You Were Never Really Here

Emotional mud, trauma, despair and once again one hundred percent Phoenix. The film certainly doesn't have a chance to appeal to a wider audience, it is too brutal, uncompromising and depressing for that, but it will definitely find its fans. I can handle these kinds of movies. Although I usually end up in a worse psychological state after watching them, something still attracts me to them and I can empathize with them, which sometimes isn't ideal, especially when dealing with something so impactful and bleak. The story is very simple and nothing exceptional, in a way it is a classic crime story spiced up with a revenge thriller, but the execution elevates the experience to a higher level. Precise direction and evocative music, beautifully enhancing the story of the film, are besides Phoenix's performance its main asset. The film contains several truly juicy brutal scenes, especially one particular one at the very end shook me a bit, but still I felt like it could have been even more brutal, some scenes were a bit tamed down, but it was compensated for by original camera and directing techniques (such as shots through security cameras). However, I don't take this as a big criticism of the film, that's probably just my personal deformation, there was plenty of straight-up violence. Phoenix once again underwent a complete physical and psychological transformation and became the character he portrayed. Joaquin gives it his all and I wonder how long something like this can be practiced without completely destroying a person. The final scene cleverly blurs the line between a good and bad ending. Anyway, You Were Never Really Here is recommended only for more demanding viewers who don't mind various artistic approaches and a muddy bath in emptiness and the suffering of human existence. (10/10/2017)

Thematically quite close to my heart. Child prostitution, people trafficking, but in this film everything is so blandly presented that even the decrepit Joaquin Phoenix, whom I usually like, failed to impress me. A visually cheap film, artfully shot, interesting cinematography, off-screen violence, and most of all, never-ending boredom. We Need to Talk About Kevin was a far better film by Lynne Ramsay. This is a failure. 35% (11/04/2018)

I didn't even get a chance to take a proper breath and the whole thing was over. This doesn't happen to me very often when watching movies, so despite some confusion in the narrative, I am extremely satisfied with it. Joaquin Phoenix takes on the role of a war veteran as if he had never played anyone else, and yet he has played so many diverse roles that few actors can boast of. He deservedly picked up some awards for his mesmerizing performance in this psychological thriller. For most of the time, I pondered the reason behind his actions and deeds, while my mind was constantly haunted by the highly unsettling music accompanied by nerve-wracking noises. I was very impressed by the visual sequences that complete the captivating atmosphere, which will probably remain in my memory for a long time. It will surely include the almost ritual burial of the mother in the lake depths. Even though there wasn't a full showdown at the very end, I wasn't disappointed because I wasn't really expecting anything like that. I gratefully acknowledge that, like the protagonist, everyone has to chew it over in their heads. And if you don't, a few blows with a hammer will certainly fix it. (80%) (08/06/2020)

A straightforward film noir made as an art film, noble and action-free. We are shown bloody massacres only in mediated form or after the hammer has come to rest. The introductory exposition is unnecessarily long, even if it defines the relationship with his mother and the kind-hearted core of Phoenix’s role. The traumas of war (and equally of childhood) are clearer in the synopsis than in the movie itself. Although there’s no shortage of good ideas, it’s just not as hard-hitting as Drive. The acting is awesome, the traumas weighty, the dream sequence surprising, but the finale is just a less entertaining version of Taken with a tubby old guy instead of Neeson. (28/04/2018)

A similar "special edition" of the functional and mainstream-oriented classic Taken, as Maryland countered the classic The Bodyguard a few years ago with its intimate, European approach. Though that one was more understandable and more audience friendly, it also offered and approach and application of elements that were either missing in the classic with Costner or were handled in a different way. Here the filmmakers are looking for the same as the main character, an otherwise excellent Phoenix, but everything surrounding him is a hypnotic mashup without a single, downright climactic scene, with awkwardly experimental camerawork and no raw violence. (09/04/2018)