I almost missed this movie because of the bad reviews but am I glad went to see this movie.
We have grown so accustomed to unrealistic, fantastic, GUI, drama, emo movies. Where parody becomes standard and the clichées are more and fasters pushed through your retina as you can blink. With the popcorn-thread-of-the-mill instaflix that are pushed out in battery like clients on the toilet in a Mexican chain-restaurant.
This movie, however, grabs back to a time in cinema before this, with a slight modernized take: It reminds of these olders detective movies, or even classic nois movies (but a little bit less slow and less dialogue). The director shows his desire for perfection and love for cinematography. And it shows. No shot seems to be without purpose, and small hints on the story are thrown in. While you are left to let the image "sink in" and feel it, with an atmosphere and tone is very in sync with the progressing story. For example; during the introductory scene, the atmospherics are very crisp, with a particular lightning. Almost claustrophobic - It instantly pulls you in the movie, right next to the actors. There was an opportunity for gore, but instead a scream and a poetic scene keeps burned on your retina instead, when the screen goes black. A shot of "people celebrating" doesn't come across as fake or staged and isn't just one quick flash. It's so "generic", even, that this movie will still stand in 10 years. Or could be filmed 20 years ago. You feel "you are inside the crowd", or could be just strolling by yourself.
Not only does the movie "live", it is very realistic in scenario. This day and age, we are so accustomed to fantasy and animation, with Baine like camera angles, rushed explosions, scenes and "all the tricks thrown in", idiot clichées and everything explictly explained, making it a horrid mess of unwatchable flickering. In this movie, the realism and nuanced motivations ("why would someone partake in such a bad thing?") and are explained in a brief way without insulting the viewers' intelligence. These characters could be your friends who suddenly stumble into this situation.
As a last point, the "terrorism" theme is so exploited and overused MURICA! that any synopsis with "terrorist" in it, makes my stoumach turn and conclude 90% of the movie will be from the "terrorist movie cheat sheet and template". But this take on it, becomes more realistic and is a double thumbs up towards real people doing real things.
More movies like this would be very welcomed. But perhaps, in the popcorn short-attentspan fantasy age, not many will know how to appreciate real cinematography.
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