McCarthy's body of work is stacking up and it is moving him into the neighborhood of all-time great film directors/screenwriters - If his only film was 'Spotlight', that would be enough, but 'Stillwater' just adds to his growing portfolio of brilliant work that also includes the endearing indie film-festival favorite 'The Station Agent'.
Stillwater is a difficult film to watch...a film that resonates a theme that "life is brutal" cannot be confused on any level as a feel good film, although there are some moments when that is the direction it seems to be headed.
Under the surface of this story flows tragedy, and a feeling of inevitable sadness unfolds out of truth as the film progresses. This is not a typical story you will find captured in movies. McCarthy was brave to take on this project and the film stays with you in a way I cannot recall ever feeling after seeing a movie, outside of an Ingmar Bergman film (never easy to digest).
The acting was excellent - subtle, invisible, believable (certainly not a Bergman film trait). McCarthy has a way of connecting with actors that allows their craft to rise to the occasion of the scene and the story with total buy-in, evidenced by Damon delivering one of his greatest dramatic performances. It's like this in every one of McCarthy films. Perhaps Tom is leaning on his days as an actor, or his unique screenwriting methods (McCarthy wrote the parts specifically for each of the three lead actors in The Station Agent), but whatever he is doing, it is working REALLY well.
McCarthy's truly special filmmaking prowess was realized by many when 'Spotlight' was released in 2015 (best film of the past 25 years imo). Even at a relatively young age, his work points to filmmaking genius - without any reliance upon special effects or even Hitchcockian filmmaking techniques taught in film school (at least not noticeable).
Few achieve this level of film craft by seemingly just turning on a camera and pointing it at actors, and that is sometimes what it feels like - being put in the same place as real people and being able to just watch the moments unfold. Perhaps that is one of his greatest film-making "tricks".
Brevity in scenes is also one of his trademarks - just the right amount of time - not dwelling too long nor going too quickly - this cannot be as easy to do as it sounds - McCarthy does this really well. His brilliant editing prowess has always been a strength, and in this film allows one to be encased in a story that could easily run 3 hours, but comes in at 2 hours 20 minutes. His efficiency is amazing.
This movie does NOT neatly tie up the story in a Hollywood bow, and that is clearly by intent. Reading some other reviews, I can understand why that may lead to giving this film a low rating.
But have we not seen those movies a hundred times before? Stillwaters (and secrets) run deep, and sometimes what we find when digging a hole is not what we expected when we first started out.
Life indeed can be both beautiful AND brutal. This film illustrates that paradox. Just be prepared for something atypical with Stillwater, and Matt Damon with an Okie drawl.
