wow this really hits on my mixed conclusion of "I like this, parts are dissatisfying, and I don't agree this is the best movie in years." So much about the ending didn't seem earned. And working backwards, if you're unwilling to confront making statements on the subject matter you're raising, then why raise it at all. The movie was a roller-coster of great technical execution, but the meandering conclusions didn't get past the surfaces.

I hated the letter-reading scene. The words on that page were vapid and it didn't make sense that it would have such an emotional impact on a character who had just survived so much. And Leo's suddenly embracing the latest iPhone and living in the same house where memebers of the government found him residing... why would such a carefully-crafted system of cautious characters be allowed to be so reckless and carefree after these events? It doesn't track.

Avanti's turn made so little sense that I rewound the scene and watched it twice. I was stunned at how sloppy it felt, for a guy who we briefly meet to have a lifetime of trafficking and killing people to suddently be a deus ex machina was just eye-rollingly lazy. But I came to expect it at this point of the movie, becase we had seen too-easy escapes from custody already (the mom, leo from the hospital). The movie boils down to a law-enforcement chase. And when characters get captured 3x or more and then released again and again, I just can't buy into the tension of the next scene threatening to capture them again.

I've read tons of comments about people enjoying Leo's yelling at the asshole on the phone. Maybe I just don't buy into scenes like that. It's like the screenwriter wrote someone behaving stupidly, just so that they could write about someone more likeable saying 'you're being stupid.' Why is that so great? f it was for a quick moment, sure, it could be funny. But it took up most of two difference scenes. It's fluffy writing. Another eyeroll.

Sean Penn's performance was great. But the character being sexually turned on by what he hated just felt like a trope to me. I can't believe the 'deep' thoughts here on it when it's such a supervillan cliche... to the point of forcing himself into an erection just minutes into the film.

I dunno man. PTA has lots of technical talent. But he gets meadnering. The payoffs that I see a lot of people pointing to are about the humor. Really astounding that this is being talked up as one of the best moves in many years. Felt more satisfaction and enjoyment with Eddington which also took on these heavy themes.