This film begins with a good premise. In the past a filmmaker like Billy Wilder or an actor like Gary Cooper or Lee Remick could make us care about this film. A good writer would also be able to flesh out the details a bit better, but the premise is a good one.And yet, on screen It is hard not to think that I'm looking at flakey people I meet at a trendy downtown bar who listen to trendy music and drink trendy beer. You know, arrested development types who squander the life force of themselves and others; who have no capacity for self-awareness, who only exist. I just didn't see any depth, any character, any conviction which could suspend my disbelief long enough. The style of this film offered nothing other than a showcase for cinematography; and even there the trendy soundtrack and lighting made the entire effort appear to be nothing more than self-indulgence. It was as though the filmmakers made this for the sole purpose of being able to tell their friends, "hey look at what I did" - and the cinematography is its best quality!The soundtrack, the story, and most importantly the monologues are hollow efforts; self-indulgence writ large. The monologues, mercy the monologues! There's no acting in this film. It's a solipsistic exercise. A series of monologues which keep the film plodding from one scene to another. This is a film nihilists put out who cannot fake their lack of empathy even for their own writing and their own characters.The stars are only given for the technical effort. This is a soulless film.

A solid premise and very natural acting highlight this drama. After a fast-paced first half, the film slows down signficantly as Bob Muldoon (Affleck) tries to make his way back home, but it nevertheless remains interesting. This is essentially a sad love story, but in a very different way. Truly moving. The film is shot very differently to mainstream Hollywood films and I enjoyed the fact director David Lowery leaves a lot to the viewer's imagination, instead of spoon feeding them.

If you help someone or take away the blame others would lay on them, wouldn't/couldn't that be considered a good thing? Then again can you take away a sin/crime that someone else committed and what does that make you then? One thing is for sure, if you really love someone, you will go some extra miles for certain.The movie might not have many action scenes or be as dramatic as others, but it does tell a nice story, wonderfully portrayed and played by our actors. The relationships are pretty clear from the beginning, but that doesn't mean that there won't be issues within them. Those are nicely made and it all culminates in the only way it could .. the big bang, may be missing, but it's still a decent effort overall

Ruth Guthrie (Rooney Mara) and Bob Muldoon (Casey Affleck) are a couple caught in a shootout with law enforcement. Ruth shoots a police officer and Bob takes the blame. Bob is in prison while Ruth is raising their daughter that he's never met. After many attempts, he finally succeeds in an escape. Police officer Patrick Wheeler (Ben Foster) keeps snooping around to no avail. Skerritt (Keith Carradine) is taking care of her and the kid but tells Bob to leave them alone.This is slow. It's extremely slow. It excruciatingly slow. The most intensity in the first hour comes when he carjacks a woman. Nothing really happens and it's probably 30 seconds. This is about the beautiful decaying sparse life. It's meditative. It doesn't even give the actors much to do with any expressive acting. Writer/director David Lowery is channeling Terrence Malick in style and visuals. It's got a good look but it is lacking in story. There is little tension and it goes nowhere for stretches that are far too long. It saves a lot of it for the last act but it needed the excitement earlier on.