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Suburbicon

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Don't go, but if you do and you find you were duped, walk out and ask for your money back. Do not let them keep your money. There is no reason to pay for a movie that you were tricked into seeing. Hollywood used to get away with casting "star power" to steal your money while preaching to you (although I have always thought Clooney was way overrated as an actor, now he proves so as a "writer", "producer" AND "director" which means he was overpaid). No longer. Want a movie that consciously tries to divide? This is it. Hollywood needs to wake up. We have seen behind the curtain. Take a knee or walk out. But stop supporting this garbage. Maybe the theaters should push back. They wonder why they are losing money. How about theaters that only show good movies? Movies that are apolitical and good for the soul and our country. There have always been theaters for Independent and/or Foreign films, why not other categories?

It may have seemed logical before, but now there's genuine proof that a Coen Brothers movie has to be both written and directed by Joel and Ethan so that the dark comedy seems genuine, palpable, and not one bit contrived... But their own personal Cary Grant in George Clooney, the star of a few less inspired installments after the bro's last true classic, THE BIG LEBOWSKI, has, as director and co-writer, made his very own "Coen Brothers" experience taking place in a 1950's Suburban community called, simply enough, SUBURBICON, a misleading paradise with postcard-perfect houses and manicured lawns belonging to one-dimensional neighbors, all of them white... Save for the black family that just moved in... a husband, wife and child suffering through chanting protests right outside their living room window, and for absolutely zero reason plot-wise except to further prove how hypnotically racist, soulless and Stepford-like Caucasians were back then... But even this chanting mob is merely a background distraction for a pointless fable centering on who seems to be the most open-minded neighbor, living with his aunt and son after wife/mom was killed in an opening scene that plays out like IN COLD BLOOD on downers... Which the main character, Matt Damon, seems to have overdosed on: With zero personality he's hardly a person to either root for as a hero or follow as a pawn through this sluggish maze without corners. Despite a few quirky Coen elements, SUBURBICON goes absolutely nowhere, slowly. The location is supposed to mean everything, and does look old-new and genuinely nostalgic, but it's eye candy without a main course. Plus there's a particularly loud, awkward silence throughout: difficult to explain except that it occurs when a movie has no point or purpose, urgency or destination... Unlike a real Coen's film, the moments that don't serve the plot aren't intriguing/engrossing as a character-study while these characters, white or black, drive absolutely nothing. The best thing is the relatively short run time. Plus there's an inevitable yet still somewhat intriguing primal twist that could've given Matt Damon's middle-aged sad-sack a touch of TALENTED MR. RIPLEY but... no dice. Not even Coen stock trouper Julianne Moore has anything more to give than dull stares in the 4.8 IMDb-rated abyss that, like THE MONUMENTS MEN, proves Clooney is more beloved within the "progressive" bowels of Hollywood than a mainstream audience: anyone else would be banned from filmmaking. As an actor (HAIL CAESAR) and a director, he should just stay away from the Coens... Especially in this case, tacking-on an overblown social message to what was (most likely) a Noir-inspired tale of murder and mayhem. Let's face it... George is so politically motivated, he simply can't have any fun. To paraphrase the mortician's request to Don Corleone in THE GODFATHER... He wants us to suffer, like they suffered.

Wow, how can all you so-called critics hate on a nearly flawless film? This film was excellent in every aspect. First off, the story was well told and executed perfectly by director/writer George Clooney, with excellent writing by the Coen brothers. The set and prop details to fit the era were outstanding in every scene. Clooney's camera work and direction of his actors was perfect. The score could have not been any better. All actors were perfectly cast and played their characters flawlessly, especially little Noah Jupe as Nicky. Cinematography and editing were on point. Although I'm not a fan of slow-paced films, this one managed to hold my attention and interest really well. I've seen many bad films - by overall production, and in certain aspects of development that had way too high of ratings/reviews. Yet this little gem got slammed for no reason, as not too many can see the production value and details that have gone into it, revealing an interesting and unique crime/mystery story told really well. A very deserving 9/10 from me!

Wow - I've just watched this for the third time and I think this will be one of those films that becomes a cult classic in time via word of mouth . The reviews have been quite poor and I wasn't expecting to enjoy it at all , but if you like Hitchcock , you'll love this . It has all the hallmarks of a great Hitchcock thriller with added racial social satirical commentary i.e. He who cast the first stone ... many glass houses in utopia There's murder , mystery , suspense , red herrings , money , deception , good and evil . The film is seen almost entirely through the eyes of Nicky the son and his innocence and perceived naivety , but is a triumph of good over evil . There were so many fantastic filmic cues throughout , this is the perfect film for film students and those who love the craft of film . It's set in 1959 and the style of the movie could have easily have been made in that year , Clooney has done a fantastic job and like Hitchcock he plays a cameo role accept it's not him it's a lookalike playing the insurance agent ! There are a few items that could be considered as the McGuffin not least the fire engine spelling danger and a constant pre cursor to unfolding events The soundtrack was perfect , acting , cast and costume and props all top notch giving you the feeling that something wasn't quite right in utopian suburbia - ever heard of Uruba ? It's a protectorate - everything happens for a reason in film and this one was just about perfect . There's something sinister in Suburbicon on Sunday 8.5/10 Pad.A

