With over 5,000 ratings and an overall rating of 7.2 here on IMDb, at the moment of writing, one would think this is going to be a good film. Normally, to get over 7.0 on this website is quite an achievement and demands attention. The only genre which doesn't do well on IMDb and is never a fair reflection of the quality of the film is 'Horror'. Anyway, this movie is labeled as being 'drama' and 'mystery'. For the latter, I would expect some tension and a bit of suspense. I am mistaken in regards to this film.
Firstly, a great performance by Duvall,and Murphy is competent as usual. The problem is that this film is such a slow pace and after the first 20 minutes you suspect where it is going. And it goes there, at an inexorable and tedious pace.
So, this review doesn't really contain spoilers because anyone with a brain will know immediately what is going to happen. And in a nutshell... Duvall is portrayed as a bad man but the audience don't know what he has done, although the way it is played you'd think he'd killed and eaten several children. As the movie drags on you realize that the denouement is going to be him opening his heart and telling an audience of doubters that actually - he did nothing wrong at all and his only motivation was 'love'. Yes - it slowly turns from a story of intrigue to one of sickly sentimentality, with the final shot of the film enough to make one vomit all over one's t-shirt.
It's a shame, as Duvall is great, but the lack of pace and the heaping on of the sugar does not suggest 'drama' or 'mystery' to me.
An extra note: Spacek is terrible. She has one expression throughout. Maybe all that chicken blood she endured in Carrie hampered her ability to act for the rest of her career.
Firstly, a great performance by Duvall,and Murphy is competent as usual. The problem is that this film is such a slow pace and after the first 20 minutes you suspect where it is going. And it goes there, at an inexorable and tedious pace.
So, this review doesn't really contain spoilers because anyone with a brain will know immediately what is going to happen. And in a nutshell... Duvall is portrayed as a bad man but the audience don't know what he has done, although the way it is played you'd think he'd killed and eaten several children. As the movie drags on you realize that the denouement is going to be him opening his heart and telling an audience of doubters that actually - he did nothing wrong at all and his only motivation was 'love'. Yes - it slowly turns from a story of intrigue to one of sickly sentimentality, with the final shot of the film enough to make one vomit all over one's t-shirt.
It's a shame, as Duvall is great, but the lack of pace and the heaping on of the sugar does not suggest 'drama' or 'mystery' to me.
An extra note: Spacek is terrible. She has one expression throughout. Maybe all that chicken blood she endured in Carrie hampered her ability to act for the rest of her career.