Gilmour93

Too bad about Cage. Even the poster, where he looks like he's in pain from a wisdom tooth on the top right, should have warned me. Even if, in a state of confusion, I convinced myself that the clever plan of his character was reasonably well-scripted, the form in which it was shot completely repels me. The jerky camera, random cuts, occasional disorienting pans, and one of Nicolas's over-the-top grimaces when the words "naked, tortured, and dismembered" are spoken. He’s that acting cockroach in a one-star hotel called Misery.

The indomitable niece of the Mayor of Rivendell against the patients of the burn center and the cult of campers who silently worship them while swaying like old Bruno. Aside from a brief Esperanto lesson, there’s not much talking, so the slightly tired viewer risks dozing through the fragmented narrative. Yes, it’s that exciting in the Estonian mixed forests, and the ending with a machete, a meat cleaver, and a hoofed creature in a swaddle doesn’t change much about the situation.

The hitman Trintignant, acting as if it’s his first week on the job (which is later explained) vs. the hitman Scheider, acting as if he’s been in the business for about a month longer (which is never explained). The music sounds like Mr. Spock tuning a transistor radio on the Enterprise (and he actually appeared on TV there shortly after), a harsh slap to one small Watchman, a forced inclusion of the female element, and a slightly morbid finale where the coffin is clearly shot with blanks. One might think the most interesting aspect would be the clash between the two main characters, but attention gradually shifted to how Jacques Deray's hastily made film managed to capture the vibe of a Californian metropolis.