Review of Stone (2012) by Amber T — 19 Feb 2011

I think most of the "read between the lines" stuff in this movie went right over my head, but I was at least able to grasp the focal point. While at first glance it seems like just another crime thriller with a bad-ass punk on a mission, a kinky sex kitten with an agenda, and a forgotten old fart still hard on the job, what we really have here is something a but different.

Simply put, the plot centers around a faithless man who suddenly finds God (Norton), and a church-going elderly gentleman (De Niro) who winds up tempted by the Devil and losing his faith. Ultimately, the two gentleman switch roles by the end in a way, and I think the point the director was trying to get at was that we are all a lot more similar than we think, regardless of where we stand in society.

The religious undertones in this movie are very obvious, and as said above, I'm sure there was more going on underneath the surface than I was knowingly privy to, but that doesn't change the fact that this was a very strange film.

I liked Norton's unique portrayal of his character, but on the whole, there wasn't a whole lot else to like here. The movie drags needlessly, follows a very lopsided and loopy script, and simply fails to impress or even pique the interest of the viewer.

Mostly I'm giving it a passing grade thanks to its unique approach and fundamentally unfundamental story, and that's it.