billthomas

Robert McKee says a screenwriter should spend 75% of effort on the last 25,% of the film, Why? Because everyone will judge your film by the way it finishes. He also says that if someone has done you the honour of buying a ticket for your film and goes out on a cold dark night and then you seduce them with a plot that captivates them so they believe in the story and the people, don't you dare let them down at the end. These quotes are not verbatim, it was a long time ago I had his 3 day lecture, but judging by the comments here and my own disappointment, nobody on this film has heard him speak.

A really good film disintegrated into cheap and lazy storytelling. I would love to have been a fly on the wall of the final script conference.. Did nobody in the room say the last 30 pages are pants?

I really enjoyed the bit I enjoyed - deep, beautifully balanced, well acted and filmed. I am glad I saw it. No doubt it will win Oscars. I was relieved when I came home and read the reviews and it's not just me hated the ending.

There are some very important, nay crucial, films to be made about the Catholic Church and this was nearly one of them.

Missed opportunity.

I thought it was a bit contrived and heavy on the schmaltz but a thoughtful, careful film laden with charm and a touch of insight. Worthy of it's Oscar nomination and good value for a fiver on Sky Cinema.

Paul Giamatti is a delight. He has a great engine and his energy comes from a deep, exciting place inside him. Define Joy Randolph is clever. Such a dignified, lovely characterization.

I am listening to the soundtrack on Spotify now because it's gorgeous.

I always think that to enjoy a book or a film you have to care about at least one person in it and believe what's happening and I really enjoyed The Holdovers - I suppose it just seemed overly sentimental and see the structure of the script was apparent.

There is a good movie to be made about the polarisation and aggression of US politics leading to civil war. This was not it. Uses a grossly undeveloped political scenario as an excuse to show us routine, gratuitous violence and contrived relationships. Casting an actress who looks 14 as a 23 year old was a big mistake and pushing her from wide eyed innocence through a ridiculous, unbelievable journey to awakening ambition via horror was crudely handled. Taking photos of people while they suffer and die is obscene and the pain and gore of violence was trivialised, not dignified by this sad movie.