I watched this movie over two days and two monitors, so it’s not my most lucid or well-attended viewing experience. Good movie though!
- You know, I say “good movie,” but not for someone who’s put off by some truly despicable language. Just a blanket content warning here.
- I’ve never watched a movie exactly like this, in which narration from the book the movie’s adapted from intercedes between acts. Probably I would mind, except that the writing was rock solid. A great advertisement for said book. My favorite line: “He read auguries in the snarled intestines of chickens, or the blow of cat hair released to the wind. And the omens promised bad luck, which moated and dungeoned him.”
- Speaking of lucidity, I wasn’t generally all there in 2007 on account of being like eight years old. The cast of this movie really surprised me! I don’t know if this was the it-crowd of 2000s mid-budget things, but it was a strong showing. I actually like Brad Pitt quite a lot, plus Sam Rockwell and Garret Dillahunt (who was very busy that year). Casey Affleck was a highlight, particularly as the character of Bob Ford. Paul Schneider was (intentionally?) creepy. Plus the Zooey Deschanel jump scare at the end rocked me, I had to triple check that it was actually her.
- It lasted like 30 minutes too long. I mean, I suppose the film was bound by the real events it represented, but I think the story could’ve been a little less literal. It did such a good job of making me hate Bob Ford that I felt cheated when they tried to let him win me back.