'Good Will Hunting' review by Captain Raptor

'Good Will Hunting' review by Captain Raptor

Cards on the table: there's not a review of anything new this week because I'm going to watch The Lego Movie again instead of seeing something else. In an attempt to regain a modicum of pretence of professionalism, I thought that I should watch a modern classic, some sizeable gap in my knowledge of cinema. Good Will Hunting is certainly regarded as such, and I've also never seen any of Robin Williams' more serious work, so therefore it was thus. 

I don't mean this in a malicious way (or at least, not wholly maliciously), but it's very obvious that this film was written by actors. The major characters all have one individual scene where they're at their most emotional, and where the performer in question is given material tailor-made to allow them to showcase their abilities. The problem is that outside of their allotted scene, most of them have very little to do. It's equally down to weakness in both writing and acting, but to me this film felt largely devoid of life. The drama is simply not there in the script for a large proportion of the film's runtime, nor is it in Williams or Matt Damon's generally lacklustre performances. At times, Matt Damon's attempts at a stoic or troubled expression are nearly comically bad, and the two leads seem incapable of emoting at first. As aforementioned, in certain scenes they are explosive, this blankness still remains a problem throughout the film. Stellan Skarsgard and Minnie Driver provide some more consistent support, but this too is scoured by the presence of Ben Affleck's obnoxious, nigh insufferable character. 

The story isn't much to be celebrated either. Aside from being riddled with clichés, the plot is also threadbare, and the finished result feels more like a succession of scenes than something resembling a narrative. It does possess a nice sense of balance; it shows the flaws in its protagonists and the better qualities of the less sympathetic characters. Interesting characters might be the main strength that the film has to offer, but the positive impact of this is lessened somewhat by wobbly performances and dialogue of a substandard nature (I am genuinely perplexed as to why anybody thinks the famous "How do you like them apples" line is anything more than awkward-sounding, appalling trash"). The cinematography is clumsy and feels amateurish, which takes a toll on the film's atmosphere. 

I was thoroughly underwhelmed by Good Will Hunting. A weak script and inconsistent performances lie at the root of the problem, and maybe I'm cold but the film was nowhere near as uplifting or heartfelt as it seems to think it is. Within the mess though, there are moments of excellence, and Minnie Driver manages to remain commendable throughout the film. Cutting down on the runtime might alleviate Good Will Hunting of some of its burdens, but ultimately this is a highly flawed movie. How do you like them apples?