In fact, this is not a typical awards season type movie, because the subject matter is relatively dark, and it is about a revenge and self-redemption. Such crime-themed films are often released in the spring and fall, as they are not the judges' favorite genre, but Nicole Kidman's performance, and the makeup of the film, are indeed worthy of attention during awards season.
The film jumps between the two lines of reality and memory, telling a sad story. The film's rhythm is as smooth and slow as the heroine's speech, and it's not until the end that it gets better, and there is an amazing reversal of the plot. This is a typical Noir film, with a pessimistic and obscure style and no obvious positive moral values. It is more that the characters pay the price for the choices they make. What's more valuable is that most of the themes of this film, revenge and crime films, used to be male as the protagonists, but it is only in recent years that this opportunity has been given to women. The female characters are no longer the vase and the victim, but the person who holds the gun, fights the criminals alone, and rushes to the front line of the crime scene.
Kidman is one of the few actresses who didn't win an Oscar for her self-destructing image. But this time she finally tried her self-destructing image, and the effect was indeed more prominent. It was obvious that she had a reborn performance, and she was very hopeful to be nominated for the Oscar again. The character is very similar to Theron's original Oscar-winning character, a less likeable, angry, morally flawed, and sometimes disgusting female character. But Kidman also gave the character the sympathy and understanding of the audience.
Few of the characters are likeable because of the film's negative style, with the exception of Sebastian Stan's character Chris. Since his first appearance, the director seems to have been focusing on his eyes. Even if he plays an undercover role and needs to dress up as a gangster, these clear eyes can quickly make the audience feel warm every time they appear. The color of the screen will change. To put it simply, this time, Kidman is cold and dark to the end, and the bag is the only shining part of this noir film, and every time he appears, it will light up the screen.
The director also didn't let him appear as a gangster from the beginning, so you can still see the high-value shots of the bag, and it is the only character in this film that was not completely "disfigured". The emotional lines between the two characters are interspersed with ruthless gunfights, which appropriately neutralize the film's grim tone. If you are looking forward to watching the two perform a passionate kiss scene, you can pay special attention to it.
Overall, I don't think this film will do much in awards season, but it's still worth watching.
(Toronto movie viewing)
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