Bill Baker (Matt Damon) is one of the struggling underclass living in Stillwater, Oklahoma. His oil rig job is gone and he's doing a lowly cleanup job after a tornado. He's respectful to everybody, has two guns, and prays before every meal. Money is tight. He was a bad absentee father but he travels to Marseille, France to visit his daughter Allison (Abigail Breslin) who is in prison for murdering her girlfriend. She claims to be innocent. Bill has a suspect but no one is willing to help. He befriends a young girl named Maya and her mother Virginie (Camille Cottin) helps him as his translator.
First, the elephant in the room is the complaint by Amanda Knox. She's entitled to her feelings and I'm sure that it feels bad to have other people take advantage of her story. While this story has some similarities, there are big differences from her story. In addition, this is the father's story more than the daughter's story. Amanda may feel exploited but at best, she is the starting inspiration for the writing of this story.
The most compelling aspect is to make this MAGAian character as a sympathetic lead. The world is grinding him down but he still struggles on. He is Sisyphus. Their mantra becomes Life is Brutal. For the movie's first 2/3, his struggling to save his daughter is very compelling. His friendship with Maya is very sweet. The better way to wrap this up would be a sweet tragic turn with Maya. The turn it actually does is too convenient, too setup by the movie, and the movie had moved on. It clashes but I'm willing to live with it until the further twist comes. The twist is a real problem and it retroactively destroys some of the movie's first 2/3. Breslin would be acting differently and her explanation is a little light. It screws up an otherwise great movie.
First, the elephant in the room is the complaint by Amanda Knox. She's entitled to her feelings and I'm sure that it feels bad to have other people take advantage of her story. While this story has some similarities, there are big differences from her story. In addition, this is the father's story more than the daughter's story. Amanda may feel exploited but at best, she is the starting inspiration for the writing of this story.
The most compelling aspect is to make this MAGAian character as a sympathetic lead. The world is grinding him down but he still struggles on. He is Sisyphus. Their mantra becomes Life is Brutal. For the movie's first 2/3, his struggling to save his daughter is very compelling. His friendship with Maya is very sweet. The better way to wrap this up would be a sweet tragic turn with Maya. The turn it actually does is too convenient, too setup by the movie, and the movie had moved on. It clashes but I'm willing to live with it until the further twist comes. The twist is a real problem and it retroactively destroys some of the movie's first 2/3. Breslin would be acting differently and her explanation is a little light. It screws up an otherwise great movie.