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Sep 25, 2020richmole rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Not a doubt in my mind that this is one of the best movies I'll see this year (2020)--and I see a lot of movies. When I realized--through end credits--that Ed Norton not only acted as lead character, but wrote and script and directed the feature I was stunned. Just his PERFORMANCE alone was memorable. This is truly a one-man movie,--and that alone makes it special--and its one that is so layered, with a character so challenging (and challenged), that is truly "one of a kind." And on quite another level--as "gum-shoe" entertainment--it is superb. Yes, there was a novel (published almost 20 years ago) and back THEN Norton wanted to buy the rights to it. Then took it back 60 years and made it a 50s period piece , because he had learned that there was more than a PI story that he wanted to tell. He wanted to also tell the "dark" story of how NYC became a very modern city, a transition that wasn't pretty, wasn't legal, wasn't sensitive to race and human rights. THAT's the other story. And then, there's third story, of how music allows people to function in spite of their afflictions. Fine performances by a superb cast--even in small supporting roles. Watch, especially, Michael K. Williams (Boardwalk's Chalky White) as the trumpet player and Tony-award winning Cherry Jones as the urban activist. And the movie lost money.