All Good Things (2010)

Some movies are bad. You get to the end and you wonder why you bothered watching them. And then some movies are painful. "All Good Things" falls into the "painful" category. Was this a story that deserved to be told? It's based on the story of Robert Durst (whose name is changed in the movie to David Marks, played by Ryan Gosling.) The details (as far as they're known) of Durst's life are fairly well presented. The story revolves around the troubled relationship David has with his real estate mogul family, and with his deteriorating relationship with his wife Kathleen, played by Kirsten Dunst. Eventually Kathleen disappears, and to this day no one knows what happened to her.

The movie clears nothing up (which is forgivable, since it is an unsolved case.) It revolves around testimony David gave in his trial for killing someone else, which is the somewhat cliché means by which the movie unfolds. The problem with it is that it starts out uninteresting from the very beginning, becomes downright boring quite quickly, and enters the realm of the truly bizarre in the last 45 minutes or so. The story doesn't flow well, and the pieces don't seem to fit together. The story seemed to move in a sort of A to E to M to X direction, with the viewer not really being sure what the connecting points were, and in the end it left me completely unsatisfied.

To be frank, this was a waste of time. (1/10)

Fmovies: What a great, creepy story. This film falls under 'truth is stranger than fiction' and slips right at the top of that genre. Best film of the year. Great acting, Excellent Direction.

Andrew Jarecki took a fascinating story and made it into a great film, slipping it just under your skin; where you may find it hard to scratch away after viewing. All Good Things is an experience, its amazing how this story comes to life through under the umbrella of Andrew Jarecki and his team.

Like Wynn Thomas, the production designer/Art Director who's team put us right smack into 70's New York. There is no question of where you are; all details between dirt and sky are early 70's like a Space/Time blizzard came and left everything in Vanderbilt jeans, Hals ton Tops; covering Times Square in sleaze and tight tank tops for fat guys in pastel leisure suits. This is not the swinging Studio 56, 70's; but the creepy, Times Square Porn theatres, Taxi Driver, Son of Sam, 70's; Dark and strange, where wealthy and powerful New Yorkers, Civil servants and Leisure suited Larrys' live under their own rules and law.

Like Marcus Hinchly and Marc Smerling, the writers who took a big twisted story one may have read in Vanity Fair on hot Southampton summer beach; unraveled into a clear and coherent, cliché' free film; strung together with clever dialogue and cleverly created a non- narrator, narration, through the POV of a court room character brief / testimony.

Frank Langella, who, with one look at an empty chair, early on in the movie, could have stolen the film outright , had it not been for for the careful editing of David Rodenbloom and Shelby Seigel, under Jarecki's umbrella; making sure the film, which is not about his character, Sanford Marks, remains that way, true to the story.

Langella brings weight to every frame he's in; his charisma so apparent, it's not his fault really, that he commands every scene he's in, stealing the viewer's attention from what may be going on in the frame. (see The Ninth Gate or Frost /Nixon) - "it's 39.50 each, that includes a very generous tip" -

The Father and son subtext; combined with the functional madness of real life Durst ({David Marks]) played by Ryan Gosling as you've never seen him) is so very strange and un-nerving, it may make you shudder knowing that people like this exist all around you; everywhere you go, all the time.

Kristen Dunst, shows her range in this film. This is not your friendly Spiderman love interest, but a woman pushed emotionally to her frayed ends, where, in one near silent dinner scene, she, with great countenance, shows us how she can move from a woman trying to salvage what she can from her relationship - to great disgust; sadness, fear, and hurt all on one look; all in reaction from a single line slung at her by Gosling's 'Durst'.

We watch as the light Kristen Dunst brings to every role she plays, drains away into the black hole of Durst (Gosling/Marks) until she becomes a paranoid wreck; and rightfully so. Not every actress can do this, we take her for granted as an actress, but in thanks to Jarecki's direction we get to see what a truly great actress can do.

Philip Baker Hall in the last third of the film is a treat to watch as he plays a strange homoerotic vet who befriends Gosling who at this point, has succumbed to his madness, but like a functioning alcoholic. Gosling as Durst, plays/wears his aberrations as the straigh

A disquieting thriller, complexly plotted and with numerous twists and turns which actually turns out to be fairly closely based on a real-life story in America, which kind of shoots to pieces any criticisms I had of the credibility of the narrative development here.

That said, I'm not sure the time-honoured device of flash-backing from the trial of the accused David Marks, with interspersed updates as matters proceed, best serves the flow of the film. Moreover, things do take some time to get moving with too much concentration, in my opinion, on character development, especially on subsidiary characters, before Marks' strangeness starts to manifest itself, although this too is done awkwardly (off- camera conversations with himself, point-blank rejection of having a family with his living wife, peer-pressure from his father) so that I'm not sure I made the leap to psychopathy that Ryan Gosling's character actually makes.

The supposed thriller sequences are done in a hackneyed manner too, with night-time filming, dark shadowy interiors and even thunderstorms outside which work against the realism striven for elsewhere. By the end, after some head-scratching about Marks' transvestism and the strange, fateful relationship he builds up with his elderly fellow- tenant, I felt the movie hadn't satisfactorily plugged the plot-holes along the way for it to flow as it should.

Gosling and Kirsten Dunst are both good in the lead parts, although the shifts in character for the former, as indicated, are difficult to surmount. While Gosling plays each facet of Marks' contrasting personalities at different stages, I'm not sure he convinced this was all mixed up in one person, although that may be down to the writing. I did appreciate the sub-Herrmann use of soundtrack music, but ultimately felt this movie failed to gel in attempting to combine fact-based analysis of a psychotic Norman Bates type character with the conventions of a mainstream Hollywood psychological thriller.

