The Square (2008) User Reviews

Roller-Coaster Ride Down-Under

[tigerfish50 · 8/10 · 24 July 2010]

"The Square" opens with two parked cars at a scenic overlook. In one of them, two agitated dogs observe the other vehicle where their respective owners, Ray and Carla, are engaged in some steamy extra-marital gymnastics. When Carla returns home, she spots her rough diamond husband hiding a bag of cash in the ceiling of their washroom. She decides to steal it and run off with her lover to begin a new life together. Construction site manager Ray declines to go along with her scheme at first, anticipating the fallout will foul up his sweet workplace kickback scam, but Carla's charms prove too tempting. The lovers hire themselves a dubious partner, lash together a creaky plan and set it in motion, only to meet with a firestorm of foul-ups, suspicion and terror.

"The Square" shares several themes with "Body Heat" and "Blood Simple" - the chief differences being its gritty realism and fast pacing. It also boasts a fine array of support roles which provide numerous possibilities for misunderstandings and betrayal among the various conspirators, victims and bystanders as their lives spiral out of control. By the time the dust has cleared at the conclusion, it seems the phrase 'ratcheting up the tension' might have been coined for 'The Square'. Nash Edgerton directs his brother Joel's tight script, extracting intense, believable performances from his actors. It all adds up to an impressive modern Indie film noir.

square deal of a movie

[lee_eisenberg · 8/10 · 22 June 2010]

It helps to know absolutely nothing about "The Square" before watching it, just so that it can hit you harder. Nash Edgerton's film depicts an affair between construction foreman Ray (David Roberts) and housewife Carla (Claire van der Boom) which leads to disastrous events. The mud created by the rain in some scenes is nothing compared to what is happening as part of the plot. Many of the shots are not lit entirely, adding to the unpleasant feeling.

Without a doubt, the movie portrays a much grittier side of Australia than we often see in movies. The land down under is often associated with Crocodile Dundee or Aboriginal culture. What "The Square" depicts is closer to what we see in Guy Ritchie's movies, except that the events here are no laughing matter. This is as gut-busting as can be, especially with what happens at the end. But don't get me wrong, it's definitely worth seeing...unless you have a weak stomach.

Also starring Joel Edgerton, Anthony Hayes, Peter Phelps and Bill Hunter.

Script's fine for the genre but the director fails to juice it

[davdecrane · 6/10 · 3 May 2010]

What would be a fun find on cable one night isn't worth a trip to the theater. An expertly plotted story (with a particularly clever blackmail subplot) suffers from uninspired casting in the male lead. This actor embodies the film's fatal flaw: an almost total lack of humor.

Film noir is necessarily a downer genre but think how funny Body Heat and Chinatown are with their clever protagonists (and Chandler always has you laughing). The Square, however, features morose David Roberts who should be dancing with joy from his affair with the much younger, cuter, livelier Claire van der Bloom. But he's conflicted from the get-go and the director never lets us see what drew these two together in the first place. There's little chemistry between them and a few scenes between two dogs hold more joy than anything between the impassionate human lovers. The most interesting male actor is co-writer Joel Edgerton and the story might have had more sizzle if he'd been the lead.

But the plot does indeed generate some real tension and the film is watchable. Bodies pile up unexpectedly, there's a mystery inside a mystery with the strong subplot and the ending holds real surprises. The script works but the director, through his casting and tone choices, lets it and us down.

"It's not like anyone will get hurt". WRONG!

[oneguyrambling · 24 September 2011]

The action in The Square takes place in a small Australian town, a town so small that everyone knows everyone at least casually, and when a party is arranged most of the residents are invited.

Two of these residents are middle aged construction foreman Ray (David Roberts) and a hairdresser in her early 20s named Carla (Claire van der Boom – an awesome stripper name if there ever was one!). Ray and Carla are married… but not to each other.

Things start going wrong early, but on a smaller scale. Ray and Carla intend to leave their respective spouses and skip town, but first they need cash. To come up with the cash they each come up with a plan, Ray cuts a side deal with a shonky contractor, and Carla's plan involves theft and just a pinch of arson.

"It's not like anyone will get hurt", she reasons. How wrong she is.

The Square is as dark as films come, everyone in the film is varying degrees of shonky otherwise they don't get any lines. No room for the honest here Mate. But this is a decidedly non-Hollywood noir, the protagonists aren't gangsters or hit men or criminal geniuses, they are tow-truck drivers, hairdressers and local slobs.

