1 post tagged “film review”
Firstly, thanks to James for the free tickets.
If you haven't seen this film you can read the first part without spoiling anything, I'll tell you when to stop. Except to say that it's almost always better to see any film without knowing anything in advance. I once fell down on this when I went to see Ed Wood with Johnny Depp. If only I'd known it was a true story I might have enjoyed it fractionally. Anyway, onto:
****/5 while you're in the theatre, but only * for what you come away with.
Great, attention grabbing opening scenes of a man stacking clothes and photos into a barbecue as though to excise himself of a lover. Then it's all slick vari-speed slow motion, focus blurs and inventive use of camera angles. To my mind these were creative enough to avoid post-Matrix visual cliche and give a strong hyper reality feel that should see the film stand the test of time rather than freezing it in the noughties along with a host of other big budget try-hards.
Right from the beginning we're asked to question what we're seeing but it starts in a subtle way. He buys crack, then has to stop to ask someone what to do with it. Afterwards he comes round in a panic and calls 911 "I have no belly button!... and that poses frightening questions about who I am". Our wayward TV star gets in the car to go to hospital and the resulting crash lands him under house arrest. Then it seems the film is then going to calm down, but it's only calm on the surface. The metaphysical unease is causing a disquieting undertow. Then the number nines start creeping in. All good fun.
At one point in the film during focus group trials for a new TV drama, they paraphrase Hitchcock "you should never confuse the audience". The whole film is one big confusion of twists, turns, half revealed truths and theories but it's a finely balanced act keeping your mind on tiptoes almost throughout. Is it a reality TV show, is he mad, are we seeing the finished drama product that's going on TV, is it a virtual reality computer game or the Matrix or is this the real world? Every time you think you know what's going on, the scenario changes completely, the actors start playing different roles and you really do have to think on your feet to stay in the game. Just how I like it.
Right at the beginning, they were happy to only imply the burning down of the house without showing it at all; we only ever see the match in mid-air before the screen burns into the next scene. Despite this powerful restraint, they have to grind the final ending into us with their dumbed down Disneyesque boot heel. Do they really think that people who haven't followed it to the end will feel better for being patronised like that? I blame the focus groups. This film could have become a cult classic on the shelf next to Donnie Darko but ironically, it seems they messed it up by being scared of confusing people. It's excellent though, you should have a look for yourself.
If you've seen it or don't care about ruining the ending:
Pixies fans won't be surprised by the final analogy, except God isn't seven and there's no mention of heaven. In this version, monkeys are six, man is seven and surprisingly koala bears are 8. I do wonder whether the whole film is just another by-product of the Scientologist's world domination via Hollywood and the same philosophy that created My Name Is Earl. There is a mention of Karma in the film somewhere and it certainly makes you consider your position in the grand scheme of things. The final upshot is that we're supposed to believe that the world we live in in its 91st incarnation and it was created by this being who's just got addicted to playing with his powers. He's not God but if God is a 10, he's a 9. I'm sure it would have been a much better film if they hadn't spelled it out beyond saying this and we really could have done without the attempts to portray the consciousness of multidimensional beings floating away from the earth using CGI glittering diamonds. What a waste of money.
I always think that superior beings would use a higher base for their number system as well so I doubt they should be nines. Probably they should be The Fs. That would make this film a C.8
