Quick Movie Reviews
Rating of
3.5/4
Jacob Zembower - wrote on 09/08/2014
Yet another minimalist slow-burn from director Kelly Reichardt, but probably her most accessible. Night Moves is a film of quietly mounting suspense where it's hard to see where it's going until it gets there. Jesse Eisenberg, Dakota Fanning, and Peter Scarsgaard give wonderful performances. And while it's about environmental extremists, it never once becomes some piece of propaganda for greenpeace. In fact, there's nothing peaceful about it. It's more akin to a Hitchcock film. It's also strikingly well made and perfectly understated. One of the best of the year.
Rating of
2.5/4
Unknown - wrote on 09/07/2014
A slow moving drama with heavy atmosphere. The stationary directing is absorbing and the acting is solid. It's trying to convey a very subtle undercurrent of suspense. This area works slightly in the buildup, but the second half flounders a bit when the emphasis turns to paranoia. The movie lost it's absorption on me after this point. The end note does not have the intended effect because of this.
Rating of
3/4
Fio - wrote on 06/22/2014
This film is heavy on atmosphere and light on dialogue, and there are a lot of scenes in which nothing in particular happens. These elements made the movie strangely engrossing for me. I think that speaks to Reichardt's skill as a director and writer--A slow-building tension infiltrates the arc of the story, even when the characters are engaged in mundane tasks. The performances from the three main actors are excellent. Eisenberg's character is a pretty cold and creepy guy, but I found myself feeling for him. The events in the film dredge up a response he is unable to cope with. It's a very powerful performance.
