Review of '71 (2014) by Matt C — 01 Apr 2015
A solid signifier of a "meh" movie is its inability to leave you with anything to talk about afterwards. I have next to nothing to say about '71 and it's really bugging me, but I can say a few things.
It looks very good, it's well directed, and the actors do strong work. However, it constantly feels like less than the sum of its parts. I can't quite put my finger on what it is--that's annoying me as well--but I know that it has to do with the script.
To be perfectly honest, it's too confusing. There are characters whose relationships with one another aren't explicitly stated. There are two actors that look so incredibly alike that my dad and I thought that we were watching one single character for approximately half of the movie, and the thing that set us straight wasn't even the plot, it was just the fact that both of the characters were in a car together.
Otherwise, '71 has some slickly directed sequences and the movie's aesthetic feels like it's as covered in soot as its characters. I guess this would be further proof that a cohesive script is paramount.
It can be subtle, convoluted, or complicated, but it has to be flushed out. Due to these problems, I won't remember this movie by tomorrow. 5.8/10, meh, one thumb down, below average, etc.
This review of '71 (2014) was written by Matt C on 01 Apr 2015.
'71 has generally received very positive reviews.
Was this review helpful?
