Suspension

I feel like it's tough to find really good, smart science fiction sometimes, so it was an incredibly satisfying experience to see this film at a screening in LA. The story is both contemplative and very intense, with characters who draw you in emotionally even as you become horrified by the events that are playing out. The cinematography is beautiful, and the visual effects are simple, elegantly planned out, and just executed extremely well. They alternately creep you out and give you a sense of wonder and adventure as the main character discovers he can do extraordinary things. The story moves along at a good pace - taking its time in all the right places, leaving you tense and unsettled in others. Overall, well worth taking the time to seek out and watch.

The box cover boasts that "Suspension" (Lightyear, 2008) won an award at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival - not exactly an Oscar, but the film is top-notch. Its premise: Daniel discovers he can stop time by hitting Pause on his son's video camera. The first time it happens, Daniel's son has the camera in the back seat of the car. A head-on collision kills everyone except Daniel, who sits, mystified and horrified, in a freeze-frame of the instant of impact. Daniel is able to get out of the car and walk around the collision. Subsequently he meets Sarah, the widow of the other driver, and becomes infatuated. He stops time so he can be with her. He sneaks into her home to do her favors like making repairs. That's kind of cute, but Daniel's behavior becomes more and more creepy. And Sarah, though stopped in time, can vaguely see him. The two leads, Scott Cordes and Annie Tedesco, are terrific in beautifully written roles, real people acting believably in bizarre circumstances. The "3-D stop time" (as it's called) effects are amazing, as Daniel walks among figures in a real-life diorama. Not rated.

Most of the comments here are true. Yes, it CAN be seen as boring. Yes, the acting is not the best. Yes, the plot has it's holes.

However, the ones who praise it also have their point.

I for one really enjoyed it. It may be for the unique twist to having "superpowers" like stopping time. Someone else called it "not a science fiction movie, but a character study". And that is certainly true.

I would have been disappointed, had I expected an action-laden superhero-movie with lots of surprises and SFX.

Without these expectations, I am really glad to have seen it. Certainly not for everyone, but if you saw "The Quiet Earth" and liked it, this one is a must!

What would you do if you could stop time?

Of all the movies I saw concerning extraordinary powers this one approaches the story using another angle. The others are usually more the American style or action movies with many special effects, explosions and of course the necessary love-story. In contrary this one is just different. No fancy explosions, no real action scenes. At some time you could feel a kind of little stress in compassion for certain people, but the slowness of the movie compensates. The 'stop time' principle is really linked to very slow and relaxing moments with soft, slow music.

The story itself is not really spectacular, the image quality neither. If you have nothing special this movie I could consider it as 'an option'.

It makes for nice Twilight Zone episode. I think the guys who did it deserve some credit for the story and the storytelling. There's certainly nothing wrong with it and I don't know if a bigger budget would have helped all that much. The lack of it isn't in evidence, which is also to their credit.

What you've got is a supernatural premise and its conclusions; competently acted, shot, edited and scored. It's got a theme, a style, decent characterization and a compelling plot. Nothing more, nothing less.

There are far worse ways to spend 98 minutes and I enjoyed it. Rod Serling would be proud. In a word: sweet.