I have no idea what the budget was for this movie but it must have been modest, which goes to show that it's got nothing to do with special effects but all to do with dialogue and believable acting.
The biggest compliment I can give Mass is '12 Angry Men' by Sidney Lumet or 'Dogville' by Lars von Trier, and how a movie can totally win even with lack of props, but purely through dialogue.
Not knowing much about what's coming could be an off-putting factor when considering how slowly this movie goes through its paces, but it's one of those features that gets stronger and more involving as the story unfolds in its reverse-to-front way. You have to decide whether you can be bothered to invest in the meeting and why the couples are gradually feeling each other out in the first place, which does get a bit drawn out in places, but the payoff is totally worth it.
What I learned the most from Mass is that we all have the right to grieve and feel the pain irrespective of who is to blame, because we are all humans with feelings and personal sufferings. Some of us are more guilty than others but few of us are less alive. This doesn't mean that parents are not to blame for the shortcomings of their children, and breadwinners that concentrate too much on their careers could spend a little less time in the office, just as homemakers could be less soft and learn to say no, but the innocent and guilty feel just as much pain after the loss of a loved one.
I am thankful that I watched this movie because it gives me redemption as a parent who loves his children and never feels like it is enough. I know it is never enough, but I am not alone in feeling this way.
The biggest compliment I can give Mass is '12 Angry Men' by Sidney Lumet or 'Dogville' by Lars von Trier, and how a movie can totally win even with lack of props, but purely through dialogue.
Not knowing much about what's coming could be an off-putting factor when considering how slowly this movie goes through its paces, but it's one of those features that gets stronger and more involving as the story unfolds in its reverse-to-front way. You have to decide whether you can be bothered to invest in the meeting and why the couples are gradually feeling each other out in the first place, which does get a bit drawn out in places, but the payoff is totally worth it.
What I learned the most from Mass is that we all have the right to grieve and feel the pain irrespective of who is to blame, because we are all humans with feelings and personal sufferings. Some of us are more guilty than others but few of us are less alive. This doesn't mean that parents are not to blame for the shortcomings of their children, and breadwinners that concentrate too much on their careers could spend a little less time in the office, just as homemakers could be less soft and learn to say no, but the innocent and guilty feel just as much pain after the loss of a loved one.
I am thankful that I watched this movie because it gives me redemption as a parent who loves his children and never feels like it is enough. I know it is never enough, but I am not alone in feeling this way.