Contrecoups

This was a very hit and miss film for a lot I believe, some will love it and others will hate it. Unlucky for you lot I'm sat on the fence here. It has some really good positives, but it's equalled out by the negatives.

Positives: as the title says the actors absolutely carried this film. As I'll discuss a little later, the film lacks in depth and these actors really managed to sell their characters with the little they had, honestly brilliant performances from the 3. The cinematography throughout was immense as well, brilliant shots as it went on.

Okay what didn't I like: the biggest issue which most people will hate is the pacing of the film. It's really really slow. You could leave the room for 15 mins, come back and be at the exact same point. Ultimately I don't feel there was enough plot wise to make a film, so it was extremely slow.

The character depth was non existent. The actors did an amazing job of illustrating the character traits, but ultimately we know sod all about them so it's quite difficult to gain an emotional connection to any. Why is Jason Segal robbing this house? If he was doing it for his child or something we could picture him as a good guy even though he's doing a bad thing. But nah, plot gives us absolutely nothing. It's trying to add this element of mystery, but goes too far for me.

The ending. Again, I feel some might like and some won't. For me it's an okay ending, but very underwhelming. I understand the chain of events as it makes sense for said character, but it still was just really underwhelming and doesn't really solve much. They could have done so much more and instead they tried to do something really off the cuff as not a lot happens up until the end.

Ultimately I feel this film had good potential, but the poor pacing of the film really ruins it. You have here 3 amazing actors putting in a right shift, but they have so little to work with it the plot falls flat. I alluded earlier but they needed more, there simply wasn't enough here to get a film out of it.

Having said that I did somewhat enjoy it, mainly for the character performances and I was sat there for the whole film wondering what will happen and how will it end. So I guess the film maintains a mild tension. But I can't give above a 5/10 on this. It's maybe worth watching if you're bored, but I wouldn't recommend to my mates if I'm honest.

I was hooked on home-invasion thrillers as far back as Straw Dogs. Since then, I've read Flannery O'Connor's stories relishing the outsider, who usually changes things for her and seen Hard Candy. Because of the home-imprisoning pandemic, I'm ready for a new serving of terror right in my own home. Enter minimalist Windfall from Netflix.

"Nobody" (Jason Segel), a drifter who commandeers wealthy vacation homes while the owners are away, invades the home of "CEO" (Jesse Plemons) and "Wife" (Lily Collins) somewhere in the remote Southwest, where its isolation suits the danger of the invasion. Oops, the couple comes home early.

Unlike most films in this subgenre, Windfall has little violence, whereby the implicit danger is amplified by being ever present underneath it all. Befitting a tyrannical CEO with little humane orientation, he is up for negotiating their release after Nobody takes them hostage and demands ransom. Although Wife is already imprisoned by her husband's wealth and megalomania, she contradicts his outlandish terms and generally reviles him for his ego's endangering them.

Meanwhile, Nobody is trying to understand CEO's obtuseness and almost amused by the couple's lack of connection to each other. In other words, Windfall is about character and what is revealed under stress. No one comes off well, but you can tell the abductor is a better person than the husband. As for the title, the cash Nobody demands and gets could be a "windfall," but I suspect the character revelations qualify even more.

Wife plays a pivotal part in the outcome; you will have to see this Netflix thriller to experience the twist. You may identify with the characters whose fates slowly unfold as a result of their character, but not quickly and with little help from the mese en scene. Fate fits character but not obviously or quickly.

A fun date night unless you're like the ego-centric CEO.

This movie could have been a good short movie of 25 minutes duration as only last 10 Minutes and initial 15 minutes are important . Rest of the time is just filler. It is not near to any Hitchcock movie other than music part of it. In case you have watched all good movies and you have nothing to watch than give it a try or otherwise skip it. But is timepass movie.

It starts off with kind of a wacky, Coen Brothers energy and then turns into a much darker thriller. It's an intriguing premise and I liked the cast, but it feels a bit undercooked.

Things happen that don't have proper buildup or explanation and some of the logic is a bit iffy. It's interesting, however it can really drag with some of the long, awkward staring into space scenes. It's definitely not the best Netflix film, but far from the worst.

As "Windfall" (2022 release; 92 min.) opens, a man is walking around a southern property. It quickly becomes apparent that the man is in fact robbing the property. Just as he is about to finish up, a couple arrives at the property. It's not long before the man is found out and he takes the couple hostage... At this point we are 10 min into the film.

Couple of comments: this is the latest movie from director Charlie McDowell ("The Discovery"). Here he brings a barebones hostage drama that seems appropriate for the times in which it was made: smack in the middle of the pandemic. Hence only 4 actors (the three mentioned earlier, plus the gardener in a limited appeareance), and one single location. At times this very much feels like a theater play. Once the story line is set, nothing much really happens (until the very end, that is) and instead we get to know the personalities. Is the robber really a bad guy? And what of the ultra-rich CEO? Is the hostage drama causing a rift in the marriage? All three lead performances are good, in particular Jesse Plemons as the CEO. Lily Collins (a/k/a Mrs. Charlie McDowell in real life) plays the role of the wife. Jason Segel )playing the robber) is also credited as the film's co-writer. The film's overall minimalist approach reminded me more than once of Steven Soderbergh's work. Bottom line: this movie is nothing earth-shattering but still worth checking out.

"Windfall" premiered on Netflix this weekend. If you are in the mood for a barebones hostage drama with a theater-like feeling to it and starring some solid acting performances, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.