Whoa. I have to admit, I went into this one with mild expectations. Especially after being told that David Marks (Ryan Gosling) is the new Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale). That threw me away instantly. But, I decided to watch the movie anyway, just to make a judgement by myself.
Believe me when I tell you, I was in for a treat. The story is inspired by true events which represent New York's most notorious unsolved murder case. This adaptation of it is extraordinary. The characters are very well put together and played to perfection. Ryan Gosling just continues to improve himself. If you, like myself, thought he was already good, that was nothing. He keeps on conquering. Another surprise is most definitely Kirsten Dunst. I never liked her, but the acting she pulled off here is terrific. The emotions, the movements, the facial expressions... Everything was spot on. I think I'm just not able to stress that enough.
The story itself is a tale that lasts to this day since 1971. The start of the film is a slow introduction to the events that follow and is quite slow. But, the more you reach the end, the more immersive and intense it gets. Let me tell you, I'm not the kind of guy that gets easily moved by a film, but the conclusion of this one left me a bit... I don't know, heartbroken maybe. It left an empty feeling in my stomach. So, in my opinion, if it was able to accomplish that, it sure deserves a place in my book of favourite movies.
The outstanding performances of the lead roles, the excellent production, great storytelling. It takes an 8 out of 10.
