Scanning the menu button on the remote is like panning for gold. Rarely is any found. But sometimes a nugget appears. H.B.O. movies on demand P. U. 239 is not a gold nugget. It is the Hope Diamond.
The story of a father and husband whose life is shattered. Through no fault of his own. He knows he is doomed. His wife senses it too. Their moments together are devastating to watch. But he follows the path he must.
And a small-time hood, hustling the streets of Moscow with his 2 cronies. The cronies are brutal; causing great harm to man, woman, child, or animal, who may cross their path. And our small-time hood, with a heart of gold, tries to help these victims Disaster after disaster he is always trying. Soon the disasters begin happening to him. He soldiers on like our doomed father. They meet. And bond.
And as they both are being destroyed mentally and physically, we see they are on the same path. Like a story about Macbeth bonding with Richard the Third. And the dialogue is Shakespearean. Even better because I don’t understand most of Shakespeare. But this is simple. And it touches the heart. With knowledge. And sorrow. And humor thank God .
But seeing the actors hits us deeper. They pierce our heart. Is this acting? Didn’t seem like it to me.
Our small-time hood; placing himself in grave danger meeting with sociopathic top mobsters. Sociopathic as Caligula. Risking all on a crazy scheme he doesn’t even understand.
But our hood tries again and again. Even defying one in a battle he knows he cannot win. And as the final curtain is drawn amidst all this sorrow, appears the funniest thing I have ever seen on film. Tragically funny of course. Irreverent humor.
Oscar Isaac is our small time hood. I have never loved an actor the way I loved him in this. Everything he does is slowly building to a crescendo. The deep pain escalates. Physical and emotional. Same with the husband and father. I loved him too. How could anyone deal with what he was facing ? But their emotional pain hits them even harder. Heartbreaking. It’s like watching a train loaded with toxic chemicals wreck in super slow motion. But instead of train cars, these are people. People we love.
And all done to poetry. Simple to understand poetry.
May we be this heroic should fate deal us these hands. I was thinking of my favorite quote watching this.
“Success is not measured by what you accomplish, but by the opposition you’ve encountered.
And the courage with which you have maintained the struggle, against overwhelming odds. “ Orison Swett Marden
