djbattick

The story of my great great grandfather- James Murray. The book is a difficult read, however the film manages to capture all of it's intricacies, and displays them in a powerful, moving fashion. The acting is seamless, with Sean Penn surely pulling off a career best performance. It's a shame they messed around so much with the release- it's a story that should be shared and appreciated by more.

I always try to base my judgement of a film, on how much it can bring forth my emotions. The more a film can invoke my feelings the; whether that be love, fear or joy. That is what makes a movie great. I have stuck to that rule my whole life, and whether I am feeling in awe at another Nolan epic, or pure bitter frustration at sharknado 13, I have never stumbled across a single film to which I can make an exception.

That was in fact until I embarked on the journey known as "sorry to bother you".

This film is strange. I mean, reallyyy strange. A dystopian reality is constructed, using cheerful and colourful, mise-en-scene, picture and sound; as a poorly crafted mask to cover the dark undertones which hide in plain sight. The acting? Seamless. The humour? Hilarious. The plot? A positive unorthodox. And yet what emotion of mine does this film invoke? Misery.

The alternative reality conjured is so surreal, yet so real. The psychopathic nature of every single aspect of this creation bears all too many similarities to the world we too live in. So hyperbolized, so ridiculous, but still so true. Immediately after whatching this film I had to call my best friend, just to hear a sane voice, as even the one in my own head was failing to provide me that comfort.

This film does exactly what it sets out to do, it does so in stupendous fashion. And yet, I hated it. I recommended that none of my friends watch it. Though smiling throughout, my overall emotion was of such discomfort, that I really did not want anybody to go through the same. This is the best worst film I have ever seen. My rating has fluctuated from 4-10 throughout the writing of this review. But here you have it. 7/10. My final answer, a mediocre score, for a far from mediocre film.

Every single element of this film is pure crafted genius. Hans Zimmer's soundtrack is perfection. The atmosphere generated is to die for, the picture is flawless. This film requires attentive viewers with more than one brain cell. This is probably why there are a fair few reviews complaining about the "lack of action", or "confusing plot". The fact is, this film has been meticulously planned and thought out. The theory all adds up within reason, so maybe the cynics should look more at their own lack in intellect, over Nolan's. There isn't a single scene that can be simply skipped to make for a quicker viewing. Every second builds the atmosphere, giving hints, making the viewer think, making the viewer feel. If you want an action thriller, go and watch transformers, but if you are willing to put down your phone, and spend 3hrs immersing yourself in to a truly amazing spectical, look no further than this film. The first and only film I will ever review. A true masterpiece. This review is being written years and years late, and I know nobody will probably read this, but upon my 6th time being left in awe at this film, I thought I had to make my opinion known. Absolutely Perfection