Review of Leviathan (2014) by Jerome P — 16 Feb 2015
A marginal three stars from me. I liked most of the performances, especially from the three protagonists. (The villain was a bit cobbled together. "I'm a bad guy! I have henchmen!") I liked the epic tragedy of it. I loved the scenery and the house the couple lives in. Even though it's stereotypical, I liked that it was drenched in vodka.
The problem is, sometimes I needed a glass. Why does it need to be so long? Lop 20 minutes off! There are wonderful extended shots, but the director is too in love with them. The first courtroom scene and early driving shots worked well. But why am I looking at this amateurish shot of the mayor rambling in a fake wood-panelled room. I often wondered if this was a Russian cultural thing, and it didn't translate to me.
My biggest problem was the underuse of the fishing village. I found it nothing more than a backdrop. It should have been used much more. Make it a character. It was a shame it wasn't.
This review of Leviathan (2014) was written by Jerome P on 16 Feb 2015.
Leviathan has generally received very positive reviews.
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