I've read with interest that "realism" for its own sake is killing film. I can see the point. The best of movie making should probably target "art" not "journalism".   

And, though I like a happy ending -- that is not the measure of a good movie for me.

But I couldn't find a character to relate to. It was truly the most hate-able group of characters I have ever seen in a movie.

Tom Cruise character was exceedingly well done but simultaneously so evil as to be unwatchable -- even when "getting his" while stewing in his own juices of deceit during the interview scene. I will give him HUGE points for pulling it off.

The soon-to-be-widowed suicider's dialog consisted almost totally of the single word "fuck". It became neither jarring, funny, real....anything but utterly meaning-free.

...and it's not unusual to really despise characters in movies (though rarely ALL of them) -- but usually at some point, in good literary fashion, characters grow into something if not likeable, at least interesting or, dare I say, redeemable.

I guess that if there was some character "growth" it was in the young quiz show kid who, in the end takes the control of his life that will give him the greatest chance to not becoming the Macey character. "You need to be nicer to me" --probably the best line in the film. Quite jarring that it reflected the true change of individual resolve rather than the false hope of a kinder father.

While the frogs were jarring, they jarred to exactly no change. I guess I missed their meaning. I would have thought that they would represent the "other" but I can't see how they did.


...I'm just thinking as I type.