As the ever growing bodycount envelops both the innocent and the not so… more and more are intertwined in an ever more complex story that should have begun and ended with Ray and Carla skipping town. Alas once the paranoia, mistrust and guilt leads to cover up, murder and betrayal no-one in The Square is destined for a happy ending.

As a viewer I kept thinking "Now how are you gonna get out of this?" and "Don't do that you dickhead", but the actions of those involved never stray into cartoon or the illogical – at least to them. It might take a leap of faith to pretend all the events in the film happen over a short time frame, but it isn't beyond the stretch of the imagination to think most of this stuff could happen.

I just hope it never happens near me.

Final Rating – 6 / 10. An effective and intricately drawn drama that will keep you guessing and involved until the very end, even once you realise there cannot possibly be a happy outcome.

Kickbacks.

[morrison-dylan-fan · 7/10 · 1 July 2012]

Recently catching up with a terrific thread on the IMDb Film Noir board,I noticed an IMDb member give a very good review,for an over looked Neo-Noir film from Australlia.

Being intrigued by the sound of the movie,and having also enjoyed the great 1987 Ozploitation film Dark Age,I decided that it would be the perfect time to take a look at a Neo- Noir world from down under.

View on the film:

For their slowly unravelling,tightly coiled screenplay,writers Matthew Dabner and Joel Edgerton, (whose brother Nash directs this terrific film) initially make the first half of the film a moody suburban Drama,as Raymond Yale, (played by a great David Roberts,who expertly shows Ray transform from being an extremely private individual,to someone who is willing to go to murky limits to keep the pile of cash under wraps) is shown to be completely dissatisfied in the direction that his life has taken.

With Dabner and Edgerton having Ray display more affection for Femme Fatale Carla Smith, (played by the great,cunning Claire van Der Boom) than he ever does for his family and friends.

Using the suburban setting as the main focus of the movie for the first half,Dabner and Edgerton slowly have the Noir side of the film brilliantly rise up to the suffice,as Ray begins to get a dangerous,paranoid doubt in his mind over which of his family and friends are actually showing their true selves,whist others prepare to increase the tension and stab him in the back,which leads to the film ending on a pure,sudden Black Comedy note.

Despite this being his first ever feature film directing debut,Nash Edgerton display a strong style of squaring off on a gritty mood,as the scenes of Ray getting an increasing feeling of fear,having Edgerton cleverly use a close-up "floating" camera to fully display Ray's dangerous "up in the air" mood,whilst using the second half of the movie,to create a number of really excellent, tense "betrayal" scenes that show Ray and Carla's cunning plans completely burn down.

More Circular

[asda-man · 7/10 · 17 May 2011]

Aussies aren't known for their film making. After seeing "Not Quite Hollywood" I'm not surprised! But, they really do do some impressive films "Wolf Creek", "Storm Warning" to name a few. Now, "The Square" is another worthy film.

"The Square" ultimately has a moral in it. Don't have a bloody affair! It's simple and yet after affair related films such as "Fatal Attraction", "Dear Wife" we still get idiots doing the dirty on their poor faithful partners! (Always men as well, just an observation). Now down to The Square's realistic, raw directing it may just drill this idea into people with adultery on their minds.

The screenplay, although wildly in-your-face is actually presented as quite believable. the acting is also quite passable and the sub plot with the dogs is so romantic (I say sub-plot, more of a side dish). The Square can be quite shocking at times and the ending left me feeling quite flourished.

I don't think The Square should disappoint you, some might find the pacing a bit lazy but the sharp screenplay should keep you on edge. Give the Aussies a chance mate.

A Tribute to Australian Drama

[therunner42 · 10/10 · 2 August 2008]

This is one of the best films that I have seen in a long time. Joel Edgerton is clearly an amazing talent as he writes and features in this highly unusual version of a somewhat common plot line. The story is full of twists and turns and really keeps you enthralled to the very end. There are high quality Australian actors in this film, who work together to produce some terrific scenes, that are realistic , dramatic and entertaining. The only disappointment was we were one of about five people in the audience. Considering it was a Saturday night and the The Square's first week at the cinemas, I felt very sad for the Edgerton brothers and also worried that if fantastic Aussie films like this one aren't drawing audiences, then what will? Australians need to get behind Australian film, particularly when it is this good.

