Stone

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Myself

I think I got the wrong idea about this movie from the trailer. If they had said from the writer of Junebug and the director of The Painted Veil I might have been more on the right track because this is first and foremost a drama and a character piece. I wouldn't even say it was a thriller.

The misleading expectations I had for the film probably did it somewhat of a disservice because I really wasn't in the mood for what it was actually offering me. Robert De Niro and Edward Norton do fantastic work, they are always dependable. Milla Jovovich is on fire here, her work may have been my favourite, which in a film with Robert De Niro and Edward Norton, is as much of a surprise to me as it probably would be anyone else. I guess she just hasn't been in a straight drama for a long time or had a chance to show off her acting chops, but there are on full display here and she nails it. The great Frances Conroy is on hand as Robert De Niro's somewhat tragic wife and although she's not in the film much her character is probably the most interesting.

So the acting is all great, really great, but what about the rest of the film. Eh, well I didn't really understand what was going on in this one. There's a lot of vague religious references and some talk about fate and stuff like that and a smidgen of mind games and power play but to what end I don't really know. It is proficiently shot and executed I just think the script was a little lacking for my taste.