MovieChat Forums > The Hawk Is Dying (2008) Discussion > What's up with the rating for this movie...

What's up with the rating for this movie?


Just a quick one really. I've not seen this film yet, but it looks good, I'm a huge fan of Paul Giamatti, but I'm a little perplexed at the IMDB rating - 4.8 out of ten? All the reviews seem good, but that's a heck of a low score. Is this a movie worth watching?

Cheers

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I say it is, critical response seems mixed. Maybe a large chunk of people can't appreciate this kind of independent films. I recall hearing a lot of proclamations or 'boring'.

I didn't find it boring. I didn't have the urge to fast forward at all. There were some confusing parts (in no small part do to unintelligible dialogue and a lack of subtitles on the DVD) and Gattling's motivations don't seem to be explored, but other than that it's a damned good movie. Giamatti is excellent here. His performance further cements him as one of my favorite actors.

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You can't be looking for explosions, car chases, and massive special effects budgets to like this film, and that's probably where the rating problem comes in.

Every educated person I've talked to has loved this movie. It's very powerful, but a time investment is necessary. I would put it on a par with reading one of Henry James's longer works. If you're willing to follow along for a while, you'll become immersed enough to truly appreciate the understated (for Hollywood) emotions and the ability of the screenwriter to accurately portray how life's struggles aren't born in a vacuum, but mingle and feed off each other.

The resolution of the 'hawk problem' coincides with several other events (some tragic, some beautiful, some mundane) in this story. And to see them all as somehow separate issues would not do credit to reality. I guess the film is existentialist on the level of a Bukowski novel.

My late-night musings aside, I would highly recommend this for people with an education and an attention span of more than five minutes. I think it's one of the best films of the year.

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As my my writing this comment, Metacritic assigns a score of '48' to Hawk is Dying, based on 9 professional reviews. Therefore, a score of '4.8' seems... exactly expected.

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If you're a huge fan of Paul Giamatti, you HAVE to see this film.

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If you don't want to spoil it don't read further.

I tried to watch this film but couldn't finish it. After the nephew dies in the waterbed, I had to turn it off. My nephew committed suicide by hanging just over a month ago and IT SUCKS!! Every (and I mean every) movie I've seen since has had a reference to child death, suicide or hanging or a combo of all three. I can't believe how often it comes up. Never noticed before and this was just the last straw and I just couldn't sit through it. I've got to start renting comedies and feel good movies man.

So, even thought I love Paul Giamatti, that's why I rented the flick, I couldn't stand his character. I'm a birder. I would never approach trying to tame a hawk unless I was fully educated on the matter. In fact, doesn't one have to obtain a license for this "sport" by completing some sort of training course. And I know that Red-Tails are protected birds. I'd love to know if other birders/falconers were disturbed by the lack of respect this person showed for the thing he was trying to do. It was just not intelligent.

"Whoever you are, I have always depended on the kindness of strangers."

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Depression and anti-social behavior are certainly hard sells, especially with an actor so ugly, SOOOOOOOOOOO, that there is absolutely no reason to be drawn into the film, that's just me of course. I've seen many Giamati movies, and the more I see him, the less I want to see him. He portrays similar human emotions in nearly every movie he does, which makes it seem it's actually who he is... Falconry is creepy, whether in real life or in movies, watching a misfit attempt it is even creepier.

But if you're a Giamati fan, there's a chance you'll like this...

***So I've seen 4 movies/wk in theatre for a 1/4 century, call me crazy?**

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This is definitely a movie worth watching, even if you are not a Paul Giamatti fan.

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I thought it was better than American Splendor and Mean Creak, both of which have an IMDb rating of around 7.5 . According to wikipedia it grossed only $15,000. A highly underrated film.

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