Good, in a low-key way. For a Best Picture winner, it never really rises to exceptional heights, but remains consistently engaging and entertaining throughout. Most of the appeal rides with the work of the leads; Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen come through with strong work that raises the bar high enough to create an admirable if not standout piece of cinema. I suspect the movie's success was augmented greatly by its civil rights theme, but I think that angle actually lessens the film's appeal; the moralizing makes it more of an exercise in virtue-signaling rather than entertainment. If you let that aspect slide and look a little closer, maintaining focus on the core relationship for its own sake, that makes for a much more satisfying viewing experience. All in all, not an all-time great, but certainly worth one's time.
No comments:
Post a Comment