Rating: 2.5/5
When I saw Vox Lux, I remember how exciting the movie felt initially. At one point, the movie suddenly drained of all life, and it was such an excruciating experience. Mercifully, the film ended in under 2 hours.
Now, apply that same problem to a 3.5-hour movie. We have an intermission, after which the film makes some choices, most dull, others bizarre. The epilogue, in particular, feels like it’s trying to sum up everything the film failed to say up to that point, but in such a goofy way.
I’m not a big fan of biopics. And this isn’t one! This guy isn’t real. And yet, the movie feels beholden to some hidden timeline.
That said, Brady Corbet clearly read my review of Oppenheimer and addressed my biggest complaint about it. Yes, Adrian Brody gets a hand job from a sex worker, and we see it. So that’s why I rated this one half-star higher than Oppenheimer.
Adrien Brody will get the most praise, but Felicity Jones showed up in a way I’ve never seen her before.
I also gotta give a shoutout to Joe Alwyn. Between this and Kinds of Kindness, he has committed 110% to portraying shitty dudes.
Lots of folks love this one. I didn’t hate it, but it won’t be one I return to.