Kathryn Bigelow has a bizarre series of movies. She is obviously talented as a writer and director, and most of her movies are pretty well known. This movie has a cult following, which is deserved, as does Strange Days. Point Break, which you have to see if you haven't, is one of those 90's movies that, when it came out, was just cool. I remember watching it in the early 90's, thinking how iconic and amazing it was - it was only later that we looked back and laughed at it's insanity, which mostly exists because of the performance by Keanu Reeves as the hero cop. Then later, Bigelow went on to win an academy award for The Hurt Locker, and she was nominated again for her film Zero Dark Thirty. Zero Dark Thirty was fucking awesome and intense, and I loved it.
This movie has all the parts that would go on to win awards for her. It has amazing, gorgeous cinematography first. It's beautifully shot and photographed, there are iconic shots a plenty in this film, Then, it has wonderful make-up and effects. The blood and the sickness in this movie is achieved very well, there isn't a second where it's being shown on screen and you doubt it's reality. Both of these are assisted a lot by the actors, which are a stellar cast all made of actors that would stick around and each have movies they were known for: Adrian Pasdar, Bill Paxton, Lance Henrickson, and Tim Thomerson.
The atmosphere is also helped a lot by bizarre ambient music by Tangerine Dream. This soundtrack was amazing. As soon as I saw that credit I knew I was in for a treat. The difference between them doing the soundtrack to a movie and an entire album is that soundtracks are subject to more immediate change and short tracks. I love Brian Eno, Tangerine Dream, Vangelis, et all, but the whole albums can sometimes wear thin after 20 minutes of the same thing. Soundtracks are great cause the tracks are kept short, concise, to the point. It's a tremendous soundtrack and fits the film extremely well.
Those factors and just a very high pace make this film nearly perfect. I tried to talk myself into not a five star rating while watching this. Really, I tried. And in the end, I guess it might not be a five star movie. It feels extremely surreal. It feels like a weird dream. It feels like, if you close your eyes, the movie will suck you into it. I don't know how else to say it. It feels like the drug that you don't want to do but that sucks you in, tells you, just do a little. Just do it tonight. You can stop tomorrow.
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