First off I'd like to point out that the poster is clearly trying to make this look like a action-movie which is so far from what this is.The poster seem to try to sell it as a new 'ASSAULT ON WALLSTREET (2013)' or something, and although there are some similarities between the two (both about 2 down on their luck men that lose their job and their mental state goes on a downward spiral) the approach and resolution is completely different.Won't go into any details but yeah if you're watching it and waiting for some kick ass action to kick off you'll most likely be a bit disappointed.I can't go into details without starting to spoil stuff so I'll just say that the movie-direction is a bit 'dreamy' at times like a little vague, even though the actual plot is fairly simple.It doesn't come together 100% but the good outweighs the bad, Wes Bentley is fairly good but Jason Isaacs is probably the best actor of the film and helps carry the film back up from the ground occasionally by just delivering a natural and charismatic performance.
... View MoreI saw this available on Netflix a little while back, and it looked to me like one of those countless direct-to-demand B-movie releases, but this film actually turned out quite good.Wes Bentley, who I read had taken an absence from acting due to a drug habit, returns to acting as a family man and insurance claim investigator, who upon losing his job turns to a life of crime. He befriends a detective played by Jason Isaacs ("The Patriot"), who I had to look up to remind myself who he is. He is quite good in this as well- gives a very subtle performance as a flawed, yet decent man, trying to do the right thing in a world that makes that difficult.Now I will say this about this film. Possible *SPOILER*. I actually expected much greater catastrophe than what actually ends up going down, and thought that maybe the director should have went down that path a little more, but overall, I enjoyed this film. If you're expecting an action-packed thriller, this is not the film for you- it's much slower- moving and more thoughtful. And kudos for a nice return-to-acting performance from Wes Bentley- I always liked his style; especially the way he can be so powerful with the expressions in his eyes. I've noticed this about him ever since his breakout performance in the 1999 Oscar winner, "American Beauty". Vinessa Shaw and Keith Carradine co-star.
... View MoreI doubt 'After the Fall' was conceived as a sequel to 'Falling Down' but the movies do have a similar subject. Wes Bentley plays the protagonist, who begins to have money issues after losing his job. His character is completely unsympathetic, a sociopath who lies easily to his family and goes on an increasingly reckless crime spree because he's too prideful to ask for money from his father-in-law. Instead, he robs complete strangers at gunpoint with an astonishing lack of anxiety or hesitation; he moves like a career criminal with no fear of getting caught. His occasional indulgence in rants and his spontaneous petty interventions suggest a desire for social justice, but his actions are transparently hypocritical and the film has established that nothing he says can be believed. It's hard to see any arc of development at all in this character because Bentley doesn't emote. He never varies his facial expressions beyond a look of frustrated detachment - his eyes never change, his face doesn't move; he walks quietly through dry scenes set to meditative music posing with the same look in every shot, and he never experiences remorse. His wife (Vinessa Shaw) is a trophy, a prop to suggest his motivation, but she's so completely oblivious and implausibly stupid, she doesn't interact enough to actually humanize him. There are plenty of scenes of his children happily playing or asking questions. The implication is that Bentley never swallows his pride because he cares for his family - that alone should justify lying to them and sadistically hurting whoever he wants. This movie will be of special interest to you if you think your wife is useless and your children are such a burden, it could justify murder and suicide.
... View MoreIt's a very difficult movie to sell. Our main character is not really that likable, with some traits that a Hollywood Blockbuster would attribute to its bad guy. But this is not a Hollywood movie, so if you're looking for senseless entertainment, you'd be better off looking somewhere else for that.No this is a character study, which is well played by Wes Bentley. Even though he seems to be pigeonholed into this sort of a role, you still cannot deny his charisma and his power to portray men in despair. His looks/face alone is worth a lot. But him alone is not enough, you need someone like Jason Isaacs to balance all that stuff. Another man with issues of his own, these two men seem to find each other, even without looking. The "friendship" that ensues is not one that seems to have long lasting power though ... but you'll have to watch the movie, to see how that drama and web of lies unfolds ...
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