Midnight Special

A beautiful, touching story. Nice performances. Fascinating subject. And a seductive theory, Enough for a real good film about parenthood and special child, interest of secret services fabulous truth and happiness. A film for a real precise target.

Nichols is a gifted filmmaker. Both "Take Shelter" and "Mud" were special movies, stories that allowed complex characters to be sucked into intense drama within real settings. And the first 2/3 of this movie felt like it was heading the same way, from the fundamentalist kickoff to the surreal twists. Unfortunately, it just did not stick the landing. Too many unanswered questions and too many cliche sci fi moments. I wanted more than just an homage to 80s Spielberg flicks, but the emotional payoff was lacking here.

This reminded me of a couple of films, namely Close Encounters and Starman, but with everything good about them ripped out, thrown on the floor and stamped on.

What remained was an overall joyless experience as two sullen, largely monosyllabic mumbling men drove a kid with glowing eyes home for two hours. Of course they had a couple of hurdles to overcome but at no point do you think "Oh no, they're not going to get the glowing eyed kid home". Where previously films of this oeuvre have employed wit, humanity and a sense of wonder to fabulous effect the director of this sullen dross did little other than smash you repeatedly in the face shouting "I AM SERIOUS, I AM IMPORTANT" by making the repetitive turgid soundtrack blare progressively louder and louder. It was bombastic pseudo-intellectual rubbish masquerading as serious cinema.

Just because everyone looks miserable and hardly anyone says anything doesn't automatically make something good. You have to have talent to pull that off and make people care about your morose protagonists despite themselves. Whereas the only comparable thing this nonsense succeeded in doing was making me like a guy from the NSA, basically because he was the only one who seemed capable of speaking in entire sentences and looking slightly interested in what was going on.

I'd rather be forced to sit and watch E.T over and over again Clockwork Orange style for a week than expose myself to this inane garbage again. And I hate E.T.

I really enjoyed most of the movie thanks to the mystery factor, the actors who all play well - may it be the main or the supporting roles or the almost flawless production.

But there's so much build-up for something minor. Potential is definitely there, but disappointing in total.

This movie has many strong facets:

• Good performances from all the actors
• Beautifully shot
• Decent pace
• Interesting them/plot
• Brilliant soundtrack

The movie is set up well in the first 1/3. It keeps it hanging at 2/3. It convinces you that a profound message / reveal is imminent.

But then the final 3/3 fails to achieve that in the way that 'Arrival' or 'Signs' did. I know those are great movies and it's unfair to make a comparison. But when such an emphasis is placed on a reveal, you better think of something good. And it's in this area that the writers are guilty of laziness and/or lack of imagination.

Would give it a 6.5 if I could.