Stillwater (2021)

[surreal]

No, not a sequel to Almost Famous, but the new Matt Damon one.

Saw this yesterday.  I wasn't originally going to see it but the whole Amanda Knox thing made me check out a couple of reviews which were positive so I decided to check it out.

I enjoyed it on the whole, great performances from the cast, all shot on location in Marseilles which looked lovely.  I think it may have been a bit long but they managed to balance between MD's character being a fish-out-of-water American with the whole murder back-story.

I can see why Knox has been vocal about this - it really is just her story where the protagonist's daughter has been locked up for 5 years and desperately chasing evidence that someone else had committed the crime.  They probably should just have got the rights to it but on the other hand they couldn't have done some of the dramatic turns they added in which worked quite well.

Overall, for me a good well made drama, Damon as I've not really seen him before.  8/10  YMMV

[Butchers Blind]

Does he use that f word?

[surreal]

Not that one

[Keebleman]

Just been to see this, my first cinema visit in months (first of 2021 I think - will have to check).  A pretty good movie, 'solid', as they say.  Strong narrative, good acting, non-flashy directing and the social comment arose naturally from the story and wasn't overstated.  The little girl was wonderfully cute and her chemistry with Matt Damon was more convincing than the relationship between him and her mother.  Damon was fantastic, totally credible.

But it was too long.  The

Spoiler alert

attempted suicide

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could have been excised completely: it made no sense and added nothing to the plot.  The

Spoiler alert

'You've lied to me and I never want to see you again!'

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scene was very formulaic. And the fantastic improbabilities of the final act -

Spoiler alert

Bill's identification and kidnapping of the killer, the private detective's intuition of what had happened and Virginie's successful sussing and resolving of the situation

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- really hurt it, brought it close to ridiculous.

It terms of plot the most serious flaw only became apparent to me in retrospect. 

Spoiler alert

Why would Allison want Akim to be found when his testimony would only reinforce her guilt?  Of course she would say he is lying but he would have the necklace as evidence.  If anything it would make her look even more guilty, that the crime was premeditated.

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