Darin
One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.
SnoopyStyle
Actor Simon Axler (Al Pacino) is losing his mind and falls off the stage. He vows never to go on stage again. He's an insomniac and alone in the world. He misses while trying to shot himself. He gets himself into a clinic with Dr. Farr (Dylan Baker). After getting out, he's visited by a theater friend's daughter Pegeen Stapleford (Greta Gerwig). She has had a crush on him since childhood and is now a lesbian. He has a sexual relationship with her despite being her godfather as various people come to challenge it. There is also fellow patient Sybil who keeps hounding him to kill her husband.Al Pacino shows that he still has it. He never lost it. He just hasn't had big hits lately. Al Pacino is actually good at dead pan humor. The stuff in between isn't as good. Gerwig is playing her usual flaky cute girl. It's a lot of wacky characters. There is a pervasive sadness with moments of great comedic outbursts.
Pete Martin
It's hard, if not impossible, to imagine that Barry Levinson, the genius who wrote and directed "Diner," and Buck Henry, who wrote "The Graduate" and "Catch-22," and Philip Roth, who wrote "Portnoy's Complaint" and "Goodbye. Columbus," and Al Pacino, who starred in "Serpico" and "The Godfather" and "Dog Day Afternoon," actually had anything to do with this turgid, amateurish mess. Maybe it's some kind of a practical joke!That's gotta be it. Maybe a couple of junior high school kids somehow persuaded Pacino to star in their hand-held home movie. And as a joke, said: "Let's try to pass this off as the work of some of the greatest screenwriters and novelists and directors on the planet! Let's see if anyone notices.Yeah, that must be what happened. Either that, or Levinson and Henry are operating under the influence of massive doses of Valium and Quaaludes and maybe LSD. And large portions of their brains simply aren't functioning anymore. As for Roth, maybe "Portnoy" and "Goodbye, Columbus" was simply the best he could ever do. The rest is all downhill. And for Pacino, well, he's been on a long downward spiral for years, and now apparently he's bottomed out. Because he's simply stopped trying. LIke he just doesn't care anymore. Nothing left to prove. LIke it's just too much effort to actually act. Either that or something serious has happened that none of us know about, something having to do with drugs and leucotomes and electroshock therapy. I mean, he couldn't have suddenly lost all his talent just like that, right?!?It's hard to decide which is worse -- the home-movie, Shakicam photography or the sleep- inducing, meandering pace. And Levinson, of course, takes the blame for that.Well, if it isn't a practical joke, if this snorefest actually IS the work of some of the most respected filmmaking talents in the world, well, then here's a small piece of advice to Barry and Buck and Philip and Al: This is not progress! This is like some sort of regression into student filmmaking. And bad student filmmaking at that. Brain-dead student filmmaking. Student filmmaking with no DP and no Editor and no Director. Just a couple of pot-smoking teenagers who got ahold of Dad's camera for a weekend.So trust me, guys, when I suggest you scratch this one off your resume. Maybe you can change all the credits. Put an Alan Smithee on it. Anything. Maybe you can pull it from distribution. Deny, deny, deny! That's the key. Don't ever admit you had anything to do with this. And whatever you do, don't ever mention it's from the people who gave us "The Graduate" and "Catch 22" and "Bugsy" and "Good Morning, Vietnam." Just don't do it. Unless, of course, you never want to work again.
MovieHoliks
I just saw this new release off Netflix starring the duo of star Al Pacino and director Barry Levinson- who's last collaboration was the brilliant HBO film "You Don't Know Jack"; but this movie just falls flat. Pacino plays an aging actor who goes into a relationship with a sexually confused much MUCH younger (LOL) woman- what, isn't he about old enough to be her GREAT grandfather-?? LMAO Well, besides a few amusing moments here and there, the movie was really just a schnooze fest. I liked the stuff about the whole method of acting with Pacino's character's career and all, but am on the fence whether I'd recommend this or not. I'd say- if you're a Pacino fan and have Netflix already- go ahead and check it out, otherwise go watch "You Don't Know Jack" instead... Dianne Wiest (think that was her??) and Charles Grodin (who I just saw on an episode of "Louie" recently) costar.
Tony Heck
"I will never go on stage again." Simon (Pacino) is an aging stage actor who has a breakdown on stage. After a stint in rehab he moves out on his own again and is surprised when Pegeen (Gerwig), the daughter of someone he used to know shows up at his door. The two begin a friendship that changes into much more…or does it? Al Pacino has been my favorite actor for a long time now and anything he is in I am excited about watching. This is a type of character that he rarely plays, the only other time I've seen him play someone like this is in People I Know. That said, this movie shows why Pacino is such a force. The entire movie keeps you guessing what is real and what is imagined. He does a great job of really making you feel the way he wants you to. Whether he is sleep deprived in Insomnia or slowly losing his mind in this one you can't help but go through the struggle with him. This is a good movie but it is a little slow in some parts. Much like the recent Birdman, you watch an actor struggle with his inner demons, and while it's not a happy thing to watch you can't look away. Overall, Pacino once again proves why he is such a powerful actor. If you liked Birdman then watch this one. I give it a B.
