movie thoughts: The Experimenter (2015)

[orangerful]

This is not a movie, though it may look like one from the poster.

This is not a documentary, though it might feel like one every few minutes.

I don't know what this was.

It was interesting, I will give it that. But there was no arc, no real tension. I didn't know anything about Milgrim or his specific experiment but it sounded familiar.

This isn't about "character development" or relationships.

It's just like, here's this guy, he did these things, in fact, let's have him (played by Peter Sarsgaard) tell you all about it in a somewhat random way, staring directly into the camera all of a sudden.

Not what I was expecting. Interesting but I think I might have been happier with just a straight up documentary rather than this odd combination which felt very clunky and meandering at times.

Also, I found Winona Ryder to be distracting. First, I kept staring at her neck because she seems very very thin. But I thought her acting felt forced too. (and some part of my brain always sees her as Lydia Deets, eternally a teenager/young adult and that wasn't working for me either).

I'd give this one 3 please-don't-electrocute-me-I-have-a-condition out of 5 stars.

Comments

[velvetwhip.livejournal.com]

I'm not a Winona Ryder fan so I'd been debating whether or not to see this one. Thanks for helping me make up my mind.


Gabrielle

[kita0610.livejournal.com]

LOL! Grat review.

I used to live in Petaluma Cal., where Ryder apparently spent her teenage years. Shoplifting. There are stores there that have signs "WINONA RYDER SHOPLIFTED HERE!" It's pretty funny. I haven't been able to watch her in anything without thinking about that since.

[shaddyr]

Thanks for the heads up!

[jerusha]

We studied the Milgrim experiments in psychology, so I have to admit that this intrigued me. I may check it out.

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

You will probably enjoy it more with a bit of background in psychology plus now you know what you're getting into. :) I was expecting a more straightforward movie, so I just wasn't in the mood for this style of storytelling.

[rhoda-rants.livejournal.com]

Winona Ryder's always like that, at least for me. There are certain directors who can bring more nuance out of her, but she basically has one setting.

This looks interesting though! The Milgram experiment is so infamous, I guess it's about time somebody made a movie about it. And your review, while not favorable, is intriguing. There was another movie not too far back about the Stanford Prison Experiment, which also looks interesting--and stars Ezra Miller, which is a definite plus for me.

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

I think that you might enjoy it since you clearly have some knowledge of the experiments and now that I've given you a heads up on the interesting style of the film. :) I just wasn't really prepared to watch something like this, I was thinking it would be more of a straight forward movie about the experiments, but this was more of a documentary.

I'm curious about the Stanford Prison Experiment movie, though it doesn't appear to be in the library's catalog just yet!

[ragnarok-08.livejournal.com]

One of my psychology classes in college talked about the Milgrim experiments, so this does look intriguing to me in that way.

[aveilthe.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a strange movie. Not sure if I'm gonna put this one on my "MUST WATCH" list... thanks for reviewing it!

I always remember Winona Ryder as that awkward goth girl, too. Granted, she didn't too bad at all in Black Swan. I think that was one of her better adult roles... maybe.

[night-owl-9.livejournal.com]

Huh. Interesting.

[dancingdragon3.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the review! It sounds so odd, that it makes me want to check it out, when I can for free.

And I know what you mean about Winona always being youthful in your mind. Strangely, I was okay with her being old for the Star Trek. Like she looks right young and old, but not in the middle, lol.

[snogged.livejournal.com]

I've never heard of this, but it doesn't really sound up my alley.

[yourlibrarian]

Hah, my next post draft includes thoughts on a bunch of movies including this one. I rather agree with your comments, it was an odd duck.

[a-phoenixdragon.livejournal.com]

Ohhh, one of THOSE kind of movies...

And it has been ages since I've seen WR in anything. Hmmm.

*HUGS*

[elizalavelle.livejournal.com]

Huh.... I've never heard of this but it looks interesting.