The Beguiled

I didn't find the film worth a second watch. It was a truly unconventional take on the war between the North and the South. I wasn't bored, but I came pretty close. The plot definitely needed livening up. The only performance that stood out for me was Nicole Kidman’s, the others were just too bland. (2018-02-01)

An hour-long wait for a peak that definitely isn't worth an hour-long wait. Lots of stolen glances, genuine curiosity, and suppressed emotions do all the heavy lifting for plot development that struck me as belonging in a different, significantly less successful film. The answers to the questions that interested me the most remained hidden behind silent female characters. Sofia Coppola is definitely losing her uniqueness. (2017-11-20)

OK, gorgeous pictures, almost tableau vivant, fantastic natural lighting, charismatic cast, but I have to ask: WHY? There is a nice word for that - everything in this film is "underwritten". Characters and a story that moves forward through sharp reversals in the mood of a single male character. I get that Sofia wanted to change the perspective, but she failed. Deceived / Deceived / Deceived are too empty to offer material for subversion. In the end, it was best described by an American spectator who, when leaving the Cannes Palais de Cinema, said: COMPLETELY USELESS. I agree. (2017-05-27)

The blue-coated fox in the Southern hen house. The residents are in an uproar and have established a waiting list for him, and it’s only a matter of time before the old lady is fed up. Outside, a lazy mist naturally flows around the Spanish moss, while inside, naturally lit diminishing restraint and everywhere, natural beings writhing with desire. Up to this point, Coppola still manages to hold the triumphs of atmosphere, but from the moment the polite soldier and model for an ice-cream ad turns into an aggressive maniac with a flick of a magical saw, it becomes something that even Colin Farrell can't salvage (2023-06-14)

With its short runtime, the film doesn't have much chance to bore, but it felt pretty standard to me. It's a one-off that I enjoyed for an hour and a half, but it didn’t leave a lasting impression. The star-studded cast is the main draw, making it worth a watch, but the story itself wasn’t all that gripping. There were a few surprising moments, but nothing that made the film exceptionally impactful. I get the point and the message of the story, but it wasn’t strong enough for me to take away more than the feeling of having watched a decent film that I don’t need to revisit. I’d rather watch Misery again. (2017-10-08)