How is this movie not revered more?

I wish people would stop saying he quit acting, he did not quit acting. The movie "I'm Still Here" was a hoax, if you listen to the news. Joaquin was on David Letterman after the movie came out, check it out on Youtube. I try and keep up with allll the Joaquin news because I just love that guy!!!!! He has several movies in the making and one coming out in Oct this year.

This movie is so underrated. Watched it a second time last night, it only got better. Maybe people should stop comparing this to Departed etc. The whole tone is way different in this. The way some scenes were shot is incredible - from the coke factory (that single shot where he walks into the dark corridor for example) to the rainy car chase scene. The tension is build up so well with editing and sound design, unlike other movies that mostly fall short.
This movie is a rare gem of how atmosphere is presented so masterfully. Sad thing people overlook cinematography so easily.
James Gray should do more crime thrillers.

As far as the best gritty crime/cop thrillers of the past 2 decades--I would add WOTN to Training Day, Heat, Se7en, The Town, L.A. Confidential, The Fugitive, and Enemy of the State. Yes it was that good--and yes--movies this good are rarer then most think.

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Im in total agreement. When I first saw this movie, I was greatly impressed. Still havent figured out why it got so little respect. The story and the great acting kept me glued to this movie. I recently watched it for only the second time this week thinking that maybe I overrated it the first time after hearing all the criticism. But I can only say this movie is still as impressive to me as when I saw it the first time, probably even more. It's definitely in a league with great movies like Training Day and The Departed.

And yes, that coke factory scene is very intense. Great acting and full-on action by all.

Perhaps because it's just not as good as it ought to be ? It's a great cast and a good story but for some reason I could not get involved with it. I think I'll have to blame the Joaquin Phoenix character at the center of the film who came across as unsympathetic, uninteresting and petulant.

I think the reason it has a low rating is because it isn't that good on first viewing. When I first saw it, I remember thinking that the rating was about right, not great but not bad. However, after more viewings the film has grown on me and I now think its an excellent film

It is indeed a good movie, but as others have mentioned in other threads its notable failings are in (A) its off-touch portrayal of the era it's set in(I mean c'mon, a nightclub in 1988 - a year noted for its party/dance/club anthems - only playing early-'80s stuff?) and (B) the whole premise of Russian mobsters as the villains is a stretch of the imagination given the Soviet Union didn't fall for another 3 years. Brooklyn in the late '80s was rife with old-school Mafia crime, not to mention drug crews and gangbanger outfits like the Decepticons street gang. Any of these would've made more realistic and dare I say it, more interesting adversaries than the Russian Mob which wouldn't take root Stateside for at least another 4-5 years after the timeframe of this story.

"A man's character is his fate"

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