Sci-Fi

COHERENCE (2013)

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A comet passes overhead whilst a group of friends have a dinner party and strange events ensue.

I knew NOTHING with a capital ‘NOTHING’ about this film. A friend recommended it to me and it’s always exciting when I come across a film I haven’t heard. It’s like a wrapped present that you have no clue as to what it contains. This enhanced the experience for me. The story literally unfolding itself as it plays out. The premise is so huge that it would be a crime for me to repeat it here. Far better for you to go through it yourselves.

I shall give you the option of pausing this email until you have seen the film in order for you to have a similar experience to me, but if you don’t have the patience or the inclination to wait, read on.

It reminded me of a cross between Another Earth and Cube, low budget, high ambitions. I have yet to see Primer but have a feeling that these films share the same DNA. There was a touch of the Dogme 95’s in its low budget sensibilities. The seeming use of natural light and improvised dialogue adds a realism and intimacy to the proceedings. There is also an element of Festen here with the revealing of various past events that have big consequences for the characters involved.

Shot over five nights utilizing a bare bones crew this film achieves what most sci-fi films dream about. The chance to tell a tale that will puzzle and delight viewers taking them down alleys and paths that surprise and entertain. No big special effects here, purely big ideas, well realized. The actors were given notes each day that the others didn’t know about ensuring immediate and real reactions. Each actor didn’t really know each other before filming and managed to create three dimensional characters that felt real. The relationships between the characters are complicated, full of secrets and rife with a history.

Emily Baldoni plays Em, a beautiful ballet dancer with her own insecurities and questions. Maury Sterling is Kevin, Em’s boyfriend who wants to take the relationship to the next level. Nicholas Brendon (Buffy) plays Mike, one of the hosts and gets a peachy role exploring a character that is filled with his own personal demons. Lorene Scafaria is Lee, Mike’s partner. Hugo Armstrong is Hugh and Alex Manugian is Amir who get their own little story. Elizabeth Gracen is Beth and Lauren Maher is Laurie who both have secrets that will no doubt out. All the actors here show commitment and, for the most part give truthful non-showy performances.

The acting is improvised for the most part and works most of the time, each actor playing their position in the team and veering away from “look at me” student film type acting.

James Ward Byrkit makes his feature film debut directing and writing the screenplay and manages to create a brilliant, mind-bending science fiction film that asks big questions about quantum physics and alternate realities. He is a director to look out for. I wonder if he will be a director for hire or become a really interesting auteur. I hope it’s the latter.

This is one of those little gems that you’ll only hear about via a friend. I am that friend.

For a slice of Twilight Zone filmed in a Dogme style you could do yourself a favour and look it up.

BUY THE FILM ON DVD HERE

DOWNLOAD THE FILM ON iTUNES HERE

4/5

EDGE OF TOMORROW (2014)

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This is a prime example of a Hollywood action film; big star, big budget, Hollywood director, Doug Liman, great writers-Christopher McQuarrie, Jez and John-Henry Butterworth, yet it still manages to fail as a decent film.

C.G.I. and actors or C.G.I. actors.

People talk about the fear of not needing actors in the not-too-distant future, as they will be digitally recreated and replaced, well, Tom Cruise is that in real life; a digital, computer generation, Soul-less, although not in a ‘he sold his sold to L. Ron’ or anything so philosophically placed or even anything that could be seen as an inherent evil, devoid of morality, more in the sense of a computer generated character that is not that well-realised, a bot, without the capacity to really feel human emotions or at least re-enact them in an honest, truthful, vulnerable way.

This is my problem with the Cruise-ster, it is that he hides.

Any great actor has the ability to portray real human emotion and to do this usually needs to tap into something truthful within themselves; the greats effortlessly allow the audience into their souls. A computer generated character has no soul and thus, can-not truly replicate the essence of this.

That is why I have a problem with T.C.. He hides.

The one time he truly opened up was for Paul Thomas Anderson and he was lauded for his performance and then on to the next one……back to basics.

There is always a wall surrounding him on screen and that, is not interesting to watch, in order to compensate he surrounds himself with actors of great depth and acclaim as if this will give him kudos by association. The robotic facial and body movement indicating sadness, joy, pain etc is just not believable, but look, there’s an actor of depth to offset the vacuity of the robot, and look at these effects/stunts/dramatics, they are bigger than the star, so enjoy and be stultified into ignorance and the usual opiated state. “Wow, that was a big film”. It will make a lot of money, it is a business after all and if you get a nod from the critics, then cool, but that is NOT why most of the industry are there. Dolla, dolla bill, yo.

So, I get it. It’s just a shame more people aren’t aware of the wool being pulled over the eyes of the consumer. The spectacular spectacle. Blinded by the lights. The ultimate magician’s mis-direct. Give the people what they think they want and they will come in masses and give over their hard earned monies to be part of it.

I get it, I just don’t like it and for years now I have shirked the Hollywood system, as much as I can. Hey, I love a big budget blockbuster when they’re done well as much as the next viewer, but do most of them have to be dumb? Apparently so.

I started hearing “I don’t want to have to think, I just want to be entertained” around the time that reality tv started kicking off and my question was always “what’s wrong with something that makes you think?”

Hell, you can be entertained and think at the same time, look at The Usual Suspects, Twelve Angry Men, all smart films that were both critically and commercially successful.

I think the problem is not that the execs don’t want that, it’s more the fact that they don’t know how to get it, less confidence in the artists and more in the suits

This is a film with all flourish and no pay off. Like Inception, it purports to be something greater than it actually is. It’s basically wearing glasses to try and make itself look more intelligent, but we see through the ruse, don’t we people?

Don’t we? C’mon, join the revolution and shirk these nonsensical, charlatanical, big shiny box/small, shitty presents.

A waste of time.

On a more positive note, the best thing in it was the soldier who gets to kick T.C. when he re-awakens with an “On your feet, maggot.” Played by Terence Maynard, this was a character I would have liked to see more of. Emily Blunt is rooted in her realty and is believable. Brendan Gleeson is getting paid to using his phone, Bill Paxton is also on the phone. The premise is great but the narrative is very messy at times, we’re just expected to be on board, well, I’m hitting the emergency stop. No more……..no more.

BUY THE FILM ON BLU RAY DVD HERE

DOWNLOAD THE FILM ON iTUNES HERE

2/5