Background: A world filled with chaos, pollution, hunger, poverty, injustice.
Take said world and introduce into it first a character (Michael Douglas, in the best performance I’ve ever seen him in) that seems to amplify the chaos of every situation by ten, and produce it where there is (or seemingly is) none (at least on the surface). A character whose focus becomes more and more clear in his mind as his mind becomes more and more chaotic and without focus.
Introduce into that scenario a character (Robert Duvall, who is excellent as per usual) whose life is the very definition of tame, sedate, tranquil…non-chaotic. A character whose focus gradually but surely lifts him out of that sedation, re-invigorates the true “will” in him, makes him alive again, so to speak.
Place these characters at such a point so that only one of their focuses (focii??) will be realized.
And one will.
Two ways to escape “drudgery”…fantasy and reality. I’ll take reality. (That would be Duvall).
Grade: A-