(!!!: and possibly some level of spoilers for The Invisible Guest)
When I learned that the film was adapted from a stage play, I had a reason to rate it and write a long review.
First of all, in a stream of consciousness, I had this feeling when I saw the second half of the movie: "Why is it so familiar, and which movie is it similar to?"... Ah, I thought of it! "Invisible Guest"! The lawyer is a fake lawyer, and the detective is also a fake detective. The film stops abruptly before the real lawyer and the detective come to visit, and the protagonists also admit their mistakes or crimes. Mother and God serve justice for different purposes. But "The Invisible Guest" is clearly superior, and it's not just the difference in ratings.
I personally think that this stage play is not suitable for adaptation into a movie. Cinema is a logically and organically highly realistic and life-like art system. It is precisely because of the flexibility of the scene frame that the visual experience on the film is richer and more popular than the stage play.
It should be admitted that this film is not bad, and the actors' acting skills are also good. But the stylized things on the stage are still obvious, such as the most controversial plot design—everyone is related to the girl and indirectly caused her death—it seems abrupt, in order to express the theme in form. Structurally intentional feeling. And everyone's single-faced role setting makes all the scenes in the luxury restaurant unnatural. Even though these plots account for more than half of the content, they are still like a series of scenes, as if they are just to reveal those episodes slowly. Like Nolan, the fragmented memories are finally put together, making the audience hooked.
And the clues and ideas in the drama can't be as flexible as the movie, so this movie seems very simple in terms of ideas, that is to say, the close-to-linear narrative and the not very strong contradictions between the characters make this film look a bit boring. In contrast, the scenes in "The Invisible Guest" are very tense in the room, with mutual suspicion and suspicion, truth and lies intertwined, helplessness, anger, and trust fill the screen like a broken silver bottle. Therefore, you can guess the next plot trend when you are about less than halfway through the sin house (of course, this is not to say that the movies that can guess the ending are not good, just that the plot trend is a bit single, and there is no particularly big plot ups and downs) .
In fact, the idea of the final ending is exactly the same as that of "Invisible Guest", which is very refreshing. But the thick sermon of God is indeed not a suspense and mystery film, it is indeed a bit like a stage play, and then a deep and serious curtain call reveals the theme of the whole movie, and the next 15 minutes are also in this contrast. It doesn't seem logical. How did God notice that poor person, and why did he help her (perhaps just to provide justice and warn the mortal world), at least we can't call this ending a shocking ending, which obviously owes a lot of heat. Moreover, I originally thought that there would be a reversal of the ending at the end. For example, it was discovered that the detective actually had a very close relationship with the female worker. The two joined forces to punish evil and promote good, or it was a revenge drama planned by the female worker. As a martyr The image sips the cleanser at the end, like the last breath-taking 30 seconds of The Life of David Gore, it feels like at least that way the image of the female worker will come alive instead of just being stuck in abyss and despair during these events The slave, or just a small supporting role. If you feel that such a plot is too bloody and too Hollywood, reduce her role and work hard to carve out the plot tension in the restaurant. So this is more like a stage play. Those who are good suffer from poverty and live shorter lives, and those who do evil enjoy wealth and longevity. Even if there is a conscience like a younger daughter and a younger son, such a setup seems very powerless.
In addition, the criteria for judging crimes in the film seem to be stricter, so this may also be the reason why the shock of this film is not as great as it should be.
Finally, let's talk about the lens. The lens is very flat, there are almost no close-ups, and there is not much deep focus. The lens does not have much language, and it is very narrative and not bad.
(Most of these complaints are based on the scenes in the restaurant. I feel that there is nothing to complain about in the interlude part. These sections feel good, the colors are very dim, and the social background is also very dark. In addition, Sophie Lando is really good. Pretty, with the same British aristocratic vibe as Keira Knightley)
But it is commendable that the theme of this film is still quite deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. The six deadly sins except gluttony are clearly reflected in the early industrial age full of class contradictions. May those who commit sin be punished by God, and may the righteous be protected by God.
Finally, pretending to be a literary youth to engage in a line quote:
- Do you believe in God? --I believe. - How can you believe this? - I can't trust ordinary people. I have to believe in one thing or I have nothing to believe.
To the best and worst of times.
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