I think this film had the right essence-- Stiller's performance was solid, as well as his directing. Soundtrack and cinematography were top notch as well.
Problem Areas: Definitely writing and supporting acting (not Sean Penn, who was very good).
I thought it was Fantastic in the areas you said and in the supporting roles were really great as well. Just MO , and we all have our own but I truly thought this was the best movie of 2013 .
THERES NO ROOM IN MY CIRCUS TENT FOR YOU !!!!
I agree with mpboy: This movie is very good.
That's because I went in still considering Stiller one of the "One Trick Ponies," along with Adam Sandler and Jim Carey.
But, I think he did a good job on this redo, remake, re-imagining...whatever you wanna call it. It"s pretty damn solid all the way round.
I agree. Overall, I enjoyed this movie the first time I watched it (and still enjoy watching it whenever I notice it on HBO). The problem is the movie is like its main character: lacks focus. While I understand the nature of the character as a daydreamer, those scenes were almost the least important and least interesting, to me.
I don't know why, but I liked the checkbook as a storytelling device. Watching Walter examine his depleted funds, thanks to excursions and whatnot, worked for me on a weird level. I also enjoyed the encounters he made with new people everywhere he went. We saw Walter grow and learn to be a different person.
Where this movie gets tangled up is it can't decide if it's action, comedy, drama, romance, road movie or what. It felt like we kept stumbling into a different genre from one scene to the next, losing any emotional thread it had going for it. For example: I never felt any chemistry between Walter and the Kristen Wiig character. That never connected to me. I felt Walter connected with people better during his travels.
Still, there's something inspiring about it.
The problem is the movie is like its main character: lacks focus. While I understand the nature of the character as a daydreamer, those scenes were almost the least important and least interesting, to me.The same problem with me.
For example: I never felt any chemistry between Walter and the Kristen Wiig character. That never connected to me. I felt Walter connected with people better during his travels.A big issue for me. In a long movie, the 2 leads just don't spend enough time together to establish any chemistry. Walter is always heading off into another one of his daydream and/or real life adventures. The film lacks a solid emotional platform, especially in terms of even a "lite" romantic comedy.🐭