Run This Town

source: Run This Town

It has a strong start but becomes incredibly dull fast, and the movie can't seem to decide whether Bram or Kamal is the protagonist. The only reason I saw this movie I was because Ben Platt is on it.

If, somehow, you wanted to take the story of Rob Ford, distill it through about twenty different filters, tell it partially and poorly through the eyes of a hapless protagonist, have this character get completely pummeled by his opposite number and then make it appear as though a Kubrick-esque death occurred before the editing process could be completed, you would almost be able to get the picture of a mediocre film of maybe 4.5 stars or so. This film falls way short of even that bar. It's a pessimistic (and certainly stereotypical) essay of millennials set against a historical backdrop that ends up doing no angle justice. Maybe there is a better cut of this from the massive amounts of footage available or maybe it's just this incomplete. In retrospect it almost feels like a film-school assignment of 'fix this and make it work' that the fictitious student would then have to tackle. My problem is I've seen quite a few film school projects and group-edits and this film falls short of even those attempts.

I once reviewed a McDonald's in 2006 on Yelp purely for the novelty and newness of it. I haven't bothered to review anything on the internet since because the idea my opinion has value feels ridiculous, and generally the voice of the masses hits the mark. Until this movie. Throughout the pandemic I've been working through my "Movies to Watch" list, usually indies with snappy trailers, or a premise I'd never seen before (this movie being one of the former). It's been a train of disappointment, because two minutes of good editing or a gonzo idea do not a good movie make. Based on the reviews I was bracing myself for yet another story to run in the background while I check it off my list, yet here I was, actually entertained. The cinematography is pretty damn good, along with the score, and decent enough acting. The pacing is a bit wonky, the dialogue strained, and Damian Lewis' fat suit is distractingly bad, but from a writer/director still getting their footing early in their career, it's not a bad effort. Hell, there's stuff out there from far more senior filmmakers that don't meet the bar of "Run This Town." This movie is perfectly...fine. Great? No. Good even? Sure, maybe, why not? But these 1 and 2 star reviews make "Run This Town" seem unwatchable. I gave more attention to this movie than most of the dull fare that felt like a chore to get them out of my queue. In fact, here's a quick list (before I got bored with writing it) of movies far slower and less engaging than "Run This Town" that are better rated on IMDb: The Lodge, Little Joe, It Comes at Night, Vivarium, Upstream Color, Mandy, Color Out of Space, The Brand New Testament, The Vast of Night, Seven Stages to Achieve Eternal Bliss, Snowflake, Footnotes, The Fitzroy, Ad Astra, etc. Similarly, I've gotten bored with writing this review and have realized I'm probably in the wrong if this many people dislike it this much. Give it a chance at least if it seemed interesting and the review scores drove you off though.

I felt like I wasted an hour and 40 minutes of my time. It was a Really slow movie and I kept waiting for it to get better. The actors are normally very talented but they not used to their potential.

It is truly breath-taking an amateurish this movie is. With the many, and pointless, use of split screens, the director seems to be seeking a postgraduate degree from film school. The script seems unable to figure out what story it is trying to tell (and tells it poorly). Ultimately it is a pity party for millennials, without giving the audience any reason to join in.

I mean the actual story was amazing. everyone was watching the news every day to see what would happen next in the farce. this should have been an easy homerun, but somehow they made the whole thing boring. 3.9

Well I really enjoyed it. It was much different than expected. I expected the Rob Ford story. Instead this was an insightful story about the reality of fresh out-of-school millennials trying to get their lives and careers started in Toronto set amidst the backdrop of the Rob Ford controversy. It gave a glimpse of millennial angst in a way that felt very real. It was well-paced with quick, smart dialogue and a good mix of humor and kept my attention throughout. I could see where it could be polished up here and there. There were a few scenes and characters that could have benefited from a bit more introduction/development, but overall it worked really well. I give a lot of credit to indie films that risk taking an original approach and I am interested to see what this new director does next.

I try not to see the IMDB ratings before watching a movie so that I remain totally impartial. Movies are always a matter of one's taste. This is one movie where I wish I had checked the rating. Although a simple plot line, there was absolutely no plot twists or anything for that matter. I just kept waiting for the "wow" moment. I'm still waiting. And whoever was tasked with the makeup for the Rob Ford character should never work in the business again.

I am confused... where is Robyn Doolittle? What?