All Good Things fmovies. The dysfunctional family of David Marks appears to have scarred him. His mother's death at a young age seems to haunt him. He is the eldest son of a shady, demanding real estate mogul and seems uncomfortable following in his father's footstep and getting involved in this financial empire. He seems bored, disconnected. One day he meets Katie McCarthy, a sunny and enthusiastic young woman. The story, taking place over several decades, explores their growing relationship and how the weight of David's dark legacy makes it all spiral down.

Andrew Jarecki is better known for the well-received Capturing the Friedmans. This is his first full-feature film and he tackles a difficult project but in many respect, this seems a logical continuation. His past as a documentary maker serves him well, since All Good Things is based on a real story. And much like "Friedmans", once again this is about very scary, dark characters. Jarecki's direction is mostly slick and simple, relying on a script and also an amazing cast

It is David who narrates the story, yet things are kept enigmatic and viewers have to reach certain conclusions. There is an economy in dialogue but everything is put in place for you to have a good idea of what is going on in Marks' life. There's something really powerful yet understated about how David inherited of traits both from his mother and his father, pulling him down. Many people have described the film as a sort of mix of romance and mystery, which is accurate. There are almost noir elements to the film.

What is most remarkable about the film by far is the cast. Ryan Gosling continues his ascension as one of the best actors working today. Kirsten Dunst shows why she has become kind of underrated in a very difficult role. They both play every single emotion perfectly and must use a lot of range and in very few words, we get their characters. Frank Langella as the father steals almost every scene he is in. This is an actor who always took his craft seriously but seems to be getting even better as of late. People talk about the chemistry between Dunst and Gosling but I was amazed by Langella and how he made these two actors better in every scene he was with them. Philip Baker Hall is another veteran who shines here in a smaller role later in the film. It's not easy establishing your character with little screen time but he pulls it. The rest of the supporting cast is excellent. Really strong point (and good for Jarecki, a guy used to film real people and not actors).

Where the film is a little less successful is in drawing the audience in. We feel sometimes as emotionally disconnected from these characters as David and Sanford Marks themselves. Jarecki is almost clinical in his approach. The romance never lifts up and so, the mystery grabs the audience a little less. Visually, the film also ends up a mix bag of more naturalistic shots and weird artsy attempts. There are abrupt flashbacks and forwards that make for an uneven pace and a less engaging experience.

Overall, this is still an interesting take based on a fascinating real-life mystery and a rewarding film if you are patient.

I had never heard this story before, and found it very interesting in a way that kept me wanting more to see of this film.This movie kept me entertained almost the whole time. has some boring moments like every movie, but still a fantastic movie to enjoy on a weekday. I recommend it to film lovers who wants something more then the usual crap Hollywood has been giving us lately. It's not an Oscar movie, but it in my opinion it deserve high points at IMDb.

Really enjoyed watching Ryan Gosling and Kirsten Dunst working together. they did a good job I think.

Summary: Good directing, Good acting, Good screenplay, Good film.

7/10

"All Good Things" is a love story and murder mystery set against the backdrop of a New York real estate dynasty in the 1980s. Directed by Andrew Jarecki (director of the Academy Award-nominated doc Capturing the Friedmans), the film was inspired by the story of Robert Durst, scion of the wealthy Durst family. Mr. Durst was suspected but never tried for killing his wife Kathie who disappeared in 1982 and was never found. The film stars Ryan Gosling as David Marks, Kirsten Dunst as Katie McCarthy, and Frank Langella as David's father, Sanford Marks.

From the beginning, the relationship between Gosling and Dunst is very intriguing and interesting; possibly the best part of the story. Their chemistry is very believable and charming. As David and Katie start their lives together, everything seems perfect. However, all good things must come to an end.

David's father does not approve of Katie or of David's lifestyle. Disappointment is all he sees in his son. David seeks to please his father, even if that risks his own happiness. Katie becomes increasingly independent, hoping for more out of their happy life and marriage. David likes things as they are. Soon enough, secrets from his past slowly begin to surface, resulting in mistakes and consequences that cannot be changed. I won't mention details into David's past, but it soon becomes apparent that this happy marriage wasn't meant to be. Jarecki does a very good job of showing us a perfect marriage as it slowly crumbles and falls into nothing. It's very effective, and at times, tough to watch.

Although it is difficult to get into his character, Gosling is superb. He does the best of what can be done with a character that isn't given easy material to work with. It's quite sad to see a character who obviously needs help, but is never able to get it. Dunst gives an incredible performance. She stole the show. Her character is of a woman who loves her "prince charming" with everything that she has, but as their relationship dies, she slowly disintegrates into an abused mess. Dunst gives one of the best performances of her career.

The first half of the film was good. Jarecki, however, did have issues with piecing together the second half of the film. This is when the supporting characters of the film became an important part in moving the story along. Truthfully, we did not know or care enough about some of these characters. It was difficult becomes there was no one that we could really root for. It was still interesting, but not nearly as good as the first half. Everyone gave great performances. Lily Rabe, Kristen Wiig, and Philip Baker Hall were wonderful. Not one bad performance out of the entire cast.

"All Good Things" is an intriguing story that studies two people as they rise to their greatest, but unfortunately fall to their worst. The performances make this film worthwhile. The film isn't perfect, but I found it to be a very interesting portrayal of a true story that will clearly blow your mind.

7/10