This film intrigues and engages from its beautifully crafted opening titles to its unusually optimistic end. The immaculate (and slightly too pristine) recreation of the American dream, or more accurately nightmare, of the 1950s and its values carries a message that is true and very relevant today in every country. The story line is simply told and allegorical. The protagonists in the film - who are the stakeholders who hold power and social position - all focus their attention and ire on people who are different while overlooking the horrendous crimes that are going on in their own midst and behind their own backs. The story is told very simply and has some surprise moments - a couple that, unusually, caught me completely off-guard. My only criticism of the film is that the story is told a little too simply. There is no mystery or sudden revelation. the pieces fit together like a child's jigsaw but, sometimes meaningful story needs to be told simply. Noah Jupe, as Nicky, steals the show effortlessly from Matt Damon and Julianne Moore and in his convincing emotional range prevents the film from turning into 'Home Alone'. His silent, withheld anger and understanding seethe out from the screen in the scene where he sits at the table while his father eats a sandwich. Julianne Moore is as wonderful as ever. This role enables her to develop the 'evil beach'range of her acting that she started in 'Kingsman 2'. Matt Damon unravels in a strong, measured and resilient way as the plot unravels. Some funny moments are clearly aimed for in many of the darker scenes but George Clooney, as director, does not extract their full laughter value and Matt Damon seems unsure whether to play it straight or play it for laughs. For once, the Coen brothers hold back a little on the violence. Some of it is only semi-witnessed allowing the imagination to fill in all the gaps. The film is all the better for it. All in all this an excellent film and is very relevant to modern world- life. It is my film of the year and it has has affected me deeply. If you only see one film this year - make it this one.

I'm sorry but i am incensed to write this, the amount of people giving this film 1 star due to it being 'liberal' has just got my goat. No wonder the world despises America due to its right wing attitude...this is a film about race and equality (and a tragic premise) yet all you do is harp on about 'liberalism'?? is this such a bad thing? no! on topic, for a first time directorial debut i think Clooney has done a fine job (i studied film at university) his composition is excellent as is the setting/mood/costumes etc and the writing is sound via the Coens...stop being so bloody narrow minded people. learn to love.

This was just awful.... tiresome, predictable and boring. I wanted to love it, but there was nothing to even like. Top talent in every category but it fell flat, like a soufflé that did not rise. Satire should be funny, but there were few laughs. Irony may be too sophisticated to pull in an audience. It felt like something was just off - timing? Editing? It dragged on and on without reason. So sad, it coulda been a contender.

SPOILER: I'm all for unique and different when it comes to filmmaking, but when a unique film doesn't do anything to intrigue its audience, aside from a consistent tone and setting, then it's not really all that impressive in the end. Suburbicon is George Clooney's latest attempt at direction, and I feel pretty much the same about this film as I did about many of his other works. A tone, story, and time period is all set up, but the way each of his films play out have seemed to leave a lot to be desired in my opinion. That is once again the case with Suburbicon, being a little too confident in itself when it came to presenting a powerful story. Here is why I think you could probably skip this one in theatres, but the effort put into it may warrant a rental if you're looking for something new to watch. Gardner's family is tested when a group of men invade his home, killing his wife and leaving only his son and sister-in-law alive. Falling for his wife's sister and becoming a complete psychotic and uncontrollable man, this film quickly spirals out of control into a farce of random occurrences. Throughout the first act of this film, it seems like it's going to be a satire that won't hold anything back in terms of wackiness, but that's very quickly thrown out the window, compensating with many subplots of murder and conspiracy. I found myself taken out of the film when the tone would shift this often, making for a very off-putting viewing experience. Throughout the majority of this film, you're asked to accept the horrible things that the main characters are doing, or just connect with Gardner's young boy on an emotional level, but he's not quite present enough in my opinion. Not until the third act do you really fin yourself caring about some of the characters, which was too late for me. This movie tries far too hard to be clever, funny, and surprising, that it just comes off as forced more often than not. You will find yourself along for a ride of random events and you won't really know who to root for. I may seem to be ripping this film apart for being un even, but for throughout all its flaws, there are actually quite a few great aspects, especially the sequence involving an appearance by Oscar Isaac. There is a lengthy scene when secrets are revealed and characters begin to evolve and Oscar Isaac elevated every moment of this portion of the film. Up until that point, there really weren't any characters to grasp onto, but the environment around them, along with the sets and the score, always helped to make the film feel more authentic than what its screenplay was presenting. This may sound confusing, but that's due to the fact that this is a very confusing watch, and I feel that many people will agree with me on that account. From being written by Joel and Ethan Coen (who's recent track record hasn't really impressed me recently), to being competently directed by George Clooney, to having racial undertones to help give the film depth, to showcasing some great moments of comedy, Suburbicon just feels like a huge missed opportunity, due to the talent involved. Matt Damon and Julianne Moore deliver solid performances here and the score by Alexandre Desplat is definitely what sucked me into this movie, even throughout the moments that annoyed me. In the end, I feel as though the positives slightly outweigh the negatives, so I can generously give it a pass. This is about as average as you can get in terms of having a clever setting and premise, only to never fully deliver on either front. Suburbicon isn't quite worth seeing in theatres, but it may please hardcore fans of the Coen brother's past work.