I saw that this film was nominated for the Academy Award, and I love David Oyelowo, so I was excited.
But wow, what a disappointment. The minutes before the catalyst for the story are completely banal and shot like a commercial that's a blatant manipulation to set you up for the death of his wife and daughter. The execution of their death scene is fraught with comical inserts and a bewildering choice by one of the characters and the circumstances feel like a totally different movie. It felt like it was only there to give it a boost of visceral appeal without any substance.
It doesn't get any better from there. It meanders and belabors the point his new profession is meant to make (living vicariously through others). The emotional stakes are non-existent because you know zero about him or his deceased wife and child. I want him to succeed in getting his life back because I'm a compassionate person that wants that for anyone. But the film creates zero compelling reasons why you should care about this particular person and his grief. He's an avatar we can just pour ourselves into, which is lazy writing.
The score played like a Hallmark movie and the song choice at the end is so on the nose that I actually laughed out loud. Plus, the ending seems to suggest that at any moment something serendipitous can happen that extinguishes your mental anguish and gets you back on track. That rings completely false for anyone that's actually experienced any real grief or loss.
The one saving grace is Oyelowo's performance, but even he's strained at times to keep the ship somewhat afloat given the quality of the writing. Still, he's a great talent that's always compelling to watch; hence the 2 stars instead of 1.
But wow, what a disappointment. The minutes before the catalyst for the story are completely banal and shot like a commercial that's a blatant manipulation to set you up for the death of his wife and daughter. The execution of their death scene is fraught with comical inserts and a bewildering choice by one of the characters and the circumstances feel like a totally different movie. It felt like it was only there to give it a boost of visceral appeal without any substance.
It doesn't get any better from there. It meanders and belabors the point his new profession is meant to make (living vicariously through others). The emotional stakes are non-existent because you know zero about him or his deceased wife and child. I want him to succeed in getting his life back because I'm a compassionate person that wants that for anyone. But the film creates zero compelling reasons why you should care about this particular person and his grief. He's an avatar we can just pour ourselves into, which is lazy writing.
The score played like a Hallmark movie and the song choice at the end is so on the nose that I actually laughed out loud. Plus, the ending seems to suggest that at any moment something serendipitous can happen that extinguishes your mental anguish and gets you back on track. That rings completely false for anyone that's actually experienced any real grief or loss.
The one saving grace is Oyelowo's performance, but even he's strained at times to keep the ship somewhat afloat given the quality of the writing. Still, he's a great talent that's always compelling to watch; hence the 2 stars instead of 1.