Mass (2021)

This is a deeply moving film that follows the lives of two sets of parents who meet up to discuss a tragedy that happened in the past that resulted in the death of both their son's.

What a brilliant film this is . Four great performances from actors who are that the top of their game.

The subject matter is painful. One set of parents son was shot dead in a school shooting and the other are the parents of the shooter .

They discuss with each other whether they could have prevented what happened and even if they are at fault .

The tension is obviously high and the emotions range from guilt to blame to forgiveness.

This definitely has the feel of a stage play as it's four people set in one location but that's definitely not a criticism.

I love the way the parents try their very best , after the small talk , to be civil under very extreme circumstances and obvious tensions boil over at times .

There are two scenes that I absolutely love . One is after all the discussion and emotion the four of them go back to small talk after obvious relief that the meeting is over and the other is when Linda comes back into the hall at the end to tell one last story .

That performance alone , from Ann Dowd deserves an award .

Absolutely stunning .

The sad conclusion I came to after watching Mass is that there are teenagers all over the world that have the same mental health issues as highlighted here but it's only in America that they have access to guns and until that's addressed ( which it never will be) there will continue to be these awful meetings .

Fmovies: Exploring grief, parental responsibilities and the concept of the bad seed, Mass is this very sophisticated indie drama with thought-provoking dialogue that is gripping from start to finish, but it is also a deeply heartbreaking, difficult to watch movie with all four actors channeling anger, pain and discomfort phenomenally. This ensemble was just marvelous. If you can't see yourself, your parents or your child or anyone you know in this conversation, you are not being honest with yourself.

7/10 - hard to watch and packed with the powerful performances (particularly Ann Dowd's), this debut film for writer/director Fran Kranz plays very much like something you would expect to see on the stage but I felt it was a little overlong at times.

Mass fmovies. I love nothing more than when a film that takes place almost entirely inside one room is able to be infinitely more powerful and impactful than a film made on a 200 million dollar budget. It's what movie-making has lost in my opinion, the ability to make magic on paper, rather than by throwing special effects and stunts at the screen willy-nilly. 'Mass' is an incredible film.

I'll start by talking about the cast. The script is quite amazing in that it somehow gives each and every one of the main four an exactly equal opportunity to shine. If you said to me which of the four was the star, or even which stood out the most I would struggle to pick one. The each take the limelight when it's on offer, and they each fall back into supporting the others when it's not their turn. The balancing act in this regard is excellent.

The film is like being hit with a sledgehammer in the best way possible (hopefully that makes sense to you). The film is so powerful that it really does feel like you are in these character's positions. Their pain is yours. The film also does a great job of knowing when to reveal information. There was a pointy where I thought to myself that the time was right to let us in on what was going on, and within 60 seconds the film had done just that.

The fact that this is a debut writing/directing effort by Fran Kranz is nothing short of amazing. The dialogue is mesmerising, the pacing is perfect and the class with which the ending was handled (this would not have been an easy film to write the ending for) was classy beyond his years. This is a film not to be missed and very close to the best 2021 had to offer. 10/10.

I mean who the heck has almost two hours to waste staring at a conversation that could've lasted 15 mins smh? We thought 2+ hours had passed by, and when we checked, we barely were into this mess 45 mins. We wanted to stick pencils in our ears and eyes, to rid us of the pain we had just sat through. Fran Kranz has successfully made a film to punish people. Force someone to sit through this entire 2 hr paint-drying-pacing escapade to teach them a lesson. Heck, we can even use this as torture tactics against our enemies. Personally, I'd rather get waterboarded, at least it'll be over in 20-30 mins. Where Kranz really failed, is in his two hour torture, he should've added flashbacks to what happened. At least that would've given the viewer a break in the monotony, and created some level of thrill and suspense. Add the fact that the acting was horrible and seemed forced and fake - even the churchy young blond gal who was annoyingly overzealous. There was legitimately nothing redeeming in this film. It's a generous 2/10, only because I enjoyed watching Aunt Lydia out of her evil element.

A powerhouse of raw emotions & riveting performances, Mass makes for a heartbreaking & emotionally draining drama concerning two grieving parents who meet to discuss a tragedy involving their sons. Treating its subject matter with care & sensitivity, the story unfolds in a single room and is driven by the difficult conversation that ensues between the two couples.

Written & directed by Fran Kranz in what's his directorial debut, this dialogue-driven drama relies entirely on its cast to steer itself past the finish line and all four actors give their all to make it happen. Kranz is patient with his characters, provides them the space they need to breathe & express themselves, and allows their emotions to arise gradually by not hurrying through the process.

Even the awkward phase before the main conversation plays out in its entirety but once we get into the harrowing details of the tragedy that transpired and forever changed their lives, it's then left to Reed Birney, Ann Dowd, Jason Isaacs & Martha Plimpton to bring it all home. And they more than deliver on that note. The bookended scenes are a tad drawn out but its central drama is compelling throughout.

Overall, Mass navigates through loss, pain, trauma, guilt, anger, forgiveness, acceptance & healing and marks a promising start for its debutant filmmaker. The atmosphere is charged, intense & volatile but our character actors sure revel in it, with each turning in a memorable input. All in all, this story of two parents grappling with enormous personal losses who meet together to find some closure is definitely worth your time.