This movie is a little like a classic Michael Mann movie. Not quite to the standard of Heat or Manhunter, of course, but it brings to mind those and similar classics.
Some complain about the unresolved storyline threads, but I find that to be much more intelligent and rewarding. Did his wife cheat with him? Doesn't matter, it just mattered how Del Toro's character responded to the potential of it. Who was the actual killer? Doesn't matter, once we know that the boyfriend was complicit in it.
There are definitely some potential issues with the plot, such as the police not going to the victim's legal next-of-kin first, and the sometimes casual obtuse responses by some of the police, which don't seem to phase Detective Nichols, who otherwise has the nose for right and wrong. It seemed pretty implausible that the PO Box thing was so obvious and convenient to tie his DEA pal to the murders. But these things happen in movies and you have to take some of it with a grain of salt, there are only so many ways to move a story forward in two hours.
For those reasons, I'd give the movie a 6, but Benicio Del Toro's performance is worth a bump up to a 7/10. The acting throughout is terrific, in fact, with Alicia Silverstone convincingly playing the role of supportive but heady partner. Justin Timberlake leaves you wondering all the while, with a perfectly muted but evocative performance. The secondary characters are mostly well-played as well, even if a little one-dimensional in some moments.
Definitely worth the watch, if you like the actors and the trailer caught your attention, you will enjoy it.
Some complain about the unresolved storyline threads, but I find that to be much more intelligent and rewarding. Did his wife cheat with him? Doesn't matter, it just mattered how Del Toro's character responded to the potential of it. Who was the actual killer? Doesn't matter, once we know that the boyfriend was complicit in it.
There are definitely some potential issues with the plot, such as the police not going to the victim's legal next-of-kin first, and the sometimes casual obtuse responses by some of the police, which don't seem to phase Detective Nichols, who otherwise has the nose for right and wrong. It seemed pretty implausible that the PO Box thing was so obvious and convenient to tie his DEA pal to the murders. But these things happen in movies and you have to take some of it with a grain of salt, there are only so many ways to move a story forward in two hours.
For those reasons, I'd give the movie a 6, but Benicio Del Toro's performance is worth a bump up to a 7/10. The acting throughout is terrific, in fact, with Alicia Silverstone convincingly playing the role of supportive but heady partner. Justin Timberlake leaves you wondering all the while, with a perfectly muted but evocative performance. The secondary characters are mostly well-played as well, even if a little one-dimensional in some moments.
Definitely worth the watch, if you like the actors and the trailer caught your attention, you will enjoy it.