Demolition (2015)

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Demolition seems to be a rare type of film in which we are not used to seeing in Hollywood these days. The film has a more real atmosphereand feel to it where the characters aren't necessarily good people, but we do connect and rootforthe leads. Jake Gyllenhaal delivers a very sounded performance as he carries the film together. Described as a strange film, this film isn't predictable which is a good thing, as we do not know what to expect as each scene comes together. The film shifts tones on almost a scene to scene basis, and it's easy to overlook how quickly a director can lose track of these tonal shifts. But director Jean-Marc Vallée never puts a foot out of line. There isn't a single shot that feels out of place. Vallée's other gift is the David O Russell-like ability to extract great performances out of his cast, as this film like somewhat of a O'Russell film. Jake Gyllenhaal is one of the most consistently brilliant American star working right now. The fact that he has only been nominated for an Oscar once is something, but perhaps his best has yet to come.

I really loved this movie. A whole lot. Wow. The story really resonated with me.The movie follows the connections shared by Davis with Karen, and Davis with Karen's son Chris, as well as other characters, as they take apart their own lives, demolishing their pain, and building a new life together. We get a glimpse into the pain experienced by people that can be healed through destroying the past, rebuilding for the future, and connecting with others.Every character is multi-dimensional, experiencing inner turmoil, struggling in their own ways. Even the deceased character (no spoiler, but it's pretty obvious who unless you know nothing about the movie) is multi dimensional and we learn about her own struggles.Physical pain vs emotional pain, and physical possessions vs personal connections are large themes of the movie. The ability to feel feelings, to control them, and the joy that comes once you feel free to release them. Sometimes you need to destroy and take everything apart to fix it.There are moments of raw human emotion and vulnerability, laughter, regret and grief, childlike connection, painful isolation and loneliness, forgiveness and sorrow. It's truly an astounding experience. I laughed and cried and felt this movie was written about my own life.I found it breathtaking seeing pain and comfort in this way. How two people who are complete strangers can have an immediate connection, one that is very unique and deeper compared to relationships characters spent years building. This story may not be for everyone, but I found it shockingly compelling, poignant, and relatable.

I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. Opens with a car crash that takes the life of Jake Gyllenhaal's character's wife. From there this movie swung in a different direction than I thought. For me it seems to be about how someone deals with grief. Everyone around his character wants/expects him to be acting in a certain way. His wife's death has changed his outlook on life and those around him eventually become less comfortable with his behaviour. I really enjoyed Jake's performance. His character is weird (Not Nightcrawler weird), funny, angry and ultimately just figuring out how to grieve. For a movie I was expecting to lean into the sentimentality it played out in a different way that I feel is a bit more true to real life. It didn't win him any awards but I think the acting in this places it as one of the better movies Jake has done.

This movie lacked a lot of depth to me. Jake G is probably my favorite actor right now but this movie was a waste for him. He acted well based on what he was given but the writing isn't great and the character development is not the best. I just didn't understand the choices that the characters make throughout the movie. A movie about grief with an amazing actor at the forefront and a great director behind the screen sounds awesome but this sadly is not! So bummed.