The Longest Week (2014)

Such a frustrating disappointment

Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

The premise is interesting - describing a crisis in a life of a spoiled, shallow, born-rich, almost-middle-aged guy, having a comedic view of it.Also, it looks very nice, too nice, really, essentially unreal, which is nice in comparison to this guy's life, which is also such.But that's basically all there is to it. It's not fun, though that is by design. It has but a few good jokes. There are no really fundamental observations on human nature. Well, except that someone who's been spoiled by their 40s needs to have a crisis to _start_ living in the real world - and that their life-long psychiatrist is a part of the problem, not the solution.The cast is actually mostly OK, except that Olivia Wilde being a model is a slight miss - though she's great in other terms. Essentially, they could have just made her an actress or a painter, or something.But the material is just even more shallow than our main character and, by the end, you're basically left with "what was all this for?".

Conrad Valmont (Jason Bateman) is 40, privileged, emotionally stunted, and living off the family's wealth in the family's high class NYC hotel. He is supposed to be writing a book but lives without achievements. His parents separate and cut him off from the family fortune. With no means, he takes the subway to his friend Dylan (Billy Crudup) for a place to crash. Along the way, he meets and falls for struggling model Beatrice (Olivia Wilde). Despite Dylan claiming Beatrice, Conrad pursues her in a week-long affair.With the pretentious narration and the particular characters, this is a story of relatively unappealing people. Conrad has nothing to offer and Dylan is little better. Even Beatrice is superficially drawn. There is no depths to these characters. Conrad's eventual growth is tenuous at best. The biggest problem is that the characters provide no humor in this suppose comedy. It's intentionally flat with no heart.

Romantic comedy, lightweight but fun. I found it on Netflix streaming movies.Jason Bateman is Conrad Valmont, 40-ish, and has always lived a life of luxury in the family hotel. He fashions himself as an author but when anyone asks about his current book he just says he is "gathering data." As he has been for several years. But he has it made with luxurious living quarters, an allowance, and a chauffeur. But mom and dad decide to split up and neither of them wants to carry the burden of Conrad's expenses. He basically has to leave on short notice, broke and with no place to live.So he does what anyone in his situation would do, he goes to his friend from childhood, Billy Crudup as single guy Dylan Tate, and asks if he can crash there for a while. Dylan doesn't mind but he has one request, rather a demand, that Conrad NOT go after his girlfriend.The girlfriend is Olivia Wilde as Beatrice Fairbanks. In spite of his assurances, Conrad in fact does have an eye for her. But to be fair here, she is probably even more to blame, as she makes overtures to him first, and they begin seeing each other on the sly.So that is basically it, the romantic triangle and the need for Conrad to finally grow up, learn how to make his own way through life. It is mostly entertaining but ultimately forgettable. I mainly enjoyed it for the three main actors, I like all of them.

First of all I enjoyed the acting of Bateman and Olivia Wilde. They are both a joy to watch. The story is having it's ups and downs, and the narration is something that I personally like in movies. But the main reason why I would recommend someone to watch this film is the cinematography. Great photographic scenes, depth of field, rule of thirds, low key, minimalist. Fantastic use of all the techniques. If you are a photographer you'll realize what I mean. Although even if you don't have any photography background you'll simply enjoy the view. Hats off to cinematographer Ben Kutchins, great work! Of course it doesn't hurt that Olivia Wild is damn gorgeous...