Reductive, I know, but… it’s aight. Meandering with lots of loose threads that eventually add up to a really pat message of self-acceptance and empathy. It’s also visually repetitive so I kind of zoned out at times without missing anything.
Pattison is great though, but the movie dies when it’s not focused on him. Ackie is great, too.
Doesn’t feel cohesive, but it’s successful in how it felt like collection of memories.
As a director Cooper finds the musicality in the images and dialogue so it’s in concert with Bernstein’s work, but while his performance as an actor is staggering at times (the scene where he conducts Mahler’s Resurrection is the biggest achievement of his career), it felt maybe a little too self-conscious in others.
Mulligan = gotdayum. Awesome.
I love the movie...on paper.
I agree with the apparent consensus that the first half is the strongest. Unfortunately, the many thoughtful ideas and breathtakingly thrifty filmmaking didn't shake the Vox Lux of it all in the second. It's a simple story yet a lot of it feels underdeveloped.
Adrian Brody, the cinematography, and the score are all next level though.