The best Australian film of 2008

[leos_monkey · 7/10 · 5 August 2008]

The Square co-written by Matthew Dabney and Joel Edgerton, directed by Nash Edgerton and produced by Louise Smith is brilliant and stylish. Along with the script and directing, the casting of unknowns like David Roberts (Ray), Claire Van Der Boom (Carla) and Hanna Mangan Lawrence work well with known actors like Joel Edgerton (Billy), Anthony Hayes (Smithy) and Damon Herriman (Eddie). This film deserves to do well so do go and see this and not just to "support it" but it really is a great film, story and the acting is brilliant which i think all the actors have a big future in this industry. I look forward to see what Nash and Joel do next, again this film is brilliant!!!

gripping, stylish thriller

[chariot6 · 10/10 · 6 July 2008]

Written by Joel Edgerton and Matthew Dabner, directed by Nash Edgerton and produced by Louise Smith, The Square eloquently shows that Australian films can embrace genre in an exciting, audience-aware way. This is thrilling film-making at its best.

The plot revolves around a middle aged man, Ray, (David Roberts) who makes a fatal mistake when he gets involved with younger woman, Carla, (Claire van der Boom). His attempts to make it right just land him deeper and deeper into the kind of trouble he'll never be able to resolve. This searing examination of middle-aged angst and displaced desire keeps the surprises coming and the twists turning.

In a series of colourful and dynamic performances, the supporting cast including Joel Edgerton as a pyromaniac crim-for-hire, Tony Hayes as the spurned husband with a dark secret of his own and Kieran Darcy-Smith as a nasty concrete guy only add to the strength of the world.

Beautifully shot, fantastic production design and razor sharp editing. Also of note is the soundtrack - perfectly tuned to mood - this one doesn't miss a beat.

This was my highlight of the Sydney Film Festival - audiences should flock to this one.

They won't be disappointed.

Entertaining and well written.

[deloudelouvain · 7/10 · 10 January 2021]

The Square isn't a bad movie in this genre. The story is well written, with enough interesting elements and scenes to keep the audience focused and entertained. It's not very fast paced, but in this case it doesn't need to, as the story is captivating and easy to follow. Bit by bit the plot unfolds to show us that the script is well thought of, what makes it a believable story. The cast did a good job playing their characters. Overal Nash Edgerton did a decent job directing The Square. In this genre this Australian movie is worth a watch.

Coen Brothers Safe

[richard-mason · 5/10 · 18 June 2008]

As one of those who saw the premiere of this film at the Sydney Film Festival, I can assure you if I was on the "edgerton" of my seat, it was in disbelief as implausibility piled upon implausibility until the film collapsed under their weight.

The film started well, and for a while I was happy to go along with the well-worn Noir formula of the small crime that goes wrong, and all attempts to cover it up only make things worse for the illicit lovers, and the crimes get bigger and bigger. But they also get stupider and stupider, until you just feel your intelligence is being insulted. If, as bilingizard seems to be suggesting, black humour of the order of the Coen Brothers was being attempted, then I suggest some wit (other than that involving the fate of the dogs) should have been attempted. Nor do I think David Roberts was an acceptable lead. The character was dour and unpleasant from the beginning (making it hard to care what happened to him and his paramour) and the performance added no light or shade or leavenings of humanity.

I agree it looks good, and the direction is stylish. But the plot is not just full of holes, but sinkholes that suddenly open up under the feet of the characters, and the audience.

Affair and Money Leads to Trouble

[mdayne0225 · 10/10 · 12 September 2010]

It is funny that the Edgerton brothers collaborated on this film since it reminds me a great deal of another movie crafted by two brothers. If you have ever seen Blood Simple, a Coen brothers production, this movie will remind you of it. Two lovers hatch a simple plot to steal money and run away together, but are thwarted by unforeseen circumstances, blackmail, misdirection and unforeseen deceit.

The acting in this film is superb, starting with the leads and certainly Joel Edgerton who does a 180 from his character in Kinky Boots.

I highly recommend this movie. Although the plot is familiar it does have a neat twist at the end that was hard to see coming.

Leaves the viewer kind of mad!

[Hellmant · 7/10 · 21 September 2010]

'THE SQUARE': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

Intrigued by Harry Knowles (popular film critic for 'Ain't It Cool News') promise that this is "One of the best films of the year. The best film noir since 'BODY HEAT'" (Which is plastered all over the DVD case) I decided to check out this low budget Australian thriller. It's directed by Nash Edgerton and written by his brother Joel, with some help from Matthew Dabner. The Edgerton brothers have a diverse range of film experience from stunts (Nash is well known in Australia for this) to editing to acting (Joel played Owen Lars in 'STAR WARS: EPISODE II' and 'III'). This is the brothers first feature together in which they're writer and director (Joel also has a decent sized acting role in the film). While I don't think it's one of the very best films of the year or the best film noir since 'BODY HEAT' (I sometimes agree with Knowles and sometimes don't) I do think it's a very well made and entertaining film, especially for such a low budget one.

