MovieChat Forums > Control (2005) Discussion > Predictably Underrated

Predictably Underrated

posted 20 years ago by Infoman45
11 replies | jump to latest

I loved this film. A lot.

It's a tale about redemption and the triumph of the human spirit even beyond the point of no return.

I found it very touching in some key moments, in fact.

No, I'm not condoning his crimes, and I don't find criminal violence touching, but I *AM* condoning his redemption. The main character in this film gave life an honest try, after living in hatred for so long.

***spoilers***

When he first broke down into tears and felt remorse for his crimes, and when he went so far as to TRAVEL TO THE HOUSE OF THE PERSON HE VICTIMIZED IN ORDER TO APOLOGIZE AND OFFER TO HELP.

That takes a LOT of courage. And it blew my mind.

Think about how many people that *YOU* have hurt, and how many of them YOU would travel a great distance just to apologize in person?

Think about that.

This film actually EXCEEDED my expectations.

I even shed a tear at one point.

Even though this film will not be recognized as such, I think it's a very important story of second chances, with a strong moral message that is sorely lacking in modern cinema.

Anyone else agree with me here?

[–] artsay 20 years ago

As I have written in other threads there are some good ideas.. but they are not developed. You say there is a message.. great! But why dont they research it more? Liotta and Dafoe could spent more time together just talking.. like Spacey and Bridges in K-PAX.. and I bet it would be interesting to listen.. to see them learning each other.. but obviously it would require harder work from writers.. Instead there included 3rd class storylines about some mobster and his killed nephiew.. some freaking brother of ex-victim.. this is cheap.

[–] orumph 20 years ago

I agree. This movie could have been a lot better. I understand charicter development, but this was poorly done. Dialog was 3rd rate. It doesn't take much imagination for many of the scenes in this movie. They had first rate actors with a cheap/crappy script.

It seems these days, anyone with half a brain can get a movie produced.
It's really sad.

******
Hollywood is an overworked wHore that needs to be tossed in a dumpster.

[–] moviecollector 20 years ago

This still was a very good movie & should have gone to theatres, since so much crap has been relased so far. :(
This movie is so much better than most of the crap out now.

[–] aloep 20 years ago

It caught my attention and kept it which is at least worth something. However, by the end of it I really felt like I wanted more from it. First thing that got me was why did they relocate him in an area not near where he originally lived? Treating it like the witness protection program would have been far more convincing. The romance with Michelle Rodriguez's character had potential to be something interesting, but ended up going nowhere. And the twist towards the end was interesting, but it just didn't convince me. And last but not least, this movie was filmed in Sofia, Bulgaria and often you see something which doesn't belong in the USA. Mainly the buildings, but also European cars pop up from time to time. It's by Millenium Films who were formerly known as NuImage and have been on the B-movie scene for some time, and are almost like the new Golan-Globus (Cannon). Both are from Israel and one of the Millenium/NuImage producers (Boaz Davidson) started off working with Cannon.

[–] artsay 20 years ago

I agree about things that do not belong to USA. I have been both to Bulgaria and to USA. Liotta's appartement, shop where he bought a gun, some streets.. it was really annoying.

[–] BigRich 18 years ago

I agree. This movie could have been a lot better. I understand charicter development, but this was poorly done. Dialog was 3rd rate. It doesn't take much imagination for many of the scenes in this movie. They had first rate actors with a cheap/crappy script.

That is probably why it went straight to video. It wasn't that bad of a movie.

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"I have the energy of a bear who has the energy of two bears!"

[–] sadize 19 years ago

I wish I could agree with you, but I'm posting this as the movie plays. Good plot, idea, but just not keeping my interest. Putting him in the area he committed crimes in was not brilliant, letting the Russian mafia & the victims brother find him even though they have no reason to believe he is alive did not make sense. And thinking a deviant criminal would fall for the placebo effect isn't something I can buy into. Placebos would only work if the person taking them believes in them or wants them to work. Neither fit his character. William and Ray were both good, I’ll give you that.

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] The_Core 19 years ago

I agree with you (the original poster) 100%, and I'm very glad to find someone else who liked the film as much as I did. Thought the very ending was unnecessary and distracted from the overall impact, but I gave this film an easy 8/10.

[–] SeriouslyMike 17 years ago

You're damn right, dude. I gave it 8/10 and I'll put a review together when I can be arsed. Now it's 1AM and I gotta get up to work in the morning.

Mike Sterling
Stupid movies can be fun...But not all of them.

[–] 17 years ago

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