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Director: James Cameron
Genre: Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi/Thriller
Year: 2009

It is rare that Hollywood manages to give us something that balances the mainstream with the intellectual, the entertaining with the insightful and so, when it does happen, it is bound to be noticed. This holiday season, people have taken notice of Avatar which is a pleasant surprise, because it is rare that I hinge hopes upon a film that will actually carry them nicely. Most of the time, the scenario looks a lot like me crossing my fingers, hoping a film will do well and then, watching it all crash and burn to the point that I do not even bother seeing it — Transformers, I am looking in your direction!

Needless to say, given the rumors of overrun budgets and the new techniques — untried and untested — being utilized on this film, I had that little butterfly in my stomach insisting that I do not put too much of my hopes on this one, just to be safe. And to be fair, I also had my own personal misgivings. Having seen some exclusive footage at the San Diego Comic-Con, some of the character designs were not exactly winning me over (for the record, by the time I was done watching the movie, I took back every bad thing I said about the Na’vi character design). Having seen it, however, I would venture to say that, while this is not the perfect film, it is pretty much everything the hype is saying. Those that like to pick apart films the way my friends and I do, will likely find something to bitch about — there always is — but when you look at it as a whole, the flaws and errors here and there amount to nothing more than a divot in an otherwise very well executed film.

As far as plot goes, it sounds really complicated, when in truth it isn’t. Mixing the fantasy genre, with the adventure genre and the historical genre (circa the early 1600′s in the Americas), Cameron has put together a thinly disguised retelling of the Pocahontas story, with bigger, more bad-ass ships, and bigger, more bad-ass horses. This has led me to describe this film to people I have talked to as the more mainstream and easily accessible version of The New World. The beautiful, poetic cinematography and fantastic landscapes replaced with equally inventive and interesting, CG landscapes which are easy to admire.

There is no doubt that tremendous man hours were spent in thinking up the details to create this world and this creatures. From the smallest little animal to the largest plant, there seems to be a common thread that allows for this world to be easily welcoming and believable to the point where you can lose yourself in awe of your surroundings (particularly if you watch this in 3-D) without even thinking about it. A consistency has been applied to all life forms, so that they appear to belong in the same world and have some purpose and do not come across as nifty puppets pulled out of a hat ‘just because they would look cool’. A large amount of the fun in this movie, in fact, is watching these animals behave, or move, or even breathe!

The title of Avatar is taken from the concept that is at the core of this film, in which humans are able to transfer their consciousness into the bodies of the Na’vi, an extra terrestrial intelligent life form with a keen sense for cohabitation and love for the land, while also making for savage warriors when cornered. It is a scientific project that is riding on the coat tails of a privately funded project which aims to draw highly coveted minerals from beneath the village and the grand tree in which the Na’vi live. Minerals which serve as energy so efficient it will translate to obscene amounts of profits…enough to perhaps validate the hiring of private militias to do the necessary dirty work once the diplomatic means seem to have completely stalled.

Jake Sully (Sam Worthington; Terminator: Salvation) is a former marine who has lost the use of his legs, trying now to fill in the shoes of his smarter, science driven brother who has suffered an untimely death at a crucial point during the relationship establishing process between the Na’vi and the humans (whom they call the Sky People, or often the dreamwalkers). Blindly stepping into the Avatar program, largely owing to a need to feel useful again and an ego that is hardly hindered by his handicap, Jake dives head first (almost literally) into this fantastic world, where he meets Neytiri (Zoe Saldana; Star Trek, Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl), a native who reluctantly takes him under his wing to teach him the ways of the Na’vi, in the process, teaching Jake a number of valuable lessons that allow him to see the world and life, with a new set of eyes — not necessarily his avatar’s.

Considering the scope of this project, the execution is rather impressive! And given the fact that it is truly trying to be as wide as possible when it comes to audience, it is also very well balanced, with enough action to please the bomb-heads, enough romance to please the heart-throbs, enough eye-popping cinematic wonder to entice the younger groups and humor to keep it from spiraling into dark territory — which it very easily could have done. Aside from a bit of language, this film is actually pretty accessible to just about anybody in most families and likely to please them all.

