firstly, i have to compare this movie to La La Land, because this is what is considered Oscar material and Oscar performances in 2017. If La La Land was an Oscar movie, this is effin' citizen kane. Loved the bruce willis cameo and that there is a cinematic universe somewhere between all those uneven films. This film delivers. It has an amazing performance and realistic characters in a surreal nearly sci-fi but engaging plot. There is no twist end. Not really. There is a bitter end this time. One that stays with you for a while after the movie ends. There is a desperation where there was once a ray of light in the ending. The film is occasionally funny and aware of it and is not easily categorized. It is a subtle commentary on many many things, violence, abuse, human nature, relationships, sexism, modern society, the potential of a human being, racism, the idiocy of the average people, our traumas, madness, the virtue of patience, existential angst etc It is true that it is a horror movie about a sick person, which may not be politically correct but is a very old and common trope in horror flicks. It is also true that this film turns the trope on its back, presenting us a charming psychopath. He does unspeakable things, but he is not evil, he is beyond morality and he has an ambivalent point of view. The movie doesn't take sides. Murder is not a taboo in this narration, it may be an act of God or some creature close to him. The characters that surround the protagonist are also flawed in many ways and not very likable (with a couple of exceptions). There are obvious (and delightful) references to Psycho and the Rocky Horror Picture Show. One thing is certain. This movie is not for people who always had it easy...
Review of Split
