Cillian Murphy shows what great acting is in this strange, delicate, hard to label film. He plays one character with two distinct separate identities (and more than a few hints of a third) and it is almost impossible to believe either one is Cillian Murphy! From one scene to the next I'd swear his facial bone structure changes, so amazingly complete are his transformations.
For many the film will probably be too slow and carefully paced, and there are a few times when it did feel a little sluggish, but at no point did I ever feel I had a firm idea of where it was going, and I was so curious to find out. That sense of experiencing something completely unexpected is rare in motion pictures these days. Without being a traditional thriller there was considerable suspense, albeit of a more intellectual kind. And at no point were we subjected to cardboard cut-out characters or two dimensional plot-advancers, even in the smallest of roles.
It ends a little ambiguously, which is a momentary disappointment, until you realize that the notion of "mystery" is at the core of this film and leaving us to ponder what the future might hold for these people is perfectly in keeping with it. Ultimately, when it comes to human beings, nothing can be predicted, and you have to sometimes question every thing you think you know.
And can I mention again just how amazing Cillian Murphy is? This even eclipses Breakfast on Pluto (as a performance, but not the film as a whole).
For many the film will probably be too slow and carefully paced, and there are a few times when it did feel a little sluggish, but at no point did I ever feel I had a firm idea of where it was going, and I was so curious to find out. That sense of experiencing something completely unexpected is rare in motion pictures these days. Without being a traditional thriller there was considerable suspense, albeit of a more intellectual kind. And at no point were we subjected to cardboard cut-out characters or two dimensional plot-advancers, even in the smallest of roles.
It ends a little ambiguously, which is a momentary disappointment, until you realize that the notion of "mystery" is at the core of this film and leaving us to ponder what the future might hold for these people is perfectly in keeping with it. Ultimately, when it comes to human beings, nothing can be predicted, and you have to sometimes question every thing you think you know.
And can I mention again just how amazing Cillian Murphy is? This even eclipses Breakfast on Pluto (as a performance, but not the film as a whole).