Thankfully, there is enough intellect fodder to get the mind gears rolling; enough concepts and ideas to provoke discussion and enough of a visual feast to ENTIRELY make you forget that you have just sat through a movie that runs an ERT of three hours and fourty minutes (that is without counting the unavoidable trailers and ads that come before the movie)! All in all, this is probably going to be one of the best movie going experiences you will have had during 2009, or a good one to start 2010 with. Either way, this is a film you must not miss.

Rating:
Comments: There is a bit of language, they drop a few s-bombs and they also hint at some ‘mating’ between two Na’vi characters, though that is kept tastfully tame. Really, it comes down to a good amount of action sequences which use implied violence more often than not and some adult themes regarding politics, and cultural clashes.
Quote: Jake Sully: Everything is backwards now, like out there is the true world and in here is the dream

Director: Oren Peli
Genre: Horror/Thriller/Mystery
Year: 2007 (released 2009)

This feel did sort of creep up on us like its subject matter, didn’t it? When I initially heard of it it was set to be playing in something like thirteen places and only for a limited time. Next thing I know it is everywhere, playing all day long and raking in obscene amounts of profit, considering it was shot with a budget of about 20K. This film is, for all intents and purposes, The Blair Witch Project revisited and the similarities are not limited to box office behavior.

Depending on your point of view, this may or may not be a good thing. I personally was not a fan of The Blair Witch Project. It failed to frighten me, lure me and the hype it got ruined what little it had left simply because it did not live up to expectations. I think the best thing that particular film had going for it was the widespread, albeit flawed, belief that it was a true story. That seemed to inject a heavy dose of creep factor into a lot of the audience and understandably so. Paranormal Activity does not have that going for it. I do not know of a single person that believes this is true found footage (even if there is more than plenty willing to argue that shizz like this happens). Nevertheless, it ought to show some sort of its inner self to still be doing this well and that is where I think this movie outshines its similar, but in my opinion, less than stellar predecessor.

The formula used here is not surprisingly very similar to Blair Witch, where two charming young adults begin to experience paranormal activity in their home which seems to get progressively worse as they make an attempt to look into it and stop it. It is apparently something that started when Katie was eight and has followed her throughout. It is not explained how it happens or why it is boiling over now and I think asking questions of that nature really is asking for too much of a film that is simply not bothered with such. Paranormal Activity is only out for scares and that it does quite well.

If one can get over the simplistic set up, it is actually easy then to appreciate the fact that this movie does not waste 45 minutes setting up something that is scary even if you are not aware of the entire background. In fact, this movie makes full use of that in that sometimes what is left unexplained is just as creepy as the rest and since we the audience are seeing this through the lens of the camera as shot by either Katie or Micah at the home, it does not seem out of the ordinary or disappointing to not get all the answers.

Paranormal Activity builds up nicely with scary imagery that goes back to the psychological aspect of thing and does not make use of blood and gore. If one were to force a label upon it, this really is a good ol’ ghost story and the fact that we see it through grainy and often unsteady shots (thank you for cutting down on the hand-cam, by the way, unlike BWP I did not feel like I needed to hurl afterwards) actually seems to lend some credibility to the idea that this is not a film, not a big time production but a rather intimate glimpse into a tragedy that could have happened to any of your neighbors.

The acting holds up, the scares hold up and the film itself moves at a fast enough clip to be entertaining. But most importantly, this film relies on no visual effects and no expensive post production to get its point across, which also becomes part of the success.

In the end, is this a great film? No, not really, but it is downright entertaining, creepy and far better than a lot slash and hack horrors out there and therefore definitely worth checking out. If it is a thrill you are seeking, Paranormal Activity definitely delivers and does so in a refreshing fashion.

