I was expecting to be impacted a little more by The Iron Claw, but I've come away with slightly mixed feelings. A lot of people seemed to love this while heralding it as one of the year's best, and I don't know... I think it's good, but I'm not crazy about it. I'm not sure why some of the more emotional moments here didn't really move me, because on paper, this is a heavy story filled with tragedy (and it really happened in real life... sort of, because the actual events were worse, and it would've seemed inconceivable to tell the story exactly how it went in reality).
It's not so much that I became numb to it, but I just don't think I was as blown away by the acting or filmmaking as many others. Zac Efron... he was good (but it was no Oscar snub; not in my eyes). Jeremy Allen White, also good (but got shafted a little in screen time). The other brothers; the actors playing the parents: everyone did what they needed to, but no one blew me away. I feel like everyone was committing to a decent extent (or more, in some cases), but I just couldn't feel it. I appreciated it. But it didn't shake me to my core like I imagine it should've, or like I imagine it wanted to.
I can't really diagnose the problem; not yet. I think this is well-acted and competently made, but given the story being told, I feel like I should be coming away from it saying more than: "Yeah, that was pretty good." It's weird to have a slightly warmer than lukewarm feeling about a movie this emotionally intense, but that's where I am right now. Everyone involved with The Iron Claw gets a B- or a B. Well done, all, but also, no one knocked it out of the park. Maybe it's a little like a really talented group of students all coasting together through the most important assignment of the year; I can't be mad (as the imagined teacher in this stupid metaphor), but I also can't bring myself to be thrilled, either.
It's not so much that I became numb to it, but I just don't think I was as blown away by the acting or filmmaking as many others. Zac Efron... he was good (but it was no Oscar snub; not in my eyes). Jeremy Allen White, also good (but got shafted a little in screen time). The other brothers; the actors playing the parents: everyone did what they needed to, but no one blew me away. I feel like everyone was committing to a decent extent (or more, in some cases), but I just couldn't feel it. I appreciated it. But it didn't shake me to my core like I imagine it should've, or like I imagine it wanted to.
I can't really diagnose the problem; not yet. I think this is well-acted and competently made, but given the story being told, I feel like I should be coming away from it saying more than: "Yeah, that was pretty good." It's weird to have a slightly warmer than lukewarm feeling about a movie this emotionally intense, but that's where I am right now. Everyone involved with The Iron Claw gets a B- or a B. Well done, all, but also, no one knocked it out of the park. Maybe it's a little like a really talented group of students all coasting together through the most important assignment of the year; I can't be mad (as the imagined teacher in this stupid metaphor), but I also can't bring myself to be thrilled, either.