Experienced character actor David Roberts stars as Raymond Yale, a construction worker who's become bored with marriage and has started a heated affair with the young hairdresser Carla (played by the beautiful Claire van der Boom) who lives next door. Carla has recently discovered a blood stained bag filled with money hidden in her home by her criminal husband Greg (played by Anthony Hayes). She talks the reluctant Raymond into helping her stealing it by burning down their home and with it the apparent bag of money but things of course don't go as planned. Greg becomes aware that the money wasn't in the house and the two lovers become entangled in much bigger crimes as things get worse and worse.

The film takes one depressing twist after another and the hero digs himself even deeper and deeper into trouble which leaves the viewer kind of mad. In a lot of film noir this is the point but in this film the events that take place are so ridiculously over the top and unbelievable that the film doesn't quite work on the level it should. It's still a beautifully moody and well acted film and like I said impressive for such a low budget one. Despite the film's fall from reality I still found myself wrapped up in the characters and really wanted things to work out for them. Be warned this movie is pretty gloomy and depressing but due to it's mild foray into campy-ness it's also darkly comedic. Not a great film but a well made and memorable one all the same.

Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8w-4xZ94ZU

Rather lifeless multi-strand thriller with most of the characters in the service of the plot

[BOUF · 5/10 · 10 July 2008]

After about a minute into this plotty thriller, the male lead looks like he knows he's doomed. He continues to look like he knows he's doomed until the end, just after a rather silly shoot-out, which made several audience members snigger. I wanted to enjoy this Aussie movie, but I wasn't at all interested in the mostly two-dimensional characters, whom I felt, were being pushed along by a slightly heavy-handed plot, which did little to illuminate them further, or tell us anything interesting. Well, there were a couple of thrills, and some nice little mysteries and tension, but there was also a lot of predictable TV plodding and some casting of hams who are throwback to the 1970s. There is a very nice tense scene between Anthony Hayes and Damon Herriman, who acquit themselves particularly well; whereas some of the actors could have benefited from a more dramatically imaginative directorial hand. Generally: it's all competent, but just not very interesting

Australian noir

[lastliberal-853-253708 · 8 October 2011]

One should always be aware of the Law of Unintended Consequences when they set out to commit a crime. You may have to live with more than you bargained for.

Lovers of Double Indemnity will find the story familiar. Raymond (David Roberts) and his lover Carla (Claire van der Boom) plan to steal money and leave their partners. Things, of course, do not go smoothly.

There are twists and turns aplenty in the noir film, and it keeps you wondering who is going to come up with the next one.

Roberts was excellent and the film was extremely well done.

One hopes Joel Edgerton writes more like this.

You want this gritty working class crime drama to work--but it doesn't quite

[secondtake · 6/10 · 13 October 2012]

The Square

It would be nice to say we need another movie about a small group of working class types all gritty and overflowing with vernacular realism as they get involved in a crime that gets the better of them. "The Square" tries to use this common situation and lift it into something we want to watch, and it has the odds against them from the get-go.

Put another way--a movie along these lines that does really rise above the expected and penetrate the personalities and the facts might be the movie of the year. Why not? It's not that the material is doomed, but that the things that really matter in a movie--like the writing, the acting, the filming--all have to be spot on and special to make it click. That simply doesn't happen here. As much as you want it to work, you see little plot tricks, small (or large) problems with the script, and decent but routine camera-work and editing bring it crashing down. And the story, because it is so "usual" in movie terms, doesn't rescue thing.

That's an analysis that avoids the plot, which is about two concurrent money scams. One is apparently very criminal and dangerous, probably drug related, and a bag of money is hidden in the attic. The other is a kickback on a construction job. They connect because the wife of the bag-o-money guy is having an affair with the kickback construction supervisor. After lots of dramatics, some of it nicely done but poorly integrated (I like the picnic scene, which is sixty seconds of good shooting and smart editing), the key protagonists have one final showdown. And a stray bullet makes a mockery of the realism of the rest of it (smack in the forehead).

Maybe there is no protagonist. Can you have a movie with three antagonists? It's hard to quite identify with anyone, even the main man running the construction project. This is partly acting and writing, but it's partly just the slightly clunky gluing together of all the parts. The milieu is interesting, the problem dramatic (if a little too obviously sensational), and the intentions sterling. It just doesn't pull together all around. I wish.