Rating:
Comments: Creeeeeeeepy moments, do not take a kid to this, you are bound to traumatize them. Other than that no nudity that I recall and there was some language to consider and…pretty disturbing imagery.
Recommendation: If you liked this, you might like Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez’s The Blair Witch Project, but you will most likely feel like you have already seen the better one of those types of films so instead, I will recommend a wonderful Spanish horror gem called [REC] by Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza, guaranteed to be one of the best horrors you will ever see!
Quote: Micah: [while waiting on a very tardy psychic] You would think he’d be able to predict that the traffic is going to be bad.

Director: Joon-ho Bong
Genre: Drama/Thriller/Crime
Year: 2003

Based on the true events of South Korea’s most notorious serial killer/rapist, this movie is an overview of the investigation that went into the still unresolved case. Though clearly dramatized, the film still comes across as a powerful, thrilling police drama as a group of investigators rush to try to find the culprit of a number of heinous crimes in the Gyungii Province.

With a team composed of four men, three detectives and a sergeant, the investigation unfolds taking at times unexpected turns, chasing odd clues and at points desperately searching for answers where there is none. The story is well written and advances at a good pace, slowly uncovering the crimes and giving insight into the ways – some more admirable than others – in which the manner was handled, but always focusing on the frustration of the police in their inability to create results. The title itself is quite fitting of the mood of the movie.

Though not entirely familiar with Joon-ho Bong’s work — I have only seen The Host, but have heard great things about Mother, as well — I am quite impressed with his writing and directing, his gift for characterization and the solid delivery of material so that even during the slow parts of the movie, it does not feel like a waste of time, to the point where he is able to make the lengthy 132 minute running time of this movie feel quite easily bearable.

The acting is solid throughout and each character brings something crucial to the table, but the spotlight shines brightly on Kang-ho Song (Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, The Host), who plays the flawed, but likable detective Park Doo-man, who is convinced his ‘shaman’ eyes can deduce the truth from the eyes of others. The rest of the cast is equally strong and their bring to the screen believable characters with their own breed of humor that is necessary to break up the dark of the material itself.

A must watch, must own if you are into this sort of genre.

Rating:
Comments: There is a bit of violence (though never gratuitously) along with a number of adult themes and disturbing scenes which include the corpses of rape victims. Very brief nudity. Korean with English subtitles and dub, depending on which you prefer. I also have to say: the detective that spends his life drop kicking the world made me laugh waaay to many times with his impulsiveness.
Recommendations: Another good film along this vein is David Fincher’s Zodiac.

Director: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady
Genre: Documentary/Drama
Year: 2006

Ironically, one of the most alarming documentaries I have watched in quite some time, this Oscar nominated film follows a number of youngsters from conservative Christian families as they are sent to the Kids on Fire Camp – a summer camp (located in Devil’s Lake, N.D – no joke) intended to help them solidify their faith and strengthen their resolve in the convictions that are being drilled into them from a very early age. And, if it does not immediately grip you with its initial dark clouds, it certainly will when the leader of the camp (Becky Fischer) admits in camera that she is trying to make those children militant about their religion, the way the jihadists do for Islam.

Absurd, shocking, frightening, depressing and at times oddly funny, this documentary allows us to see the extremes to which certain Christian conservatives go in order to instill their skewed teachings into their impressionable children, bordering on brain washing in the name of Jesus.

Largely, the documentary focuses on a handful of children in preparation to the camp, and the leader – Becky Fisher – herself who describes her goals and intentions, followed by footage of the camp itself, which gathers youth from the area and pushes them to be proactive with their religion. The extents to which things are taken are dramatic, to say the least, as witnessed in a scene where a young girl expressing the delight she takes in dancing appends her statement hesitantly, admitting that she must be cautious because she sometimes “dances for the flesh.” The girl is ten years old. You can almost hear your heart breaking.

Interestingly enough, the counter argument in this particular film does not come from the liberal end of the spectrum, or the atheists as one might expect but rather from other conservatives who themselves see this preacher and her work as extremist. It is something that can be appreciated and lends credibility, to see the criticism coming in from the same side of the spectrum and avoid unnecessary debate, allowing the audience to focus what is at hand instead.

