The Most Hated Woman in America (2017)

Simply Perfect

best movie i've ever seen.

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

What a fabulous film! Based on real events, about which I knew nothing but will shortly be looking up on Wikipedia, this movie features a tour-de-force performance from Melissa Leo as the cranky, eccentric, and heroic central character, in a story which kept me gripped from beginning to end.The film tells the story simply and straightforwardly, without any flashy camerawork or gimmicks of any kind, and it's the better for it. The story doesn't need embellishments, and the director (Tommy O'Haver) wisely doesn't attempt to reinvent the wheel with his filmmaking.However, without the perfectly-pitched performance from Melissa Leo holding it together, this film may not have worked nearly as well. Her acting was a fine balance of over-playing and under-playing, with almost theatrical scenery-chewing mixed brilliantly with more intimate moments of reflection and introspection, creating a central character that was both intriguing and captivating.It's worth mentioning that the script is also magnificent, with dialogue that furthers the narrative effortlessly, peppered with dry humour and sarcastic one-liners and barbs that hit the mark every time.I had never heard of the film, or the lady it's about, but I loved every minute of it, and have been inspired to learn more, so as a movie it both entertained and enlightened me, and that's about as much as can be expected from any film.

With poor acting and an extremely confusing script, the most hated woman in the United States tells the story of Madalyn Murray O'Hair, president and founder of the American atheist association, focused on her kidnapping in 1995. The ill-executed direction of the film portrays in a poorly planned manner the events preceding and explaining the abduction as well as the period in captivity the atheist activist and his family. When finished watching the film, the spectator can not visualize in detail neither the life of Madalyn nor his kidnapping. Badly made scenes of action, weak dialogues and a dubious photograph characterize this film that, unfortunately, does not live up to the importance of the figure of Madalyn and its history.

Melissa Leo is a great actress. Madalyn Murray O'Hair, as presented here, was not a likable person. Coming from the fifties as she did, the ugliness she was subjected to, just as with the civil rights movement, would tend to make anyone re-act like a snarling badger. She was the point of the spear in the fight against the religious tyranny that is, and has always been, right around the corner. The right to say: "I don't believe it and you can't make me." was fought for and should not be taken for granted. A very American story in every detail. In the beginning, I got the feeling it was going to have a 'Coenesque' flavor to it. If the same thought occurs to you, dismiss it. It's a dramatized bio rearranged to feel like a thriller.

Well, what to say. A couple of really good actors. Good camera and sets. But to my disappointment I have to say that the sadistic killing is the climax and thus the real star of this movie. The last minutes of the movie belong to the horror genre. It leaves you behind with a depressed view on the world. I am from Holland, I did not know this woman at all. But after a quick research online it seems to me there's more to this woman. Now we are just presented with some general story line through time. A display of what Madalyn Murray O'Hair did and with whom and then this whole vehicle is going towards her killing, someone sawing off an arm and some more killing. The characters were kept rather one-dimensional. And it ends with pure nastiness. Perhaps the main people behind this movie were very religious? Anyway... it looked all like it could become a really good movie but then it all ends, all of sudden, with the explicit scenes of them being murdered. I mean, why? What is the purpose? Why show it? For what reason? Where's the intellectual and artistic motivation to show this all so explicitly? How is this serving this plot? Perhaps the David Waters character was meant to be the center of attention? This ending would serve a story about the f*cked up killer David Waters. I think there should have been put much more work on this flick. It probably should have become a series. With an in-depth story line displaying real people with complex personalities, who we really get to know. You see that many people put some love in this movie. But then the script just disappoints and thus the overall production. Was it planned as a series and then they decided to turn it into this movie? Seems the best explanation to me. Or was it meant at first to tell this story from the point of view of David Waters but then Melissa Leo jumped on the wagon and she needed to get a bigger part? Overall people just did a really bad job here. With some real effort, with some real good script, developing over a couple of episodes this could have turned into a price winning drama. Especially for Melissa Leo: it could have been an Emmy Award winning role. Melissa Leo is delivering on a high level. But the whole construction of this thing is just letting her down. Disappointing. A 6 for all the good acting that is going on by most of the cast, for the set dressers, the editor and for some choices in directing.