Pretty good thriller, could have lightened up a bit

[chicagopoetry · 7/10 · 5 December 2008]

The Square reminded me of Silent Partner, an old movie starring Elliott Gould, although it has the pace of Notes on a Scandal, and the ending isn't as satisfying. If you haven't seen Silent Partner, look it up; you'll love the fish tank scene. The Square is not as brooding as Sam Rami's A Simple Plan, and doesn't have the ability to laugh at itself like the Cohen Brothers' Fargo does, but it shares the same theme, a bag of money causing everything to go to hell. They could have played that whole thing about not being able to pour the concrete over the corpse for some laughs, but instead it was taken dead seriously. The Square starts off strong and kind of gets a little muddled in the middle but then it picks up again toward the end. The plot twists aren't really twist, they are just things that go wrong with the plan. Mostly this movie concentrates on one character instead of focusing on the interaction of the two conspirators. Some creepy background music might have added to the suspense as well. During the first half there are a few very impressive and subtle scares, which bring to mind another Cohen Brothers movie, Blood Simple. The acting is really good; the story just needs to lighten up a bit in order to let the great acting flourish. All in all this is a good movie. It kept me shaking my head wondering, what now. It will keep you guessing. The wisdom of this movie is "One man points his dick in the wrong direction, and here we are." Yes, here we are.

Australian Coen Brothers?

[billingtizard · 10/10 · 16 June 2008]

A bag of money, an illicit affair, and a decision that has disastrous effects plunge our protagonist into a downward spiral with more plot twists than a corkscrew. Written by actor Joel Edgerton (with co-writer Matthew Dabney) and directed by brother Nash this enthralling thriller had the audience at its 2008 Sydney Film Festival debut on the "edgertons" of their seats.The many surprising turns in the story are made completely plausible by a superb cast lead by David Roberts and including the actor brother. And check out the parallel relationship between the lovers' dogs and its surprising denouement! A very impressive first feature from a director whose short films have been widely acclaimed. If you like the Coen brothers films then THE SQUARE is for you.

Good...until the end...

[NoviceMovieCritic · 6/10 · 1 February 2018]

The movie was so good, building up the suspense and leaving you sitting on the edge of your seat. The problem is...there were too many unexplained occurrences and unintelligible accents that I just couldn't deal with. I feel as though the Raymond's wife was built up as a potential suspect, which I think she could have been given the fact that she knew about her husbands affair but chose to say nothing. I honestly believed for a second that she was the blackmailer. But instead Ray's boss found the blackmailer...who happened to be a man I don't even remember being introduced in the movie? To add that, how did his boss and the only cop in town know about the blackmailing? Why did Ray bury Leonard if him dying on at the construction site was an accident? Why did Carla stand around during the gun fight at the end instead of grabbing her husband's gun? Nothing at the end made sense. And why did the poor dog have to die? Did no one even know or care that it was dead? Such a shame. Every death in this movie happened needlessly. Every person that died was innocent except Carla. If you like movies that build up perfectly but let you down in the end, then man....this is the perfect movie for you.

The Square keeps you guessing as the plot thickens

[keith-805-433530 · 8/10 · 7 August 2010]

An Australian made suspense movie thriller directed by a talented Nash Edgerton, which features as supporting actor, his equally talented brother Joel Edgerton who wrote the story. This is the Edgerton Brothers first full length feature film, after writing producing and directing many award winning short stories.

The film quickly sets the tone of an unhappy marriage and an illicit love affair headed for trouble, where a middle aged man Ray(David Roberts), hooks up with a much younger mistress, Carla (Claire van der Boom), who is also in a failing relationship. After that, the plot has so many twists and turns it will keep you guessing right through to the unexpected surprise ending, of which Nash Edgerton is known for in his previous productions.

The movie has plenty of action as the ill fated couple descend deeper and deeper into a depressing turmoil involving money, greed, death and revenge, where there seems to be no way out. All the elements and suspense are here to keep you glued to the screen.

The cast work well together, and with the special effects and stunts, makes for a movie well worth checking out.

Criminal Stupidity

[merylmatt · 6/10 · 11 May 2011]

A lot of people who commit crimes are caught because they are stupid. Many others get away with crime. The folks in this movie fall into the first group. In this sense, the movie is frustrating, because you want to yell at the characters - don't do that! How can you be so stupid!

