Review of Mother Night (1996) by Thomas M — 02 Jul 2010
A textbook (as opposed to novel) example of a movie staying so true to its source that the lack of a narrator to complete the narrative causes the movie to stumble. Vonnegut's humor and dry commentary are missing, causing every scene to feel way more serious than it should.
There are some moments where Keith Gordon shoots a moment creatively (the black-and-white flash forward during Resi's reappearance, the propaganda film that reflects Campbell's fake face onto his actual face), and they make me wish he'd done the rest of the movie in such a high style.
Arkin and Nolte turn in strong performances, but again, the tone is too straightforward and script too faithful to let the story shine.
This review of Mother Night (1996) was written by Thomas M on 02 Jul 2010.
Mother Night has generally received positive reviews.
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