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Intersect (2020)
Not a time travel movie
This is a bait & switch movie.
Warning: This is not a time travel movie. This is not a movie about time travel.
(I am not repeating myself, there is a difference. "Dimensions" is a movie about time travel. "Primer" is a time travel movie.)
With that warning, let me delve into what I liked and did not like about this atrocity of a cinematic production.
I came into the movie expecting a time travel movie. I was sold into the movie as being a time travel story. There was no time travel involved. At most, the story tries to focus on the pursuit of realizing time travel.
What I liked -- nay, loved about the movie is that production used chalkboards holding all the fake mathematics in background set. Any other movie would have opted using whiteboards.
What is most disappointing of "Intersect" is that the story was neither about time traveling nor about time travel, like "Dimensions" or "FAQ on Time Travel".
Not until I read another reviewer alluding to Lovecraft that I found what was so disheartening.
I am not a fan of horror, with one exception "Alien" (and possibly "Aliens", sci-fi horror done well. "Predator" could fall in that line but it is more action than horror.) Not being a fan of horror and by extension not a fan of Lovecraft. Seeing how this movie is some homage, borrower of, or referencing to Lovecraft has me missing the (sub)text of the movie's storyline and theme, such as there may exist one.
Only when I Google searched "Miskatonic University" did it get the blatant reference to Lovecraft. Sorry, not a fan so missed that totally. (Thanks to my local public library sci-fi/fantasy/horror book club, I have some notion of Lovecraftian endings.)
More disappointing is the Nolan's "Memento" constructed narrative was confusing and unnecessary. The movie hints at a mystery to which I did not understand existed and neither did I care about both its revelation and resolution.
Most others complaint about the bad acting, poor sound editing, and terrible script, all of which is so, but I can be very forgiving on bad acting cf. British sci-fi of the 60s and 70s but either the acting or(-inclusive) ADR was so bad even I was taken out of the film experience; the off-putting ADR (Additional Dialogue Recording in audio production, Automated Dialogue Replacement in film aka "looping") was not done well because severals times I had to wonder if I was watching a foreign film (Russian?) dubbed in English. (The name Miskatonic had me thinking it was Russian or something.) The English dub of the Russian movie "Koma" is well done.
Despite having met the man, I did not recognize Richard Dawkins' voice used for the computer's voice as others have mentioned. But I did recognize Lawrence Krauss by face in the small scene in the hallway.
I rate a 2 out of 5, because I finished the entire movie hoping against hope that the story would get better. I am here to inform you, the story does not go well.
My rating scale
0 = never watch/read e.g. Stephen King's "It" (both movie and book)
1 = I did not (care to) finish e.g. "Star Trek: Discovery"
2 = completed viewing, reading but did not enjoy e.g. "Looper"
3 = 'Meh' e.g. Stephen King's "11/22/63"
4 = worth re-watching, re-reading e.g. "Primer"
5 = deserted island material e.g. "The Time Machine" (here, I am thinking George Pal version)
Sabor tropical (2009)
The movie is a catfish
First, most of the reviews which rate the film at 8/10 or 10/10 are suspect, perhaps written by friends and family associated with the director, Jorge Ameer, or(-inclusive) lead actor, Matthew Leitch, "...the film summarizes Brian's (played by the very talented Matthew Leitch) travels through Panama and the high energy, intensely beautiful and awesome carnival of Las Tablas." Seriously?
Leaving aside what the movie intended to do, let's address what the movie does present. The movie is not a collage nor a kluge but a non sequitur sequence that portents at being some faux-reality narrative. In some sharing communities and in some listings, this movie is referred to as a gay themed film; in the background of the transition from the heteronormative almost pornographic first scene, following the opening credits, there is a movie poster to an actual gay themed film. This movie, on the other hand, there is no gay storyline, no gay theme, no well-defined gay character, and not even a hint of any homoerotic subtext between the faux video diary's subject and the friend hired as a camera man, the director himself, who we may assume is being himself and not playing some character. The only hint of anything "gay" is the man on man, again almost pornographic, fellatio scene. When asked how he will preoccupy himself on the aeroplane flight, the lead answers, "catch up on masturbating," to which a character responses without skipping a beat as if in midstream of another conversation, "oh, good idea. The weather is hot ..." Just when the movie starts to get interesting with the first and only dramatic turn, the movie ends with the lead character beating up to death? - we do not know because the movie ends showing Brian's bloody hands.
