In a word, this film is disappointing. From the beginning, things felt disjointed and confusing. I had the sense that the director was trying to bring me into Frannie's world through visual tricks, but they seemed forced. It was apparent early on the color red was going to play an important part in the end of the film, because almost every scene had some red peppered through it, but it was done is such an obvious way that it became distracting. And every time I saw the red hat or the red shoes or the red newspaper box, I was struck that it seemed so dated - I remembered how effective a trick it had been with the movie 'The Sixth Sense' and how long ago was that? I found nothing sympathetic about the main characters. And while I didn't expect Frannie or Malloy to have a heart of gold I would have preferred to care about whether or not she gets killed in the end. As it goes, I didn't. Casting baby-faced Ruffalo as a tough-guy, sex-starved cop seemed a confusing choice. I love Ruffalo, even in his darker films, but throwing a Village People mustache on a guy does not necessarily make him appear more menacing.
And I know this will make me seem like a prude, but I did have a problem with the first sex scene, where Frannie comes upon a couple in a sex act. There is a close up view of a portion of a penis on screen for several seconds. I don't have a problem with the act itself, but I do wonder why it was necessary to show the penis. It was fully apparent that the guy was getting a blow job, I'm not sure what cinematically was gained by showing that level of detail. I can only think that it was put in to push the boundaries of the rating system, or to fulfill some strange agenda. It seemed pointless and arbitrary. Well, I guess that is in keeping with the rest of the film.
And I know this will make me seem like a prude, but I did have a problem with the first sex scene, where Frannie comes upon a couple in a sex act. There is a close up view of a portion of a penis on screen for several seconds. I don't have a problem with the act itself, but I do wonder why it was necessary to show the penis. It was fully apparent that the guy was getting a blow job, I'm not sure what cinematically was gained by showing that level of detail. I can only think that it was put in to push the boundaries of the rating system, or to fulfill some strange agenda. It seemed pointless and arbitrary. Well, I guess that is in keeping with the rest of the film.