The Passion of Martin

I feel profoundly ambivalent about this movie. It's often pretty funny in the beginning as we get to know what a pathetic loser Martin is, then as things get darker it becomes more and more uncomfortable to watch

63.00.

with its dark and melancholic mood, love passion and obsession, it was like reading a Dostoevsky book. the amateur spirit is important here, because you can feel the excitement of director. this ernesto sabato adaptation is simply one of the best films of alexander payne.

Payne's strongest suit is his ability to create characters, and Martin is probably his most interesting. Completely fucking bonkers but still sympathetic. Even with such a bizarre protagonist, it manages to be surprisingly poignant as well.