You Were Never Really Here

Joe (Joaquin Phoenix) is troubled living in New York City caring for his elderly mother and asphyxiating himself for comfort from a troubling past. He is hired to recover State Senator Albert Votto's runaway young daughter Nina from an underaged girls brothel. He buys a hammer and smashes his way through his crusade. He saves Nina but are confronted by murderous corrupt cops. It's the tip of a dangerous conspiracy leading all the way to the governor's mansion.

The first thirty minutes is a bit rough. It's an artsy meandering slow disjointed slice of life into Joe. I get it but it could be clearer. It does give a feel for the guy. It would be great to have a more complete flashback to his military or policing days instead of short flashes of everything. Once he gets hammering, the movie goes like a freight train with Joaquin driving hard. He delivers a great performance as usual. There is a shock ending which I don't like. Indies like to punctuate the end of their movies with a gunshot. It's a bit cheap and feels amateurish. Overall, there are some great work with a few flaws.

Yes I am aware that many thought this film was slow. However, it the slow and thoughtful burn of this film that makes it so unique and well done. It is, overall, a story about trauma and how this trauma has afflicted the protagonist. This is what trauma looks like. I already loved it but could further appreciate it after viewing a video by screened titled " How to Show Trauma" Just watch this video and then decide for yourself. Everything about this film was very much intentional and for good reason.

In the realm of cinematic artistry, Lynne Ramsay's "You Were Never Really Here" emerges as a film that defies the conventional boundaries of its genre. It is a film that, with its dreamlike cadence and haunting visual poetry, captures the viewer in a grip as tight and compelling as the narrative it unfolds.

Joaquin Phoenix delivers a performance of such raw intensity that it becomes the beating heart of the film. His portrayal of Joe, a man whose life is a mosaic of trauma and violence, is both a towering achievement and a deeply human one. Phoenix's Joe is a man of few words, but each silence speaks volumes, each glance carries the weight of a thousand emotions. He is the weary titan of this story, carrying the burdens of his past with a stoicism that is as heartbreaking as it is admirable.

Ramsay's direction is nothing short of masterful. She weaves a tapestry of images and sounds that are as beautiful as they are disturbing. The film's score, a dissonant symphony by Jonny Greenwood, is accentuating the film's atmosphere of disquiet. The cinematography is a chiaroscuro of the soul, painting each scene with the shades of Joe's turbulent inner world.

The narrative structure of "You Were Never Really Here" is a bold choice. Ramsay opts for an elliptical storytelling style that mirrors the fragmented psyche of its protagonist. This choice is both the film's greatest strength and its most significant challenge to the viewer. The plot does not unfold; it reveals itself in shards, each piece a glimpse into the abyss that Joe stares into every day.

However, this very narrative choice may also be where the film falters for some. The disjointed nature of the storytelling, while thematically resonant, can at times leave the audience grasping for a thread to hold onto. The film demands attention and patience, and not all viewers are willing to give it the concentration it requires.

The violence, while never gratuitous, is visceral and unflinching. It serves the story, but it also runs the risk of alienating those with a more sensitive disposition. The film's resolution, too, may strike some as abrupt, leaving a lingering question as to the ultimate fate of its characters.

"You Were Never Really Here" is a film that, like its protagonist, is not easily forgotten. It is a challenging, evocative piece of cinema that dares to delve into the darkness of the human condition. While it may not find universal acclaim due to its unconventional approach and somber themes, it stands as a testament to the power of visual storytelling and the enduring strength of a well-crafted character study.

'You Were Never Really Here' compelled me to watch it from the start. The fact that people were describing it as an unconventional thriller interested me, there are not many of those these days (speaking as a fan of thrillers), and then you have an extremely talented actor in Joaquin Phoenix in the lead role. The positive word of mouth and cool advertising added further to the promise.

Seeing it, 'You Were Never Really Here' came over as very good and very impressive. Can totally understand why it is divisive here and it is not surprising that some were alienated by it and not used to a thriller being done differently. It's hardly the first or only divisive film from 2018 so far, 'A Quiet Place' and 'Hereditary' were very different horrors that were critically acclaimed but polarising with audiences, personally loved both, especially 'A Quiet Place'. For me, that it was unconventional was a large part of why 'You Were Never Really Here' worked as well as it did. It is not quite a masterpiece and it just falls short of being one of my very favourite films of the year (though it is still towards the top).

It is not perfect. 'You Were Never Really Here' does have moments where the story could have done with more clarity, the vagueness did cause a little confusion at times.

Would have liked much more development to the supporting characters, while the protagonist is splendidly drawn the rest are sketchy.

However, there is so much to like about 'You Were Never Really Here'. The production values are extremely stylish with some very creative shots and film techniques, the rescue is particularly gritty and purposefully grainy in a security camera way. The minimal dialogue was a good choice, it let the atmosphere fully sear and the uncompromising brutality and unsettlement ensures plenty of deliberately slow-burning tension which helps make the story absorbing.

Lynne Ramsay directs cleverly, with a keen eye for visual style, letting the atmosphere speak for itself and never letting the deliberate pacing to become dull or self-indulgent. That's personal opinion, just to make that clear to anybody who will vehemently disagree. 'You Were Never Really Here' is successful in avoiding clichés and having the action scenes brief, not frequent and mostly off-screen provided to be a bold and good move. Joaquin Phoenix is excellent in the lead role, the intensity dripping off him at every turn. The rest of the cast do well but not to the same level of Phoenix, but only because he is something else.

Altogether, very good but so many great things. With better fleshed out characters and more clarity in some of the plotting, it would have been even better. 8/10 Bethany Cox

So let us focus on positives . Joaquin Phoenix is great as always. He is an amazing actor and he is in control with every character that he plays .

The movie in general has a nice premise and an interesting little plot . There is also a deeper meaning in this one to question the people around us BUT The movie is extremely boring and slow. Even the more thrilling scenes are bland. Pacing of the movie overall is very slow and camera work is also quite bad for my taste.

There are a lot of unecessery close ups and there are multiple shots from very weird angles that are not made for some context or plot , they were made to make a movie more artistic and it fails 90% of time to make it seem like that. The whole movie just feels like someone trying really really hard to make a "deep thrilling artistic" movie.

Taxi Driver has some similar scenes like this movie but they are done quite well and they immerse you into a dark world and a dark mind. This movie tries to do that but it doesn't quite work.

There are some scenes that happen in water and I think those are made great but nothing you have not already seen before.

There were times where I wanted to fast forward some scenes and not just watch a guy walk for 10 minutes and that happens quite often. That is why I think the premise is great but the plot is stretched way too much and the whole story could have been told in like 20 minutes.

I still did enjoy it to some level. I didn't want to turn it off because it intriged me to watch it till the end , to hopefuly see a big payoff or explenation of some sort for certain things.

In the end , it all ends up pretty bland and leaves a bad taste after watching it.

If you like slow paced movies with a character study that is just weird at best and sprinkled with tiny bits of deeper thoughts then this movie is for you.

If you are a casual movie fan that has seen movies from more genres or casually watch suspense thriller movies than this one will be too bland for you.

PlatinumanYT 6.4.