The Motive (2017)
Stars: Javier Gutierrez, Maria Leon, Adelfa Calvo
Runtime: 112 minutes
Synopsis: A man's life takes a dark turn when he starts using his entourage's lives as inspiration for his novel.
- Performances: 6/10
Why? Nothing that will blow you away. Javier Gutierrez lacks the depth and charisma to carry a movie like this one, but wasn't terrible in the lead role either. The supporting cast didn't have much to do, but still delivered nicely.
- Screenplay: 5/10
Why? I have a love-hate relationship with the script of "The Motive". I thought that the humor didn't land at all, that the characters weren't very believable, and that it lacked subtlety and wit. On paper, all these issues describe a pretty poor script, but when you start thinking about the main character, a wannabe writer still trying to find his voice and struggling to find inspiration around him, the screenplay starts to make a lot more sense in your head. By the end, I was convinced that we were just watching what Alvaro had been writing all along. In other words, we were watching a movie written by its lead character. This concept has been done before in the much superior Spike Jonze film "Adaptation.", written by Charlie Kaufman, and if the idea sounds interesting to you, I'd honestly recommend skipping "The Motive" and watching it instead.
- Costumes/Makeup: 5/10
- Editing: 5/10
Why? The movie could've been a lot shorter in my opinion. About 20 minutes shorter. It's a pretty slow movie where not much happens and if you're not really invested in the story, you'll feel it starting to drag really quick.
- Cinematography: 7/10
Why? Most probably the film's biggest strength. It's definitely pleasant to look at, and the color palette used is interesting at times, but I never felt like the cinematography added anything to the story or characters.
- Score/Soundtrack: N.A.
Why? Apart from some tracks played by characters in the movie, the film is completely music-free. I kind of find that decision to be both interesting and a missed opportunity at the same time. A good score would've helped the film better translate some emotions felt by the characters as well as the pacing, but a bad score would've probably sunk it completely. Guess we'll never know if the director made the right choice or not.
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