Night Moves

Despite being born with the uncleft chin and unkempt mop of an eco-terrorist, Jesse Eisenberg still manages to prove utterly unconvincing as an eco-terrorist. Hell, he's entirely unconvincing as a human being playing the role of an actor playing the role of an eco-terrorist. I can see self-proclaimed meninists hating this film, but then again a self-proclaimed meninist probably would rather die than admit he'd been watching Kelly Reichardt movies naked on his Oculus Rift.

That title is key, with its reference to a genre defined by a Pynchon-esque caricature of conspiracy: cabals exercising influence in the shadows, which the hero strives to untangle. Working nicely as a slow-burn naturalist thriller, Night Moves deconstructs the paranoia film for the 21st century, with the "heroes" implicated by their own violent rejection of the status quo and who must slink within the tiny creases of a terrifyingly mundane Panoptic network of surveillance and record-keeping.

Actors Eisenberg, Sarsgaard and Fanning are a trifecta in Reichardt's characteristically patient eco-thriller. The film lost me a bit in the end but up until then it was really good.

Reichardt molds a genre thriller in her own image: understated, precise, dignified, her customary mien the calm surface of a pond upon which the smallest drops ripple dramatically outward. It's as mainstream as Reichardt has ever been, which is to say, not very. If its beats are more predictable than usual for her, it speaks only to how unconventional her other films are.

A Liberal, Hitchcockian finger wags and warns against direct action. Buy organic vegetables and it'll all work out!

Another fine slowburner from Reichardt. A bit heavier on the plot than usual and the ending doesn't really work, but still generally effective in its dissection of the hypocrisies of the protagonists (God damn hippies!). Made me want to go out and punch a dolphin in the face. This is a good thing.

Riveting, nail biter, almost Hitchcockian.....none of these apply to this movie, despite what the critics tell you. And to top it all off, it just ends abruptly. Bah....didn't work for the Sopranos, doesn't work with anything else.

Just like Meek's Cutoff, its main achievement is in evoking an atmosphere of extreme menace and paranoia.

So you think you've worked it all out and know exactly what to do, and you do it and... then what? What if there's no big catharsis, no big resolution, just the creeping realisation that the paranoia is who you now are? I'm not entirely convinced Eisenberg is the right choice, and there could have been more of a set-up, but the way Reichardt balances long, tense but VERY low-key thriller scenes with the emptiness that follows is... yikes.

The least Reichardt of all Reichardt's films - what is most liked about her films is not on show here - but this effort at a somewhat more mainstream film about eco-terrorism is nothing if not suspenseful. Reichardt is interested in exploring the ethical and moral dilemmas of saving the planet, and does so through presenting the actions of three eco-warriors. It's hard to look past the very distracting 'Zuckerberg' persona of Eisenberg, but he does paranoia very well.

Crime and punishment. There is subtlety in the dialogue and characterisation, but it is still perhaps just a little thin.

As with her like-minded peers the Dardenne Brothers (in sensibility at least if not style), in my opinion Reichardt might be at her best when she injects just a bit of plot into her pseudo-naturalistic parables, which is certainly the case here (that is to say, it's only barely more of a conventional "thriller" than L'Enfant is). While her current mode of affectless "realism" would have been more appealing to me a few years ago, i have to say i found this to be one of her more satisfying films.

Reichardt's film undermines the thriller genre in ways similar to what she did with the Western in Meek's Cutoff. And yet, the film manages to build on its initial tension throughout its run time, leading to a dramatic, if not completely well-earned climax. The denouement remains one of the more chilling moments I've had at the movies in recent memory, while Reichardt's commitment to visual storytelling only enhances the nature of the story she's trying to tell.

reichardt has increasingly become one of the most subtle and penetrating examiners of american identity, reviving and critically revising the country's most beloved genres to better fit its modern landscape, discussing contemporary political, social, sexual, environmental, existential and gender concerns and doing so CINEMATICALLY, without condescending to the audience. this film will grow in stature as her myriad of intelligent observational details and bracing images are noticed and analysed.

13. !f - Budak: Dingin üslubu, ortasına kadar tıkır tıkır işleyen gerilimi de, sonrasında ciddi anlamda boğucu hal alan ruhsal çalkantıları çok iyi destekliyor. Aynı zamanda, suçluluk kavramını farklı bir yerden tartışmaya açması önemli.

Not a fan of the music. Love the cinematography and subdued tone.

Haven't watched all of Reichardt's films, but this is gotta be one of her weakest works. It has its weird slow-burning elegance as we follow these three activists coming up with a radical plan to bomb a dam and make a statement for one hour, then it's Jesse's show for nearly 50min just being creepy and paranoid about everything. He's just too good to make this fail.

Kind of a two-part film here. Loved the first part with its patient, methodical depiction of the handiwork behind a seemingly flawless heist. The first half gets away with hand-waving away the motive behind radicalization as an implicit assumption, but once the paranoia sets in, it starts to feel like a missing piece. Or maybe I can't relate because a dam isn't the first thing I'd want to blow up, I dunno.