This movie is an unveiled view at religious fanaticism, proving that we need not look at the Middle East for examples when we have plenty in our own nation – sort of the Matthew 7:5 concept at work here, but this film smartly goes beyond that, looking at the repercussions in politics and society as a whole.

Rating:
Notes: Technically a family film, but some of what you see in this film is still rather disturbing and might impact impressionable minds.
Recommendation: If you like this, you might be interested in Lucy Walker’s The Devil’s Playground (2002), a look at the rite of passage many teenagers go through in the Amish culture.
Quote: Becky Fischer: It’s no wonder, with that kind of intense training and discipling, that those young people are ready to kill themselves for the cause of Islam. I wanna see young people who are as committed to the cause of Jesus Christ as the young people are to the cause of Islam. I wanna see them as radically laying down their lives for the Gospel as they are over in Pakistan and Israel and Palestine and all those different places, you know, because we have… excuse me, but we have the truth!

Director: John Huston
Genre: Drama
Genre: 1984

Geoffrey Firmin (Albert Finney; Before the Devil Knows You Are Dead, Big Fish), British consul to Mexico, stationed in Cuernavaca, is drunk. Again, this time permanently. With his life unraveling before him, paired with the seeming loss of his wife, he has begun to split at the seams, chasing drink after drink in a futile attempt to drown his sorrows. With his resignation in order and determined to live the rest of his life submerged head first in the ‘magic’ of Mexico that keep him in Cuernavaca, Firmin is determined to make alcohol his sole friend.

Set against the magnificent backdrop of the Popocatepetl, a volcano in central Mexico, in 1938 and on the Day of the Dead, one can see the limitless possibilities for symbolism, which are widely used along with strains of superstition, both Mexican and British, throughout. The turn of events comes when Firmin’s ex-wife Yvonne (Jacqueline Bisset; Death in Love, Domino) unexpectedly returns and shows up at home, much to the surprise of Geoffrey and his brother Hugo, who has recently returned from the Spanish Civil War.

The tension between these three is thick and prominent throughout the entire film and becomes the focus of this dialogue heavy film, at a time when not only are these people’s lives on the edge of a precipice, but the world itself as the undercurrents of World War II silently, but dangerously, begin to pick up.

A true drama, this film falls more on the artistic vein and demands some patience from the viewer, making of itself more of a portrait of the three main characters than anything else. Without giving too much away, expect moments of tension, adult disagreements and a main character that is drunk literally from beginning to end. While the story itself may not be charming, the utilization of Mexican culture to tell the story of three British citizens was most certainly curious, it is a matter of getting past its slow unfolding to its shuddering end in order to appreciate fully. If slow paced films are not for you, steer away from this one.

Rating:
Comments: Adult situations, alcoholism, some language (both in English and Spanish), moments of violence and prostitution.
Quote: Geoffrey Firmin: How, unless you drink as I do, can you hope to understand the beauty of an old indian woman playing dominoes with a chicken?

Director: Darren Aronofsky
Genre: Drama/Sport
Year: 2008

I will start with an honest statement: This is my least favorite of Darren Aronofsky’s movies. I will follow that up with a second honest statement: This movie is great!

With the likes of Wong Kar-wai, Danny Boyle, Kim Ki-duk and Guillermo del Toro, Aronofsky is simply one of the best directors of our time and I say that with no reservations; one look at his films, any of his films from his obscure Pi, to Requiem for a Dream, to the abstractly beautiful The Fountain to….this!

The Wrestler is a film about Randy “The Ram” Robinson (Mickey Rourke; Domino, Sin City), a once famous wrestler in the twilight of his career when he suffers from a potentially career ending heart attack. It is an eye opening moment that forces the man, who often ends up sleeping in his van due to lack of rent money, to re-examine the direction of his life and make amends with important people in his past and important people in the present that could lead to a future that – as the film unfolds – proves more and more intangible.

