Both a journalist and a documentary filmmaker chase the story of a murder and its prime suspect.
On one level a fascinating refraction of the Amanda Knox trial into an examination of perception, on another an increasingly trying hall of mirrors.
Like Thomas, you suspect [Winterbottom] started out with a very different film in mind; the problem is, what he's ended up with is a mixed bag.
Dramatically underwhelming. Doesn’t really feel like there’s a film here.
What a mess this is--and what a shame.
The Face of an Angel is a fascinating but perplexing film, which typifies its director's offbeat approach to whatever subject matter he tackles.
A little less authorial distance might have resulted in a more salacious film, but also perhaps a more involving one.
The depiction of the creative process here is far too tedious and pretentious to illuminate anything meaningful about the way fiction and reality intersect.
It teeters cautiously on the line of defamation a little too closely, managing to be hyperbolic, stupid and rather distasteful.
Overemphatic musical cues and dopey CG dream sequences (replete with head-munching serpents) merely accentuate the problems.
Director Michael Winterbottom insists he isn't exploiting Meredith Kercher's death with forthcoming film The Face of an Angel
General release. Check local listings for show times.