For the most part, it's an understated and masterfully crafted thriller; with gorgeous nature shots and slick guitar-led score in tow, the pre-event procedural plays out each scene to slow-burn perfection, with the uneasy aftermath adding further sweaty tension. It's the character writing that has a few missteps; namely, the film showing's awkward attempt at explaining their motivations when the plan was already in place, and more significantly, the extreme climax of Josh's arc in the third act.

oh fuck off with the gus van sant esques already

Too subtle and slow for its own good. There is no big revelation, it lacks interesting details past the first act, and the whole thing doesn't deviate from its predictable path.

eco-thrill done very economically. very nice

Masterfully builds up tension through a series of seemingly mundane scenes, before dealing with the emotional fallout in its second half. Reichardt accomplished a lot with very little. If there is any criticism, it's that Eisenberg's character might be just a little too aloof and restrained for the amount of time that we spend with him.

Has a nice moody atmosphere, but it lacks drive.

Here again Reichardt undermines genre, having less regard for high concept scenarios than for the psychologies of characters; normalized and ordinary folk upon whom extraordinary circumstances exert great pressure. Of course her suspense thriller is different from other suspense thrillers, and even so among its own thematic lineage - the unmistakably Russian Crime & Punishment, Match Point's cultured internationality - Night Moves is a stitch in this unique filmmaker's patchwork of Americana.

The first third is slow but interesting, but after that it slows down even further. The final third is completely preposterous. Eisenberg was also clearly the wrong choice for this part; he is completely unconvincing. For a thriller, it lacks both suspense and thrills, and it's too thin to work well as a drama.

This film does have some slow moments. The cast does a good job in this movie. The script is unpredictable in this film. Overall I would recommend this drama.

Is it better to do nothing?

People talk of a weak third act and a riveting first two-thirds but I couldn't take more than a third - a suspense thriller that didn't thrill me or hold me in suspense

Not bad.

"Are there any alternatives possible?" http://illusionpodcast.blogspot.com/2015/12/episode-83-rise-of-kelly-reichardt-1994.html

I have nothing but deep admiration for Reichardt so this film feels like a significant disappointment. It's a moral inquiry without the depth or complexity that characterize her previous works and the characters fall rather flat.

Reichardt creates an authentic-feeling insight into the world of the activist protagonists, providing a fresh intrigue that works in tandem with the building tension towards the execution of an act of protest. Once that point has been reached however, the third act loses its "genuine" edge as the plot stumbles into a generic and predictable tropey resolve.

Granola Noir, thriller. Could have been a thoughtful exploration of environmental activism, but the film is basically a standard suspense film--except it's set in an environmentalist milieu. ps66

What's with all the passive-aggressiveness of the characters? The film really lost me in a late twist and spiraled out of control from there. Unfortunate, as it is a great but slow thriller before that.

I appreciate movies about guilt. Matthias Glasner really nailed it recently with "Mercy", and while Reichardt doesn't reach such heights, her "Night Moves" is quite nicely done. Jesse Eisenberg's limitations show, but Dakota Fanning gives a good performance.

I found 2/3 of this film to be a good example of what a thriller should be. Some incredibly tense stuff, in a good way. Unfortunately the other 1/3 is a major letdown.

One of the better photographed films of the year, and for much of the runtime I thought it would end up as one of the best films period. It loses its way in the final act, and almost stumbles into a derivative shrug. This only prevents it from being a fully satisfying whole, but the first two thirds are excellent.

"We were just young and restless and bored/Livin' by the sword."

Gripping and sad.

Reichardt's one of my three or four favorite filmmakers, but this is my least favorite of her films to date. The first two-thirds--up to and including the dam explosion--is rhythmic, riveting, haunting and spellbinding. But the last third seems to be striving for some sort of undefined pathos, and it's mostly plot-driven, and Reichardt ain't got the chops for it, frankly. She excels at expressing character through atmosphere and setting. Straight pseudo-thrillers don't seem to be her bag.

so stressful!

Yet another very solid psychological drama from Reichardt which barely puts a foot wrong. A film of two halves: the first sets up the characters in a wonderfully natural and no-frills way, and is also a masterclass in the slow building of tension. The second half is Eisenberg's showcase, and feels uneasy, creepy, and a bit of a drag. The film wasn't perfect but it made us think about environmental issues and also the unforeseen effects that ones actions can have on our own lives. Worth seeing.

Passive-aggressive, but then again it's Reichardt, and she always drains the life out of her concepts, only this time the poor, derivative thing is dead from the start.

This movie moved slowly. Its message was important and left room for an interesting philosophical discussion, but something about these actors pissed me off a little.

Creepy and very suspenseful.

A little less obscure than Meek's Cutoff, but not by much. Not sure if this is a training film or not, to help harden the help, and to maybe think things through; like go for broke, take out all 10 or stay at home. I thought the hives was a nice touch. 8-) I see the two highest reviews so far look like they're written in Russian or something. Hmmmm.

Three environmental activists blow up a dam, but when it turns out an innocent bystander was killed, guilt and paranoia drive them--especially the troubled Josh (Jesse Eisenberg) to desperate action. Not as sharp or haunting as MEEK'S CUTOFF, Kelly Reichardt still crafts a pretty good thriller here, with some unbearably tense sequences and a fine, nervy performance from Eisenberg. Dakota Fanning and Peter Sarsgaard have less to work with, but they're solid. Great cinematography and score.

A gripping environmental thriller, filled with an outstanding build-up and a visual sparseness that beautifully echoes the emptiness of its Oregon-set landscape. The moral complexities it subsequently explores were unconvincing and tame in comparison though the film generates just enough tension to keep you engrossed.

If2014 & Usta isi ritmi, adim adim ilerleyen ve gerilimi tirmandiran senaryosu ile izlerken, 'sonunda sinema izliyorum' dedigim bir film.

if 2014