This movie exudes an almost physical sense of emptyness and ennui. Oddly, while not entirely successful, that is actually a good thing, as Nicholsons character has lost all interest and drifts along mindlessly, trying without success to find meaning in taking over other another person’s life. The opening sequence, unfolding in mysterious wordlessness in a gorgeous desert landscape, are particularly effective at recreating the existential despair of Nicholsons character in the viewer, but all of the movie actually does a terrific job. Which unfortunately is also something of a bad thing.
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