Edward Norton makes interesting movie choices and I enjoy watching his work. Leaves of Grass is a unique story about the contrasts & bonds between brothers. The lovely Keri Russell plays her part beautifully. Overall, the acting in this movie (which begins somewhat stiff) slowly grows into quite a performance. You can tell everyone involved in the story put their heart into the movie.
And that's why I feel the last 10 minutes of the movie deserved to be polished a bit more. After an emotional soul-searching moment, the movie (at precisely 1hr25min) takes a weird turn to left-field, leaving me feeling rather lost. Even the directing style seems different, using a shaky predictable style usually used in movie dream sequences. In fact, I initially believed the sequence was supposed to be the character's dream, since it appeared so predictable, unbelievable and weak.
After recovering from this, the movie gets back on track just in time to finish on a sweet, soft tone. And just then - in the final shot in the movie - the acting because stiff again. Primarily because the director ends the movie with a long, signature sequence that required the actors to sit stiff, as if posing in a high school play. For that final shot, I would prefer the director had used less fancy film work and instead allowed the actors to finish the film in genuine sweetness.
And that's why I feel the last 10 minutes of the movie deserved to be polished a bit more. After an emotional soul-searching moment, the movie (at precisely 1hr25min) takes a weird turn to left-field, leaving me feeling rather lost. Even the directing style seems different, using a shaky predictable style usually used in movie dream sequences. In fact, I initially believed the sequence was supposed to be the character's dream, since it appeared so predictable, unbelievable and weak.
After recovering from this, the movie gets back on track just in time to finish on a sweet, soft tone. And just then - in the final shot in the movie - the acting because stiff again. Primarily because the director ends the movie with a long, signature sequence that required the actors to sit stiff, as if posing in a high school play. For that final shot, I would prefer the director had used less fancy film work and instead allowed the actors to finish the film in genuine sweetness.