Another spoiler point, the full pornographic scene involves the lead character masturbating in Jorge's childhood bed.
Half the movie is long, panning shots, or, what in the industry lingo is called, B-roll footage.
The audience is given no resolution to the dramatic turn in the one graspable narrative of the movie, the lead character is catfished, a term that can be used now to describe such a situation coined by the titular film that came out or was made the same year, by a male scam artist, whose intensions were never explained, who pretended at being a female on some online forum that in the film is called "The List", a simulacrum of Craigslist.
Elephant Sighs (2012)
A forgettable piece useable as video wallpaper to alien others
There is no point to the movie, so do not bother asking.
An actor's film, perhaps that is because the story was a stage play originally.
A sly selection to rid oneself of unwanted company, sure, if you yourself can get passed the first five minutes.
Spoiler Alert The reason the protagonist, Joel, attends the men's support group is because they all see themselves with personality deficiencies from being an oddball to a person with a stutter. "Joel, you're here among friends." Joel is drawn to join them as if by some mysterious 'Twilight Zone' magnetism.
I cannot say how the stage production executed the move, but in the movie, we the audience were deliberately deprived of the conversation that the newly arrived protagonist has with the aging Ed Asner character, Leo. We the audience are not told whether or not Joel was invited.
Following the "big reveal" scene, Joel breakdown and shares his story which the other characters can empathize.
Michael & Javier (2011)
Do not waste your time
I burned minutes wasted on watching this pointless story.
Do not waste your time watching this short film.
There is no explanation. There is no hint of at an explanation e.g. hidden clues or subtext. There is no climax. There is no big reveal. There is no closure.
All that is given is just a sad narrative told by one character to another without point, theme, revelation, purpose, or meaningful conclusion.
If you enjoy purposeless, non-climatic, inconclusive stories, then by all means go ahead and watch. Otherwise, better save your minutes for something more worthwhile.
Emulation (2010)
Wonderfully executed
I have seen numerous expensive produced Hollywood movies that are crap compared to this modest collegiate production.
When the audience gets beyond the non-Hollywood production, then they can focus on the story. A good idea explored to a logical end without the un-necessary backstory.
The acting was good. Nothing took me out of movie.
(For those who may argue wanting "realism" in their movies i.e. think the college actors were too young to play their roles, you seriously think that Daniel Craig looks like he could play a real James Bond? Or, better yet, you have no problem with actors in their 20s playing high- schoolers or middle school teens.)
Two criticisms
Could have done without the love-interest subplot. The IM exchanges are acceptable and I follow their how necessary to the plot. The motivation to rescue the damsel in distress is an unclear cliché with which _I_ have a problem.
(Discussion of second point of criticism involves SPOILERS.)
The Turing Enigma (2011)
A disappointing, incoherent failure
What a disappointing film because did not satisfy my expectations. Albeit amateurish production, I had expected a succession of scenes that guided the audience, myself included, who may or may not be completely ignorant about mathematics with an intelligent plot involving how and why some piece of mathematics or a plausible simulacrum of mathematics is integral to the story.
The film is rather poorly executed. The choice to film in black & white was a failure because doing so was unnecessary and did not contribute to the story or acting; a failed attempt at being artistic. What makes a film artistic is excellent execution of cinematic techniques that enhance the story-telling in that medium.
Too may scenes, especially with solo actor when the story is not progressing. The movie will benefit from liberal, judicious editing.
The movie was incoherent because the characters's motivation and their actions was unclear, introduced the main plot beyond halfway through the movie, the Turing flashbacks did not contribute to the story, some of the character's identity or true identity were never given or verified, and had characters with undefined roles in the story especially when lacking reason for their contribution to plot development.
The film lacked suspension of disbelief. There were no attempts to address, to explain, or to resolve obvious problems and questions that arise and linger in the audience's mind.
For a short movie, < 90 min., bad form introducing characters, especially recurring, that do not contribute to the plot. The movie had some such characters.
I am not going to criticize the acting. I am not a film snob and I am very forgiving when it comes to acting. Suffice I write, the acting did not take me out the movie, which is a good.