ramair350

No spoilers here, but I watched the film last night with great anticipation. And I walked away feeling like I at least saw an unusual film with a unique story. At this point in life, it is hard for me to watch anything without feeling like I have seen something like it before. This film excels at being different from the rest for sure. The cast is incredible. All parts are well played and convincing.

So what is there not to like? Well, the first 30 minutes to me was captivating. But at some point, somehow the story feels like it goes off the rails (which yes I realize is the whole point of the movie to a degree). Tonally the movie suffers from trying to be funny, tragic, and uplifting, sometimes all at the same time. Some of the darkest movies can have funny moments, but there are straight up comedy bits (and yes the film is even categorized on my streaming service as a "comedy" and "drama").

While I 100% recommend the film to anyone who wants to take a glimpse into an unusual life, I have to shake my head at what was a bit of a wasted opportunity at true film greatness. I almost wish I had just stumbled into this film blindly, but I could not help but see the hype and awards it was racking up, which it turns out was a curse as it would have taken a perfect movie to be what I hoped. But I should be happy for getting to spend time with some really dynamic characters in what really is a good, not great, but good film.

This film has great performances. It is, well, creative. 5 year olds are also creative. And this film feels like it was dictated by a 5 year old kid while tripping on acid. I watched it in the 80s and did not like it. And then I gave it a full watch in 2024, and it was worse than ever. I enjoy art films, dramas, and a nice dose of Jackass is always fun. But I just am amazed how such a terrible movie could have such a large following. I will grant that the soundtrack is an excellent fun and fluttery score by Danny Elfman. There are some fun visuals. There is definitely some original filming techniques that are worthy of studying in film school. But ultimately, a horribly bad story sinks this ship for me.

I'm in an older Gen X demographic, and I can totally understand why younger generations would not connect with this material. I have been through relationships, marriage, divorce, and this drama is similar in many respects to events I have been through, and so I can appreciate the writing and characters a bit more than others would.

Having said that, straight up this is a solid 10 of 10 show for me. First of all, it is limited. The story will not drag out in the quest for more cash. There are seven solid episodes, and it is WELL worth the time invested to view.

No spoilers, but as the story progresses, you will see that there is a layer of complexity woven into the story that pays off the further you get down the journey of these characters. To put it plainly, what feels like a bit of a slower drama that is above average builds and builds until you cannot stop watching by the end.

I will leave it at that: adults that appreciate a good drama will be riveted and rewarded for viewing this. Enjoy!