I won't give away the ending, but I thought it was rather complicated and convoluted. I thought the acting was solid, little bit slow in some parts, but that accentuates the action. The moral of the story is pretty clear - suburbanites do not make good criminals. If you're going to be a bad guy, you have to be all in. Oh, and it pays to watch CSI before committing crimes. At least you'll have some ideas of what not to do.

A good video/rental movie. Not the best of its genre, but certainly not the worst.

dull, dark and ordinary

[billybob49 · 3/10 · 9 February 2010]

I was incredibly disappointed in this film - I had high hopes for the brothers Edgerton after seeing a couple of their short films over the years.

It's easy to see why "The Square" didn't reach an audience : a no name cast, who are pretty average (David Roberts one dimensional acting belongs in the cast of "Satisfaction" as a john), gummy cinematography and a dull plot of double crosses and turns that don't do more than serve as deus ex machina moments. It's sort of a case of "this happens ... then someone does this...then someone else does that...etc etc". It's a long way from being tense & involving.

This isn't the Coens. The script needed more work and the shooting style, whilst functional, doesn't create any cinema moments.It would be watchable on TV maybe, but not a movie you'd pay $16.50 to watch on a big screen.

Go and rent "Noise" on DVD instead.

A Shaggy Dog and More!

[cheryllynecox-1 · 10/10 · 5 June 2010]

With cheap Christmas stuff coiled around most of it's Aussie edges, "The Square" was suspenseful and fun to watch. The stupidity of the main characters, like most film noir, set-up a nasty sequence of events that become complicated by twisted motives and coincidental plot developments. Our main character, Ray Yale, is as pathetic as his mistress, Carla Smith, is desperate, and we know that they're both going to suffer some heavy consequences for their selfishness. Still, we hardly imagine that so much is going to go so brilliantly wrong.

The director, Nash Edgerton, must have enjoyed playing with all the production values of "The Square" as much as his brother, Joel, enjoyed writing the story upon which the screenplay evolved. I mean, really, can anyone think of a better name for a contemporary interpreter of the genre than a chap named Nash Edgerton? Not only did we get the usual dark images and sweaty brows, but Edgerton was also able to provide a shaggy dog and a baby, too! "The Square" is a film that should entertain most people who enjoy the film noir genre.

A Dog Named Metaphor

[Aristides-2 · 4/10 · 19 November 2010]

When the dog got killed I laughed, soft-hearted dog lover that I am, because the Dog was standing in for the Square. (And what a dog! Able to race through neighborhoods, swim a river and then run through yet another neighborhood to find his cutie!) Come to think of it, the two owners of the dogs, in the opening sequence, while hooking up, had both dogs in the same car. Maybe the director's cut will open on the two dogs having a go of it and then pan over to Ray and Carla getting it on.

But seriously..... By not showing a compelling reason, other than sex, in even one scene, I had increasing difficulty over Ray's willingness to dump everything for the sake of his sex mate. And jumping to the end of the movie, after a badly staged scene of Carla getting killed.....and the camera-on-a-crane showing a disconsolate and bloody Ray walking down the street away from the carnage, one is supposed to say 'tsk-tsk' poor guy. But I didn't have any sympathy for either Carla or Ray at that point. How do you sympathize with characters who have little character and who you don't like?

Other more technical annoyances were a couple of impenetrable accents and also poor casting choices which made it confusing to know who was who.

Why did Lenny steal the generator? And what did he have on Ray?

It also wasn't enough to kill, in a road accident, the suspicious foreman but the writers had to also place an infant in the vehicle.

After a break in, wouldn't the obvious thing to happen, with all the materials lying around, be the hiring of a security guard?

And pray tell how did the boss-of-bosses and the law know about the blackmailing? More important, how were they going to resolve the serious breach of the law that they were involved in?

There really were more silly things gathering along the way but you get the idea.....

Lingering doubts...

[poe426 · 7/10 · 25 August 2014]

I tend to have a problem with films that, in lieu of a third act, opt for a shootout to resolve things. That's exactly what happens in THE SQUARE. The film overall is very well made, with some solid performances (I was especially fond of Claire van der Boom, although I must confess that that probably has more to do with the fact that she's really, really easy on the eyes), but the aforementioned "resolution" leaves a bad aftertaste. And whatever happened to Yale's wife? She's quite literally a background fixture who simply fades away at some point, never to be seen or heard from again. One would think that THAT would've been an integral part of the big picture. (WHY did Yale have an affair? Was his wife a shrew? Did she make him feel like a necrophiliac?) There are just too many unanswered questions that linger in the air once this one's done.