29/20
It took 7 years to finance
Tale
The Maynards and their children live a near-perfect billionaire family life. Ammon is an avid hunter, but doesn’t shoot animals because the family’s wealth allows them to live completely without consequences.
We saw it at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival
Ayn Rand: The Point Is, Who’s Gonna Stop Me?. Filmmaker Daniel Hoesl and Juliane Niemann take a decidedly satirical look at the wealthy class, and while there are some good ideas, it feels underdeveloped and not as strong as the film suggests.
Most of the performances are solid, while some of the acting for the children is a bit weak
The production design, camerawork, and color rendering are all amazing and truly beautiful, helping to capture the atmosphere and essence of the characters. Hoesl and Niemann’s direction, while a bit haphazard, has a clear vision for the style and atmosphere they’re going for.
It’s like there were some good ideas that didn’t really reach their desired potential
The story is a good idea, but unfortunately it feels as strong as it is supposed to, as the narrative feels underdeveloped due to some of the themes, and the characters don’t feel like they’re emotionally invested and interesting to connect with. There are some moments that are shocking, unnerving, and quite strange, and I understand where the filmmakers and their vision are coming from.
But it could have been stronger
However, it doesn’t feel entirely earned, and the style is too similar to something by Ruben Ostlund or Michael Haneke. Overall, it’s not bad, as I appreciate some of the moments.