have been in a whole other league.
funny coincidence - randomly watched Gone Girl right before starting this one having no idea Flynn cowrote the script, and right after the end scene was like, wow, how complementary, back to back films where spouses are out to kill each other. Then when the credits began and I saw Flynn's name, was like, fuck, what synchronicity, whoa.