I'll start by saying this movie isn't perfect, but I really, really enjoyed it. In short, the pacing was fantastic (not a dull moment, but at the same time you really got to know the characters), the actors all clearly were really enjoying making the movie and gave their characters their all (Willem Defoe in particular, and Nicholas Cage was completely revitalized for this role). I also really enjoyed the cinematography, some various effects were used tastefully to great effect. Finally one of the best qualities of this film is the subtle details, often humorous, of the sets/extras. This film made great use of the background for both humorous and dark mood setting purposes.
The one complaint I had with this film was the abrupt transition to some sort of symbolic "meta-scene" right around the last 10 minutes of the film. It just felt jarring and didn't really resolve or leave me thinking anything. I would not be surprised if I just missed some symbolism, but it just didn't resonate with me. But luckily I did not feel it ruined the film for me.
So in summary, this film is a fantastic surface level action flick. I would describe it as the inverse of the TV show "Cops". Similar camera-work during the action. It also had some real depth to it's characters, and man was there chemistry. It'll leave you wishing you could see more of the characters yet the point kind of is that you just see a glimpse of their lives. More would take away from the poignancy.
The one complaint I had with this film was the abrupt transition to some sort of symbolic "meta-scene" right around the last 10 minutes of the film. It just felt jarring and didn't really resolve or leave me thinking anything. I would not be surprised if I just missed some symbolism, but it just didn't resonate with me. But luckily I did not feel it ruined the film for me.
So in summary, this film is a fantastic surface level action flick. I would describe it as the inverse of the TV show "Cops". Similar camera-work during the action. It also had some real depth to it's characters, and man was there chemistry. It'll leave you wishing you could see more of the characters yet the point kind of is that you just see a glimpse of their lives. More would take away from the poignancy.