The pieces are there for something great. It sometimes feels like it is approaching that. I had high hopes. Though it didn’t meet them, it is still a well-made, challenging, film.

It moves like a cliché sports movie yet, underneath, it is the story of a woman pushed to be someone she isn’t, being smothered by an emotionally/physically abusive husband.

There are stretches that are great, some that feel overly repetitive and an ending that I’m not quite sure how I feel about. That’s Yorgos Lanthimos for you.

If you can look past the surface of the story, dig into what it is trying to say, this is a pretty significant project.

It is a goofy little movie with charming animation, some tonal issues and a few amusing jokes. It is totally harmless, good-natured and completely forgettable.

Ethan Hawke makes what could have been an exhausting character equal parts charming, funny, tragic and self-aggrandizing. It is really entertaining, which is important here because Lorenz Hart is basically the entire movie.

It certainly contains elements from its predecessor, mixing it with aspects of A Nightmare on Elm Street to create a next step that is sort of logical. The result is uneven to say the least.

It is captivating because writer/director Kelly Reichardt never turns up the emotions or injects intensity. It is a subversive heist story focused on a man quietly struggling to admit he screwed up.

It is a fine story, yet the production does not contain a lot of power. It comes off as forced, like the path of the story is inevitable, regardless of whether or not it earns its emotions.

It is a detached character study with a strong central performance. It is pretty good, even if it isn’t the most entertaining sports movie.