Review of My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done (2010) by Aaron A — 05 Jan 2012
"Why is the whole world staring at me?".
Synopsis: Brad McCullum begins to have visions that make him believe he's living in a Sophocles play, the events he thinks he experiences lead him to commit a brutal, bloody crime with a sword.
What Have Ye Done's strengths are a combination of a wonderfully odd performance by Michael Shannon, who's less interested in oscar talk than he is in creating a truly unique portrayal of a troubled character, and the beautiful direction by Werner Herzog. Working in combination Shannon and Herzog overcome the film's flaws and deliver a compelling viewing, especially if your a fan of either Herzog (like me), Shannon, or Lynch.
Though these three just barely overcome the film's obstacles. The actual script isn't terribly compelling and leaves a lot to the imagination. And although it's obvious this picture is a study of the mentally ill, the writing is far too ambiguous to understand exactly (if anything) the film is actually trying to say about the mentally ill.
Though My Son, My Son What Have Ye Done falls somewhat short of expectations for a collaboration between notable filmmakers, it's still a worthwhile endeavor.
This review of My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done (2010) was written by Aaron A on 05 Jan 2012.
My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done has generally received mixed reviews.
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