Anemone

Daniel Day-Lewis once again proves why he is regarded as one of the greatest actors of our time. His performance in Anemone is nothing short of transformative-every glance, gesture, and line delivery feels lived-in and deeply human. He embodies his character with a rare intensity that pulls the audience in and refuses to let go, making even the quietest scenes resonate with meaning. It's a masterclass in restraint and power, and it's hard to imagine anyone else bringing this role to life with such depth.

As for the film itself, Anemone is a visually compelling and often moving piece of cinema. The direction and atmosphere are rich, and the story carries genuine emotional weight. That said, the pacing at times feels uneven, and the narrative doesn't fully capitalize on its potential. The plot could have benefited from being more layered and interconnected, with stronger ties between its themes and characters. It's still a strong film that lingers in your mind, but there's a sense that with tighter storytelling and more complexity, it could have reached even greater heights.

Movie is character-driven & slower paced w basically no action, so if that's not your forte you definitely won't like this movie.

What they'll fail to tell you is that DDL cowrote the script w his son. It's Ronin's director debut so obviously gonna have some rough edges, but for a first, it's really good. Ignore anyone complaining about nepotism, they just mad their dad isn't mf Daniel Day Lewis.

I saw it today at the premiere nights festival in Athens. I must admit that I was influenced by the comments I saw on the internet for so long and expected that I would not like this film. But the exact opposite happened, I left the theater satisfied. I'm not saying the film doesn't have its problems, it certainly suffers from some strange choices in the editing and some repeating patterns in the direction, which involves calm then tension and ends up calm again, with the dialogue often working as exposition. Beyond that, however, it is a film with character in which it seems that the director has the courage to follow his vision to the end, without compromising and with some nice script choices. What really stands out in the film, however, is its beautiful cinematography, where every shot is a painting (which makes sense as Ronan himself said he was a painter once). The movie also has a great soundtrack and I think it goes without saying how awesome and unique Daniel Day Lewis is, with also very good performances from Sean Bean and Samantha Morton. In general, it's a film that needs attention as will the director in the future.

I was hopeful at the start, with its stunning scenery and immediate tension, but that promise quickly faded during the mostly dialogue-free first act. The eventual monologues are delivered well as expected but never pull me into the plot, and the tortoise pacing makes the runtime feel much longer than it is. It's a half hour too long.

This one is somber. It's subdued, it's full of emotion and hinges on the mystery of what makes someone "bad." There's a complex level of surrealism to everything that happens. The soundtrack lulls you into almost a comfort, while the dialogue keeps you on edge.

It's a beautiful film, too. The long shots are stunning. There's this wonderful mix of natural vs hyper-realized environments. Sometimes, you're left wondering how true the scene you just saw was. It doesn't hold your hand. There's things the audience has to figure out as the movie goes on. How true is the dialogue? How truthful is the main character onto himself? How much are we meant to question?

It's not a perfect movie. It does feel like a "first" for this director, which it is. That's not a bad thing, by any means. I think it's a great introduction to his career and I'm excited to see where he goes within the next 10 years. The acting is good, but maybe it's not the very forefront of the movie. I thought it would be. I mean, it's Daniel Day-Lewis, and of course he nails it. Sean Bean also does. However, there are some scenes that leave you breathless with just how impactful the language is, yet the core of the movie feels like it's environments. The isolation. The storms. The music that accompanies it all.

Overall, a very good film. A little slow, and it feels small, but it's not trying to be huge. It's surrealism in a bottle, and I like that quite a lot.