Livestonth I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible
FirstWitch A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.
Robert Joyner The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one
Bob This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.
grantss Dull, and not very objective in its story-telling (like many Sean Penn movies). Apparently based on a true story, it would be good to know how much of it is actually true. You get the sneaky feeling that a (mostly) fictional back-story was added to an event, with a left-wing agenda.Too much time spent on minor details, and thus very slow-developing. Problem is, without all the padding, it would probably be less an hour long! Hardly a movie, then.Sean Penn is perfectly cast as the would-be assassin: I would always have picked him as the actor most likely to assassinate a Republican president. His performance, in keeping with the slow-moving pace of the movie, is stunted, frustrating and irritating.
sergepesic This quiet, powerful movie is loosely based on the real events. Samuel Bicke, meek and obedient person with the intense hidden anger, is slowly unraveling. His marriage is dissolving, he hates his job and his obnoxious boss, the bank loan for starting a new business is rejected. Typical story of a man without his place in this world. God knows, there are hundreds of millions of people like him on this unfortunate planet. But, something made this man stand apart and try to kill the president Nixon. The attempt itself would be called inane if innocent people weren't killed.The tragic ending to a sad life story. This intense movie uses a perfect language to tell this story, so pertinent to the times we live in.More and more lost souls, and the future looks far away from rosy. Millions of question and none of the answers.
funny_kurd Wow is all I have to say, the performance of Sean Penn was heartbreakingly spotless. It resembled Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver as so with this film, you see Sean Penns character lose his mind slowly but surely. The vulnerability that Sean Penn puts towards the screen is amazingly engaging, Michael Wincott is equally amazing as Sean Penns devout Jewish brother. The relationship established is hard to watch in a good way, especially in a particular conversation between them. Namoi Watts is also good but nothing memorable. It was nice to see Sean and Naomi work together again, straight after '21 Grams'. Niels Muellers direction was amazing for a 'virgin director' (First-Time Director). The way in which he encapsulated Samual J. Bickes life and portrayed its sensitive aspects is simply divine. This is probably one of Sean Penns best if not the best performance ever, so If you are a "Penn" Fan as I am, do yourself a favor and become totally mentally involved and you will feel the pain that Sean Penn goes through as Samuel J. Bicke. Sean Penn, as it would be agreed, is the best actor of this generation and in my opinion will go on to do amazing things in the coming future. The only other actors that you can remotely compare him to are Daniel Day-Lewis and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. These men are in there own league but Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt, Ben Kingsley are just below them, in my opinion. Excellent p.s The most underrated performance ever...
Woodyanders 1974. Sean Penn gives one of his best, most gripping and credible performances to date as Samuel J. Bicke, a bitter, disaffected and painfully ineffectual everyman loser whose life is rapidly falling apart: His fed-up ex-wife Marie (superbly played by Niomi Watts) wants to finalize their divorce, he's faltering at his job as a furniture salesman, and his attempt at starting his own business proves to be both abortive and ill-advised. Increasingly angry and frustrated, Bicke comes up with a desperate plan to hijack a plane and fly it into the Whitehouse in order to make things right. Director/co-writer Niels Mueller delivers an undeniably dark and upsetting, yet still potent and riveting portrait of a sad bumbler and his total descent into madness and despair. Moreover, this movie articulates a powerful and provocative message about the unfairness of the American system and how having the American Dream isn't an easily obtainable goal everyone can effectively accomplish. Granted, this picture becomes more grim and depressing as it progresses towards its startling downbeat conclusion, but fortunately there are a few surprising moments of inspired dry humor, with Bicke's proposal to Black Panther leader Harold Mann (the always fine Mykelti Williamson) that he changes the group's name to the Zebras and allow whites to be able to rating as a small gem. Penn really gets under the skin of the timid, oversensitive and incompetent Bicke; he captures the man's pain and anguish with bracing pathos and acuity. The ing cast is likewise top-notch, with outstanding contributions from Don Cheadle as Bicke's loyal friend Bonny Simmons, Jack Thompson as Bicke's jolly, bearish no-nonsense boss Jack Jones, and Michael Wincott as Bicke's hard-nosed brother Julius. Emmanuel Lubezki's polished cinematography and Steven Stern's spare, moody score, and the meticulous evocation of the 70's are all up to speed. But what really makes this movie work so well is its irable refusal to either explain or sentimentalize Sam Bicke; the film just shows you this poor feckless man as he is and let's you make up your own mind want to think about him. An absolute powerhouse.
