So, I am on record as not liking Hanks. I tend to find his whole schtick to be tired, tedious and dull. He's always the good 'ole boy. Even in roles he's supposed to be... Less good, he doesn't quite manage and then I think of things like Elvis where he was meant to be the villain and he may as well have been twirling a mustache the whole time.
BUT! Leo is usually amazing, he brings an edge and intensity to things that I really enjoy. Throw in the fact that this movie has been highly praised by a lot of people with opinions I tend to heed, I figured why not. And, I was pleasantly surprised. Maybe it's because this is really Leo's movie and Hanks is just chasing after him, the Coyote to his Road Runner. Maybe it's the fascinating questions of morality, of good and evil, right and wrong as it relates to our upbringing. Was Leo really a bad person? He'd been raised this way his whole life, taught that this was the way to do things, the way to succeed, to be validated. By the time he reached consequences, he was too deep to stop, he was too far gone. Or is the onus forever on him? Should he have spurned the upbringing and tried to fit into societal norms? He wasn't really hurting anyone, but it was still against the rules laid out. This kind of discourse, this ethical and psychological question that the movie raises is what draws me in.
It was a good watch. Not a single regret. Not gonna be an all-timer for me, but still very good. Leo counteracts most of Hanks' mediocrity, and even that is a touch more lively here. It's a little... All over the place at times, but beyond that I think it's a solid recommend. Glad I saw the Steelbook a while back, 100% worth buying this one.
BUT! Leo is usually amazing, he brings an edge and intensity to things that I really enjoy. Throw in the fact that this movie has been highly praised by a lot of people with opinions I tend to heed, I figured why not. And, I was pleasantly surprised. Maybe it's because this is really Leo's movie and Hanks is just chasing after him, the Coyote to his Road Runner. Maybe it's the fascinating questions of morality, of good and evil, right and wrong as it relates to our upbringing. Was Leo really a bad person? He'd been raised this way his whole life, taught that this was the way to do things, the way to succeed, to be validated. By the time he reached consequences, he was too deep to stop, he was too far gone. Or is the onus forever on him? Should he have spurned the upbringing and tried to fit into societal norms? He wasn't really hurting anyone, but it was still against the rules laid out. This kind of discourse, this ethical and psychological question that the movie raises is what draws me in.
It was a good watch. Not a single regret. Not gonna be an all-timer for me, but still very good. Leo counteracts most of Hanks' mediocrity, and even that is a touch more lively here. It's a little... All over the place at times, but beyond that I think it's a solid recommend. Glad I saw the Steelbook a while back, 100% worth buying this one.