Though the movie is set in a sport that I only lightly flirted with during with earlier years as far as fanaticism goes, and deals with people on the edge of society, the message that this film carries is truly universal and applicable to a number of people in a number of professions. It brings to the forefront the numerous challenges a person is bound to find and the importance of knowing how to deal with them.

Mickery Rourke is at his best in this film, bringing a credibility to this character that is disturbingly real, to the point that at times you feel like smacking him on the head for being so stupid, and all the while, you are telling yourself that you know someone like that, and that the choices he is making, the mistakes he is making, are probably choices and mistakes you yourself have made. In his performance for this film, Rourke reaches in and draws something out of all of us and creates a connection that regardless of how distanced you might be from the subject matter, the significance is not lost.

Supported by Marisa Tomei (Before the Devil Knows You are Dead, In the Bedroom), who plays a stripper dealing with her own life and struggles, competing in a field where youth and looks are all important; and Evan Rachel Wood (Across the Universe, King of California) who plays Stephanie, his abandoned daughter caught in the tidal wave of emotion of having her disappeared father suddenly pop into her life – this film has three solid performances that rocket this film above and beyond most films of 2008 and paired with a superb script, well, it explains all the nominations and the hype this film received and rightfully so.

Rating:
Comment: Strong language. Adult situations. Brief nudity, mostly topless (at strip clubs), along with a semi-graphic sexual scene. And then…of course, the violence, which if you are familiar to the world of wrestling, then you are pretty aware of how graphic that can be.
Quote: Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson: When you live hard and you play hard and burn the candle at both ends… in this life, you can lose everything you love, everything that loves you. A lot of people told me that I’d never wrestle again, they said “he’s washed up”, “he’s finished” , “he’s a loser”, “he’s all through”. You know what? The only ones gonna tell me when I’m through doing my thing, is you people here. You people here… you people here. You’re my family.

Author: Roberto Bolaño (Translation: Natasha Wimmer)
Category: Fiction – Latin American

My only regret was not reading this book in Spanish, but at the time, finding an available version was simply impossible. I had the poor Barnes & Noble lady scour every last corner of her inventory and their inventory online and there was simply nothing, to the point that she leaned in conspiratorially and told me: you might just want to try amazon. Sweet of her to say that but Amazon did not have it either. Now, a few months after I read it, I see Amazon has it, but the edition that I read is no longer available. What is going on here?

In any case, the Savage Detectives is hands down one of my favorite books I have ever read, ranking up there with Cien Años de Soledad (100 Years of Solitude) by Gabriel García Marquez, though the only thing it seems to have in common is its scope. This novel is nothing like it. In fact, comments in Amazon.com that I was browsing through compared it more to the film “Y Tu Mamá Tambien” the film by Mexican director Alfonso Cuarón, than anything written by the Colombian magical realist.

Being a poet at heart, Bolaño offers in this tome a novel that appears to be highly autobiographical in many aspects, at least when it comes to the complex characters which it deals with, with Arturo Belano clearly being a mirror image of himself and Ulises Lima that of his best friend. Set in Mexico, the novel itself takes an odd structure starting and ending with a series of journal entries by secondary character Garcia Madero who accidentally stumbles into a group of poets who called themselves the Visceral Realists and who are determined to take the literary world by storm, by whatever means necessary; although the only two that seem truly inspired are Arturo and Ulises, while the rest of the members seem scattered and ranging in inspiration.

The journal entries span about two months (if memory serves me right) and cover about equal lengths before and after new year on a pivotal year that changes Garcia Madero’s life, from the moment he meets the eclectic leaders of the Visceral Realist movement to the moment he finds himself on the run and trying to hide a dead body. In between those entries, which serve as bookends to the bulk of the book are a series of interviews with friends, acquaintances and enemies of Arturo and Ulises, which span about 40 years and tell through various points of view, the life of these two poets in their quest as they move not only through Mexico, but quite literally around the world.

