Don't Believe the Hype

As Good As It Gets

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

I was happy to see this sort of a cast to be part of this sort of a movie. I was impressed.It's a contemplative movie, such as La Grande Bellezza and the like. It doesn't have much of a plot, but the feelings expressed, the shots, the gentle suggestions make for an everlasting trip. I was calming to see how easy this movie made me at peace with myself, presenting a scenery of fear and anguish in a most profound way.It's true, it's either hate it or love it, it was certainly worth it for me. The actors' performances were brilliant, albeit minimal. I don't believe the protagonist utters more than 20 or 30 lines. But it's an atmosphere of endless flow and deep introspection. A great choice for personal reflection and meditative retreat.

As for me, this director is done. His last best film was 'The New World'. I don't know why someone keeps financing him. It is neither an art and message film, nor has any entertainment value. In one word, total-crap. All the above, these actors agreeing to do the roles. Definitely this director's films have received more boos at Cannes than any others. Not fit for film festivals, as well as theatrical releases. The surprise part was, I saw it. Even after I felt a similar way for his previous film.There's no story. Just a random acts. Even documentary films have a better narrative. Remember a film was being made by Willem Dafoe in the film 'Mr. Bean's Holiday', this is exactly the same film. Except there's no Mr. Bean/Atkinson here to make it a cheerful additional editing. It was like the director woke up in the morning and decided to do what he felt to shoot without a script.I dislike whispering background narration. It is like a lullaby, one might fall into sleep. Not just asleep, but a deep sleep. Direct dialogues between the characters are like an oasis in this film. If you have nothing to do and ready for a slow film, you should not consider it then too, because it is not a film, but a two hour long torture. Easily skippable film.1.5/10

Slick as an advertisement but what is it selling? Beautifully shot locations filled with pretty people? It isn't selling a compelling story. Turn down the sound and play your favorite music because that might make the beautiful images of a lonely man at the top more entertaining. I've always liked the tone TM creates but this one doesn't quite hit the mark.

After the failure of to the Wonder, I was hoping Terrence Malick wouldn't do the same kind of film, but he kind of did with Knight of Cups. It's the same kind of drawn out, dreamy film with only wide- angle shots and characters who seem incapable of tacking care of themselves.It's slightly better than To the Wonder, however. There is a much more interesting thread line throughout the film, and Christian Bale is infinitely more engaging than Ben Affleck (why someone like Terrence Malick would want to work with someone like Ben Affleck is beyond me).The film is more like an abstract visual poem than a conventional story. The protagonist is lost in life, and within different chapters of the film, must deal with how he relates to other people and the world around him. It's some real drama, but the strangeness and vague style of the film weighs too heavily and ends up taking away from its artistic credibility.I would recommend the film for Malick fans and general film fans. It's definitely interesting and different from most films, and will probably grow on me the more I see it.