George Clooney’s latest directorial attempt is an abject failure.
A home invasion rattles a quiet family town.
The premise of the film is in fact fascinating, however the film doesn’t spend enough time setting up the premise of the town - instead it condenses everything into a voiceover at the start. The film spends a lot of time on a racial subplot, which as far as I can tell doesn't really add to the story. The Coen brothers wrote the original script, but Clooney re-wrote aspects of it. Clooney isn’t a screenwriter and it shows. The film was billed as a dark comedy, but it isn’t funny. In fact it isn’t anything - it isn't a murder mystery, as its obvious what happened, the comedy aspects aren't apparent and the dramatic aspects aren't utilized at all. It remains a bizarre combination of a number of genres, but the result is plain boring. The dialogue is sloppy and the plot isn’t riveting at all.
The cinematography is fascinating, there are clearly borrowed moments from early Hitchcock films and that can actual draw the viewer’s attention. However when they play it safe it becomes boring again. The performances are mixed, Oscar Issac is excellent, but Matt Damon lacks conviction. Julianne Moore starts the film committed, but by the end she’s clearly given up even trying. Child star, Noah Jupe does a good job with his poor material.
Overall another disaster that is worth avoiding.
1 Star
Review by Benjamin Maio Mackay
Screening courtesy of Palace Nova Cinemas