Do not let the title fool you, this novel has nothing to do with detectives, and yet it strangely reads like one, as the group of poets are in fact searching for information about a key figure, the single female member of the original Visceral Realists, decades before Arturo and Ulises came along.

Certain critics have likened this particular novel to a road trip and in many ways this is quite accurate, not only in the sense that the characters are ambulant throughout the majority of the story, but also in the way it unfolds, with an air of expectation, of suspense, even if you have no idea why you ought to be so intrigued by its mystery. Much of the content is simply life, the accounts of people in Mexico City, with the ups and the downs and the head scratchers, told with humor, poignancy, bitterness and excitement all at once. It seems grand and epic in scope, but it touches at the lowest levels, accentuated by unexpected eroticism, violence and banality.

To try to describe this novel is a challenge, but it feels like a gem from the very start, with Bolaños background as a poet aiding to paint stark pictures in the imagination even when dealing with the most common of events. No word, it seems, goes wasted.

Bolaño also manages to do what Paulo Cohelo failed so miserably to do in “The Witch of Portobello” and that is to actually give his characters a voice, an individuality and a sense of existence. When you read their particular interviews, you KNOW which character is which, you are aware of who you are talking to.

It is also interesting that Arturo and Ulises never actually speak directly in the novel, even if they are the two main characters of the entire story. Their world, their lives, they actions, their way of thinking is all presented through everybody’s eyes around them, except their own, leaving us with a sensation that there was always more, that things were far more complex than the way they were described and because of that making them that much more interesting and human.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read, though perhaps not for everybody. The language and the theme require a mind that is not looking for the next action scene or plot twist. Much like a detective novel, it is more about patiently peeling back the layers surrounding an issue, getting toward its core and learning its complicated structure, for better or worse, all the way to the end.

Rating:

Director: Isabel Coixet
Genre: Drama
Year: 2008

A strong drama always gets to me and this is precisely that, the story of David Kepesh (Ben Kingsley; Transsiberian, Lucky Number Slevin) a cultural critic, persona and professor who has spend the most of his life living in independence and free from any social commitment. Even the small relationship he keeps on the side with Carolyn (Patricia Clarkson; Vicky Christina Barcelona, Lars and the Real Girl) has no strings attached and is about as consistent as he is liable to get. It is, therefore, a curve ball when, Consuela (Penelope Cruz; Volver, Vicky Cristina Barcelona), a young cuban woman walks into his class and gains his attention without knowingly provoking it. Once grades have been turned in, David decides to try to bed her, but when the resulting relationship turns out to be more than a one night stand, Kepesh’s life is turned upside down.

Dealing largely with relationships, this film also focuses on life decisions in general and the amount of time we spend on earth in relationship to ourselves and others. Keeping the audience point of view strictly David’s, we are able to witness his relationship not only with the two women in his life, but with his son, with his best friend, his co-workers and others around him. Slowly but interestingly we are able to witness the change in his life, which in terms of the film is not always entirely consistent but in general achieves the right point.

Expect a slower film, relatively introspective but very well acted. Kingsley turns in one of his best performances in years and Penelope Cruz steadily gains credibility, with yet another wonderfully acted role (his last two – Volver and Vicky Cristina Barcelona – are also very much worth watching). The directing is very strong and does not beat the subject matter over the head, leaving enough for the audience to chew on while leaving enough openness that in the end, a certain number will find this a relatively sad film and others relatively hopeful. Certainly a film to discuss afterward, given that it presents a number of interesting aspects that are quite intriguing.

Rating:
Comment: Nudity and sexuality, adult themes and situations, some language as well.
Quote: David Kepesh: When you make love to a woman you get revenge for all the things that defeated you in life.

Oh! *insert jubilant clap of hands* This just came out and I have been waiting to get a glimpse of what it might look like. I am, as it is a huge fan of Terry Gilliam, so when news of this movie leaked, it only managed to get me that much more excited. Then…Heath Ledger sadly passed away, unable to finish his role in this film and given the bad luck that seems to chase Mr. Gilliam like an obsessed puppy, I felt my heart sink, thinking the movie would take a huge step back and fall into oblivion.

