Plato's Reality Machine (2013) User Reviews

Beware Praises From Strangers (Especially If They're From Someone With Ties To A Film)

[smakar · 1/10 · 25 January 2015]

I was conned by the praises. So I gave it a go (thank God it was free on Amazon Prime). This was the LONGEST 80 minutes of my life - it dragged even more than being at work with nothing to do, or stuck in an airplane on a runway when I can't smoke.

This was a pretentious piece of garbage, most likely made by people fascinated with gazing at their navels. The characters were ALL obnoxious - there was no plot to speak of - and it has NOTHING to do with video games, expect for using clips from freeware games made in the 1990s.

God I hated this movie!!! Next time I will check the links of those praising films - it should have been a clue something was wrong by having all these 5-star ratings made within a month of each other.

Watch it is you wish - but don't say I didn't warn you.

What a bunch of pudu

[Snootz · 1/10 · 13 May 2022]

I have seldom seen a film in which the ALL 9 & 10-star reviews are so obviously bogus. I didn't even watch the film and I'm rating it 1 star for staff members / family / friends / investors writing reviews. From what another 1-star reviewer states, there's more gaming in these reviews than in the movie.

If you have to review your own movie, you need to get out of the business.

An Emerging Filmmaker to Watch

[cory-marciel · 9/10 · 25 April 2014]

Plato's Reality Machine takes an innovative non-linear approach to this tale of the messy love lives of a group of young New Yorkers who relate better to technology than they do to one another. The visuals are impressive, the virtual reality of the game space impressive (on a $35,000 budget for the entire film) and the narrative is challenging. This isn't the kind of film to hold your hand. The director, Myles Sorensen, challenges the audience to come to their own conclusions and the film is all the more rewarding for it. The young cast is also impressive and the New York setting is well captured. This is the kind of film that will appeal to anyone who has ever had their heart broken and felt unable to trust again. It also explores our culture's increasing dependence on digital lives that take the place of our physical ones. The main character has retreated into a world of gaming and violence after ruining his last relationship. Plato's Reality Machine provides an interesting micro-budget counterpart to Spike Jonze's HER, exploring many of the same themes.

An Indie Film Gem

[xackery · 9/10 · 16 April 2014]

Plato's Reality Machine pulls off what no other indie film has ever attempted - it explores modern issues of self-identity while weaving metaphoric video game world to explore the character's inner-lives.

The cast is stellar and includes Trieste Kelly Dunn (Star of Showtime's 'Banshee').

The performances are powerful. Sorenson's direction is dead-on and his story-telling is economical and innovative.

See this film and prepare yourself for a truly amazing indie film treasure. Wouldn't be surprised if this movie finds a big following with Machinima fans as well.

Cool mash up 21st century flick!

[kvosbeck · 10/10 · 9 August 2014]

This film will challenge you. It has a totally innovative structure, more like a song, with verse-chorus-verse then a regular, boring Hollywood film structure.

It delves into the lives of 6 interconnected New Yorkers. And it creates a bit of a rubick's cube game that it is up to the viewer to figure out. Music is AMAZING. Performances, especially Trieste Kelly Dunn and Macenzie Davis are off the charts. The video game story line is creepy and weird. It's almost like a David Lynch film. You hear the character as he is playing the game too. That is another way the director is playing with the audience's perspective.

But again, you have to use your brain with this one. Its a romantic comedy, essentially, but its not Failure to Launch or 10 Things I Hate about You. It asks the viewer to participate in the creative act. It asks the viewer to make connections and be open to a different kind of structure. A lot of people won't be up for this, they would rather have corny jokes and recycled plot lines. Easy laughs and obvious plot twists. Then go watch Operation Dumbo Drop.

It's a lyrical piece, haunting, but a brain is required to enjoy!

Gamers and the Game of Life

[marcgaudioso · 9/10 · 23 April 2014]

Plato's Reality Machine is a film about gamers and the game of life. It is about young singles, living in New York, trying to define themselves and connect with each other, but also about their avatars, their ideal selves, fighting for survival, forming alliances and deciding whether to betray their allies before they are betrayed. It is at one moment dark and intense, and at next, light, funny and sexy. At several places, as in the stylish sequence in the strip club, it is all these things at once. At first the game world appears to be typically dark and futuristic, but even there real human emotion and humor shine through. The real world locations are clearly New York, but not the same tired ones you've seen over and over. The performances are spot on. The soundtrack is cutting edge. Do yourself a favor and log in!

An original film.

[Marward-72-602987 · 10/10 · 11 August 2014]

The most original aspect of this film is the inclusion of animation which adds a fourth set of relationships to the three relationships in the live action part of the film. This fourth couple revolves around trust and leads one of the characters who is following the animated story, to change his own attitude to life. That's original. For all the characters, the world is ruled by their subconscious,something that is missed by most filmmakers today. This film is closer to something by Bunuel or Bergman. All the characters think they know what is happening to them, but they don't. Beautifully filmed in New York, this movie was a joy to watch and think about.

An impassioned film.

[martinfsorensen · 10/10 · 11 August 2014]

One of the pleasures of viewing a film is the discovery of what the filmmaker cares about. In this case, the writer and the director are the same, so it is doubly true. What the filmmaker cares about is how people miss each other in their daily lives. This is especially the case in the locale of the movie, New York City. Two of the characters do finally seem to find each other at the end, and two others do not deserve to find anyone, and the final two miss out and we are sorry for them. When they do miss each other and when they do find each other, we see them in the various picturesque (if that's the right term) scenes outside in New York.So I think that's what the filmmaker is telling us about, how difficult New York is for people to find each other, but also, especially in the subway, people can ultimately stay together. And that is the essence of all storytelling. The cinematography is spectacular, the acting superb, the dialog crisp. This film deserves a 10.

An original and beautifully shot film

[Brooke89 · 10/10 · 21 February 2015]

I really enjoyed watching this film. I loved the whole concept. Gaming is so prevalent these days, another reality to escape to. This is the digital world we live in now.

In this film we see both reality and virtual reality through an honest lens. The characters are people you can imagine knowing, inhabited by extremely talented actors.

What struck me the most about this film is the honesty of the dialogue. The interview-like and video game segments weaved through this movie made it a beautifully crafted one. I loved the New York backdrop.

It's a thinking persons movie, artistic and thought provoking.

A Well-Crafted Film

[jeffprugh · 9/10 · 21 August 2014]

Full disclosure: I am not a gamer. Quite honestly, I haven't played video games since I was a teenager.

But as far as PLATO'S REALITY MACHINE goes, that doesn't matter whatsoever.

In fact, some of my favorite moments of the film occur during the video game sequences. Why? Above all, they are finely crafted. The combination of seamless editing, a soothing voice over, and stimulating graphics creates a hypnotic feel which works as a smooth transition to the various characters' dating toils.

This virtual world is essentially more comfortable than the reality world. The reason being? Because we the viewer can relate to the dating struggles of Mr. Sorensen's characters. The game of love can frequently be difficult at best.

The backdrop of New York City is a great setting, and the cinematography is beautiful. The film is well-acted, the score and music are engaging, and the editing is fantastic.

I look forward to seeing what Myles Sorensen directs next.