Michael's Movie Grade: A-
This movie may be an acquired taste but for the right viewer it is fantastic.
This film follows two CIA operatives who are sent to Easter Island. The partnership and friendship between the two are put to the test on this trip as they become unsure of whether they can even trust each other. This is only heightened by the older operative losing his memory and saying things that he shouldn't say.
It is rare to see a film that can go from quirky comedy to serious drama in a matter of seconds actually pull this off successfully. The reason this is so masterfully done here is because even during the quirkiest bits of humor, there is an underlying sense of melancholy. This melancholy feeling comes directly from the main character. Director/writer Martin McDonagh and actor John Malkovich find the humanity behind a character that has done very dark things. We grow to see the vulnerability behind a man living with regret for acts that are truly horrifying. That we can care so deeply about such a character without ever sugarcoating what he has done show how strong McDonagh's writer and Malkovich's acting truly is. By the end of the film, your heart is truly breaking for this guy. Since the humor comes directly from this character, you are often laughing at the same time as your heart is breaking. As quirky as the humor is, the comedy and the drama are perfectly intertwined, both complementing the other perfectly.
This film follows two CIA operatives who are sent to Easter Island. The partnership and friendship between the two are put to the test on this trip as they become unsure of whether they can even trust each other. This is only heightened by the older operative losing his memory and saying things that he shouldn't say.
It is rare to see a film that can go from quirky comedy to serious drama in a matter of seconds actually pull this off successfully. The reason this is so masterfully done here is because even during the quirkiest bits of humor, there is an underlying sense of melancholy. This melancholy feeling comes directly from the main character. Director/writer Martin McDonagh and actor John Malkovich find the humanity behind a character that has done very dark things. We grow to see the vulnerability behind a man living with regret for acts that are truly horrifying. That we can care so deeply about such a character without ever sugarcoating what he has done show how strong McDonagh's writer and Malkovich's acting truly is. By the end of the film, your heart is truly breaking for this guy. Since the humor comes directly from this character, you are often laughing at the same time as your heart is breaking. As quirky as the humor is, the comedy and the drama are perfectly intertwined, both complementing the other perfectly.
John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell prove to be the perfect team. They both play off each other perfectly. Their interactions are not only funny but genuinely touching. You truly feel the friendship between these two in a way that makes you believe that they have known and cared for each other for years.
I can't talk about this movie without praising the soundtrack. It is hard not to like a movie where Hank Williams, The Rolling Stones and Joni Mitchell can be heard. That each song is perfectly placed and fits the film's tone of course only helps.
The inner CIA politics seen here often veer towards conspiracy theories and test one's disbelief may have been a major flaw in another film. However, this movie is not about politics, it is a character study and a look at the vulnerability underneath even the darkest parts of humanity. Because of this, it is easy to forgive how little sense some of the politics make.
For the right type of viewer this is a must-watch.
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