Thankfully that was not the case, production continued and I heard that Johnny Depp was going to continue the role where Heath Ledger left off, but that did not make much sense…and so it seems, after looking at this trailer, it was true, but Johnny Depp was not the only one to step in to Ledger’s shoes. Take a look at the trailer!!!!

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus UK Trailer | /Film.

Director: Duncan Jones
Genre: Sci-Fi/Thriller
Year: 2009

In the span of a week, I have watched two of the most amazing Science Fiction films in a very long time and I have to say, I love the way Sci-Fi is reinventing itself. Or perhaps reinventing itself is not the right way to put it but rather, more bravely doing what it originally set out to do. Somewhere in the recent past, science fiction gave the impression that it became fodder for the nerds and completely dismissible as high tech fantasy with very little to say. It was a hard argument to counter given that in fact a lot of the stuff out there was indeed crap.

It became almost expected that the moment you said science fiction a person would roll their eyes in disgust. And expressions such as “Oh, I don’t watch science fiction, I only watch movies with content” became pretty common place. I had to twist the arms of a couple of friends to watch Sunshine, only because they did not like the fact that it took place in space. But movies like that one, like Serenity, like Children of Men are changing the way we see the genre and are bringing credibility back to it. District 9, a movie I previously reviewed gave us an example of an action pact, smart sci-fi dealing with some pretty interesting dilemmas and this film, Moon, has put on the table the equivalent of a thinker’s sci-fi film.

Though inevitably, lines will be drawn to 2001: A Space Odyssey, one can rest assured that the cinematic pretentiousness of the Kubrick film is nowhere to be seen here and the concept itself heads in a different direaction. In fact, everything seems to have been scaled back and though it is, broadly speaking, a slower paced film, it runs with an thrilling undercurrent that does not allow you to rest easy during its lulls. I am hesitant to give to much of the plot, given that this film is largely enjoyed by the plot twists it tosses without trying to put to much emphasis. It does not so much uncover its surprises so much as toss them at you as if they were a given that you should have known all along. It is this presentation that allows us to focus on the ethical points that are brought up and which are frankly on the forefront of our current technological advancement. These are not questions for us to ponder about the future, they are questions that very well we might have to face soon.

As far as the plot goes, the movie revolves around a single miner, stationed in the moon, working for Lunar, capturing large amounts of energy that are launched back to earth in pods and which have allowed us to power up a large chunk of our planet cleanly. Sam (fabulously played by Sam Rockwell; Choke, Snow Angels) is in his last two weeks of duty and after that he will finally be able to go home and meet up with his family once again, hopefully to patch up a few apparent rocky spots that started before he was even stationed here. The film takes place in the last two weeks, which might seem like a short amount of time, but which stretch into a nightmarish lifetime when Sam’s mind starts to come unhinged and all that he knows to be reality is brought into question, relying only on GERTY (voiced by Kevin Spacey; American Beauty, The Usual Suspects), a computer programed to help Sam during his deployment.

The film does not answer all of one’s questions and enigmatically it leaves some things open for discussion, that make for some pretty interesting post-watching debates. An intelligent, well written script serves as the foundation for what looks like a low budget film but which is delivered like a gem. Do not go into this film expecting big budget explosions, sets and graphics. In fact, one of the odd things about this film was its miniature feel which seems to strike during the outside shots in the moon with the rover. It takes a little getting used to, mostly because we are so accustomed to what Hollywood feeds us, but if you are capable of looking past that little oddity, you will find that film is a very rewarding, thrilling, important film, not only in it’s genre but in general.

My only regret is that I caught it so late in its run and my advice to you is go online right now and check for any theaters that might be playing this in your city (it is not going to be many, given its indie status). If it is playing nearby, do what you can to try to catch it in the silver screen, I assure you it will be very much worth your while.

Rating:
Comment: Some language, brief nudity and adult situations.