Yes Paul Schrader (not Martin Scorses who is billed quite big on the posters, even though he's just a producer) is and forever will be known for his script to Taxi Driver. And I reckon if you liked the dirty and quite mean outlook, he has on the world ... and his pacing when it comes to characters ... his weirdness writing them and how they behave ... irrationally at times or often, depending on how you look at it. Well there is a certain style you have to dig, to get with it.
Of course having someone like Oscar Isaac in the lead ... well it helps a lot! The man is amazing! If anything can be taken away from this, how stoic, yet fully commited emotionally his character is. Now that doesn't mean you'll understand or actually go along with his decisions. Especially when it comes to a kid he meets in a chance encounter. Quite a coincidence you say? Yes ... why does he act around him the way he does? Why does he help him? Even if not in the way the boy wants him to help? And does he know deep down, that the help might not conclude the way he imagines it will? There are a lot of things that are left up to the imagination of the viewers (pun intended and including a scene towards the end ... with the end result visible, but not explicitely shown) ... a tough movie to watch on many levels, but those who will love this, will really love it! Paul Schrader is never an easy watch ... you should know this by now.
Great cast overall by the way, but I was a bit taken back by Tiffany Haddish. I really dig her style and humor a lot. She seemed quite out of place for many reasons at first though. Her dialog felt more than wooden ... she did seem to struggle or at least it did feel like she wasn't convincing enough in more than a few occasions and with more than just a few lines she had to do. Of course when it came for her to be funny and sassy ... well needless to say she delivered and then some. Don't expect any nude delivery from her though - even though it's a Paul Schrader movie. She's a big name now. Not critisizing, good for her actually.
Of course having someone like Oscar Isaac in the lead ... well it helps a lot! The man is amazing! If anything can be taken away from this, how stoic, yet fully commited emotionally his character is. Now that doesn't mean you'll understand or actually go along with his decisions. Especially when it comes to a kid he meets in a chance encounter. Quite a coincidence you say? Yes ... why does he act around him the way he does? Why does he help him? Even if not in the way the boy wants him to help? And does he know deep down, that the help might not conclude the way he imagines it will? There are a lot of things that are left up to the imagination of the viewers (pun intended and including a scene towards the end ... with the end result visible, but not explicitely shown) ... a tough movie to watch on many levels, but those who will love this, will really love it! Paul Schrader is never an easy watch ... you should know this by now.
Great cast overall by the way, but I was a bit taken back by Tiffany Haddish. I really dig her style and humor a lot. She seemed quite out of place for many reasons at first though. Her dialog felt more than wooden ... she did seem to struggle or at least it did feel like she wasn't convincing enough in more than a few occasions and with more than just a few lines she had to do. Of course when it came for her to be funny and sassy ... well needless to say she delivered and then some. Don't expect any nude delivery from her though - even though it's a Paul Schrader movie. She's a big name now. Not critisizing, good for her actually.