“It's like this poisonous fog bank rolling in on my mind."
Having read and listened to a bunch of reviews and
interviews before seeing it, I knew that there were going to be a lot of twists
and turns. Despite my determination to spot things beforehand, of course I was
still taken back by surprise. It not so much ‘tricks’ you but demonstrates the
power and control of the mighty camera. It picks out the important things for
you but also presents falsities and red herrings right into our faces, ‘locking’
us in. So trying to spot things really does you no good. The
music by Thomas Newman illustrates just how sinister the situation is and what’s lying underneath, still to come. The idea of the story may not be entirely new
and original, but it’s certainly a very well made film with excellent
cinematography and great performances. Rooney Mara very convincingly plays a woman
burdened by depression; Jude Law equally as an overworked man who starts to
crumble to pieces. None of the characters are played particularly likeably –
this moral ambiguity and lack of someone to ‘root for’ is another aspect of the
film which adds to the overall eeriness and brilliance of the film. Steven Soderbergh’s
final film – it’s good to see him end his directorial career on a high note with
such technical excellence and confidence.
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