Mild spoilers:
Pros: Dafoe is sensational taking well written nautical dialogue and delivering it epically, Shakespearean even, (however due to terrible accent work Pattinsons performance is poor) the cinematography, costumes, atmosphere, sound design, and styling is great to match and fits the concept perfectly.
Cons: the plot is about as deep as ‘it’s all a bad dream’, or ‘ both men are completely insane’, which is such a cheap and tired concept, AND it establishes this rather early, replacing would-be tension with tediousness. Consequently, it drags on and on with no depth to story, feigning to grip attention (though it does try), and finishing with no pay off or intrigue.
If it’s such a bad dream, scenes should should be scarier, if they’re both insane ok we get it already they’re insane. Also the occasional joke thrown in just makes it feel like a weird case of lack of identity but I suppose some would say it’s unique.
Another Eggers movie that is sensationally shot with fantastic setting and style and amazing (in places) acting, made tedious and boring by a lousy, go nowhere, done so many times before, story. Which subsequently paced poorly
I had very similar thoughts and feelings about the Norseman. And probably will again for Nosferatu.
For me Eggers is the most disappointing director in film, only because he is so absolutely incredible at every single part of filmmaking except for the STORYTELLING. Which is the backbone of a good movie.
Please Robert, direct something you haven’t written, it could be one of the greatest films of all time.