Review of The Art of Self-Defense (2019) by Compi24 — 16 Sep 2020
It's not often you see a movie that completely wins you over with just its tone, but "The Art Of Self-Defense" did so in spades for me. It's this deliciously off-kilter, intoxicatingly hyperreal mix of both the comedic stylings of a Christopher Guest or Jared Hess film, plus the social commentary of a movie like "Fight Club" or "Fargo.
" Writer/director Riley Stearns pulls from such a wildly different school of thought when it comes to the implementation of voice and expectations within a film, so much so that I honestly can't wait to see what he does next.
Jesse Eisenberg and Imogen Poots are terrific in their respective roles, but the real star is Alessandro Nivola, an unmitigated master in deadpan delivery and an underrated player in the business overall.
Dark, funny, twisted and deep, "The Art Of Self-Defense" is so many things at once, all of them gratifyingly executed at the very least. I'm always excited to add a new filmmaker to my mental "ones to watch" list, and Stearns has definitely earned his place.
This review of The Art of Self-Defense (2019) was written by Compi24 on 16 Sep 2020.
The Art of Self-Defense has generally received positive reviews.
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