Customer Reviews

Nobel Son

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

When I first watched this, the difficulty rested in how to categorize this legitimately. We have action, a little gore, lots of plot twists, suspense, thriller, dark comedy and a little bit of sex. So I say it gets it all, and with a nice cast to boot.

Alan Rickman is great once again and plays one of the more despicable characters I have seen him fulfill. He is cast as the adulterous professor/Nobel Prize winner that finds his son kidnapped/ransomed for the money he will be receiving. His adulterous wife (sublime yet believable in Steenburgen) tags along all whilst the detective (Pullman) tracks the strange truths and twists of the case. Eliza Dushku plays an R role, and the rest of the cast gives some fun performances, especially from Hatosy and even a little part for Devito.

The quality of the DVD and the 5.1 are adequate, with plenty of featurettes/deleted scenes that help show the production's back story and missing parts. A worthwhile film that has gotten little press, and even less distribution. Hope you enjoy a fun, plot twisting film that can be appreciated up to the last scene.

This movie is a very fast moving plot with lots of twists and turns that sometimes leaves you unsure of what just happened. In the end though it all comes together and is really quite entertaining. Alan Rickman is convincing as a self centered, egotistical and boorish nobel prize winner who is soon embroiled in a kidnapping plot. Family loyalties are tested and priorities examined. Mary Steenburgen is perfect as Rickman's wife who has to endure his personality flaws while dealing with the brutal kidnapping of their son. Things aren't as they seem though and the ending is a surprise. Definitely worth a watch.

First, the summary on the back of the case is inaccurate. Second, there are a couple of squeamish bits. One is quite graphic - involving the uh, taking of a thumb; the other, also involving body parts, is quite shocking, but is later ... er ... mitigated.

Rickman is wonderful as a self-important, philandering professor. The plot is wonderfully puzzling, and, for all its twistedness, not lacking in humanity or heart.

And that's all I can say about that.

This was a very dark humored film. It is definitely for adults only. There were violent and graphic scenes also sexual scenes. This film was a little too dark (in parts) for me but I'm sure others would enjoy it thoroughly. Alan Rickman must have had fun doing this role. The ending was worth waiting it.

It twists and turns and requires some attention (not for the slow of mind) to more than the obvious! Got lots of the Pulp Fiction speed and intensity with a little sex and gore which manages not to overpower the plot - it's bound for cult classic following.

For his legions of fans - Rickman never disappoints and this is no exception, smart, smarmy and sarcasm to spare! He has an excellent supporting cast of characters that unveil this deliciously twisted thriller in patchwork vignettes which are ultimately assembled for the final reveal! Made me want to immediately see it again to "catch" the details I missed the first time around.

Definitely worth the watch...and I will watch it again!

A really well-done, twisted mystery-thriller-comedy, where the story is so good that you want to watch the film more than once. Having Alan Rickman as the grumpy old man, who gets what he has coming to him, is a great casting decision. Eliza Dushku is also very good in her role.

lots of fun and twists that keep you enjoying every minute. only one quibble. it's the same one people consistently have. there is never enough alan rickman in any film! don't let this dissuade you from seeing this movie. he is the star, is on screen as much as anyone and his brilliance makes his character's ego the cause and effect of everything that occurs. every actor in this film is spot on. mary steenburgen is superb. danny devito, bill pullman, the two "sons", bryan greenberg and shawn hatosy are all perfect. there isn't a single weak link here. make no mistake rickman effortlessly rules every scene he's in. he always does. but the other actors are up to the task. in this funny, quirky film they are all truly terrific.
speaking to rickman's character, ted danson has a wonderful line "....someone's going to shoot you long before i have to fire you!". don't worry. he doesn't get shot. but, when the actor playing the "bad guy" makes you care about him, even like him!... really, how often can you say that? about alan rickman, always. no matter what his part. anyway, he's not the real villain in this story. just wonderfully despicable. at one point he tells ernie hudson "it's lonely at the top. you're lucky you're not a genius". you will agree that we viewers are very lucky that he is just that. see the movie. you'll be glad you did.

I laughed so hard sometimes my stomach hurt! Alan Rickman is brilliant as a cheating, plagiarizing, self-centered Nobel Prize winning teacher who's son gets "kidnapped" for his Nobel money as ransom! Twists & Turns, along with deceit and bits of insanity.....a fun movie!

3.8 stars

I'm surprised by how much some folks seem to dislike this one here and on Rotten Tomatoes, especially as it's pretty clearly a dark lampoon that never takes itself too seriously. The script, while occasionally too clever by half, has many memorable lines and moments and enables the actors here to deliver some nice performances. Rickman is as ever a very good bad guy, and Hatosy is the pick of the rest, really getting inside his character and making his scenes crackle a little brighter.

But they all get short shrift about 80 minutes in, when the movie goes from goofy to sheer silliness. Nothing wrong with either of those things, but there are so many plot twists in such little time that it gets tangled up like a poorly cast fishing line, and it's easy to lose track of the lure. If the entire last thirty minutes had been cut this might be a really fine little thriller. Then again, it's the weirdness/unporedictability of it all that distinguishes the film, so maybe it's just as well they weren't.

All I know is that while Nobel Son is far from perfect, it entertained me in many ways, surprised me in many others, and all in all was a truly unique film, for better and worse. The techno part of the soundtrack is suitably aggressive and pulsating, and it's nice to hear Oakenfold apply his sonic edge to a full OST (his cd Tranceport is one of the classic trance mixes, btw, well worth checking out if you dig his work here). If you like any of these actors, or just enjoy not knowing what's coming next or even what just happened, Nobel Son should keep your brain busy.

I had pretty high expectations coming into this film, especially when I also so Eliza Dushku in it. Plus, the previews really hiped the movie up and made it look absolutely fantastic and funny.

It was funny and it was cool, but I wish I had just rented it. Alan Rickman plays a cruel role very well, as he does in this movie, and I enjoyed the acting of the man who plays his son here, but other than that it was a very lackluster movie. It left me in "want."

I recommend it for its actors, not so much the development of the movie.