ChicDragon
It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.
Senteur
As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.
Cassandra
Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.
Cristal
The movie really just wants to entertain people.
Geeky Randy
Chronicles Gosling, son of wealthy New York real estate tycoon Langelia, who is linked to a series of murders. Great performances by all, but Dunst's brilliance brings a suiting yet odd romance to this crime-drama as the central character's wife. Loosely based on the life of accused murderer Robert Durst, but if you caught THE JINX (also by Andrew Jarecki), you'll know that the events are more authentic than most "based on"s. What makes the film so great is that it refuses to structure itself in a conventional manner and allows things to unravel in a very gradual, strange, and realistic manner. Its downfall is too much focus on the early life of Gosling's character, giving it a fatal uneven vibe.*** (out of four)
SnoopyStyle
Based on a notorious unsolved murder case in New York, David Marks (Ryan Gosling) is the son of high power landlord Sanford Marks (Frank Langella). They own half of Time Square, the more seedy half. When David married Katie (Kirsten Dunst), they happily moved out to the country to run their organic food store. Eventually they abandon the failing food store, and he reluctantly joins the family business. He starts to change. She can't divorce him because he has no money of his own. She would get nothing from the divorce unless she could find something to hold over the family.The pacing is slow. Andrew Jarecki is a first time director, and lacks the skills to pump up the drama. Both Gosling and Dunst put in good performances. The movie just doesn't have the tension that it is suppose to. It probably spent too much time as the happy couple in the first half of the movie.
Finbar-1
Let me start real quick by saying this is my first IMDb review, and that I think IMDb is one of the best web sites on the internet.We watched "All Good Things" I think mainly because of the hype about Ryan Gosling, and while I believe he is a good actor he seems to choose parts that are so very slow that they leave the movie quite boring. In All Good Things, he plays a troubles guy who tries to change his life in order to please his father, but not to the same level of pleasure for his wife.We are given little insight into why he is the way he is (other than his father's expectations) or why he does what he does. This leads the viewer to be as frustrated with him as his wife appears to be. The twist at the end also leaves us wondering what the heck really happened, but not in an interesting "make your own conclusions" kind of a way.That said, if you like Mr. Gosling's acting style (and the slow style of his choice in directors) in previous movies such as "Beyond the Pines" and "Drive" (which I liked more than "Good Things"), you might like this one as well.
hall895
All Good Things is based on a true story. It's important to remember this when the film veers off into somewhat bizarre territory. The names have been changed but this is the story of Robert Durst. In this film Robert Durst is named David Marks. David seems like a nice enough guy when we first meet him. Katie McCarthy certainly thinks so. She and David have a whirlwind romance and are soon married. They leave New York City, where David's father is a major real estate developer, and move to Vermont where they open a health food store. They're happy. The store's name, All Good Things, seems wonderfully appropriate. But all good things must come to an end.David's father lures him back to New York, brings him into the family business which has always been David's destiny whether he liked it or not. It becomes clear that David is battling some serious psychological demons. There is a strain on his marriage with Katie, a strain that grows and grows until the whole thing explodes. And then what? Well, that is the mystery this film sets out to solve. What really happened with Robert Durst and his wife? What else was Robert Durst mixed up in? The film tries to provide answers to questions which have gone unanswered for decades.It's a mystery film in which the mystery doesn't really kick in until very late on in the film. What had been a straightforward look at a deteriorating relationship then takes a turn. In some ways a very weird turn. Again you have to remind yourself this is a true story, these things actually happened. If you didn't know that it might be too bizarre to take. The conclusions the film ultimately comes to are not entirely satisfying. Who knows if this is what really happened? What the film presents does seem logical enough. Robert Durst himself apparently liked the film which is a little creepy. Durst, or Marks in this film, is more than a little creepy. He's not that sweet, innocent man we and his future wife meet in the film's beginning. He's deeply troubled, not without reason. This film is about the dark paths those troubles led him down.Ryan Gosling does reasonably well in portraying the tortured, mysterious David Marks. There's something a bit off about the character, Gosling never seems to get a firm handle on David. That's understandable though, nobody ever seemed to get a handle on the real-life figure the character is based on. The real acting revelation is Kirsten Dunst. She's terrific in the role of Katie, a woman who slowly and oh so sadly comes to realize she doesn't even know the man she's married to. Very compelling, and very mature, work from Dunst. The film also benefits from the powerful presence of Frank Langella playing David's father. Langella commands every one of his scenes. Knowing the father tells you so much about the son. The always wonderful Philip Baker Hall also turns up to add his unique touch to the proceedings. The film starts out very well, perhaps loses its way a little bit as things get darker and then weirder. It is certainly an interesting story, a mystery which the film "solves" reasonably well enough. But there is the sense it doesn't quite all fit together perfectly. Even as the movie solves the unsolved mystery you're still left with questions. The movie has its flaws but ultimately it is worth a look. The real-life story of Robert Durst begs to be told. All Good Things tells that story well enough.