I love Viggo Mortensen, Laura Linney, and have even been a fan of Lance Henriksen. Henriksen gave a great performance in this movie. But the movie itself is wildly uneven in tone and structure. I really wanted to like it more than I did.
The elderly father was a vile human being. But that's not what bothered me about the movie, although the character seemed to be written a little over the top (how would any member of his family ever manage to stand by him?). There were so many aspects of this movie that didn't gel, as far as the tone. It just seemed fake. And Mortenson's portrayal of a gay man seemed very mannered and self-conscious.
It was a nice try as a first time directors effort for Mortensen. Maybe you'll do better next time.
The elderly father was a vile human being. But that's not what bothered me about the movie, although the character seemed to be written a little over the top (how would any member of his family ever manage to stand by him?). There were so many aspects of this movie that didn't gel, as far as the tone. It just seemed fake. And Mortenson's portrayal of a gay man seemed very mannered and self-conscious.
It was a nice try as a first time directors effort for Mortensen. Maybe you'll do better next time.