Reviews

This is by far one of the worst films i've ever tried to watch this year.

Now after letting that sink in, here's why. Oh and I reference certain parts of the film, so don't read on if you care about spoilers.

1) Nothing happens!

We have this opening title sequence of a man in a car driving around the freeway's of L.A. smoking a cigarette ... and it goes on like that for FIVE minutes. It's not telling the story, it's not furthering the plot, it's just making us all bored.

The "structure" of the film keeps cutting away to completely different people, and it's that point where we lose any emotional bond with the "characters". After fifteen minutes of this I just stopped caring, especially when it got to the whiny twenty something talking about his girlfriend and then it descended into this college frat boy conversation which made them both fairly unlikeable.

2) Cinematography.

What cinematography? It looks like it was shot on a Mini-DV camcorder with no lighting and no colour correction. This makes all the radio station stuff looks like it's the black hole of Calcutta and the outside stuff look blown out.

There's no real change in camera shots either, all the compositions are fairly boring with no real attempt at a visual style. It's all straight on two shots, or single close ups. All the cutaways are to other people.

This isn't all that surprising since the film is basically a bunch of talking heads.

3) Dialogue.

Who speaks like this? Anyone? It's all so forced! Remember what Harrison Ford said to George Lucas on the set of Star Wars ... "you can write this **** George, but you can't say it." There are conversations that just don't work because of this. For example, the DJ and his manager ... I was expecting something a little more than we got. In that particular scene we have to go back to point no.1 because nothing happens by the end of it! No real emotional change, no status quo change, no nothing. Thanks for stealing two minutes of oxygen.

So yeah for a film that's apparently dialogue driven, it's not doing any driving at all.

4) Music.

It's nothing to write home about, too bad it's used as an emotional cudgel to hit us around the head with.

5) Characters

What characters? The only real character in the film is the highly upset and slightly unhinged DJ! Everyone else seems to be phoning in their performances! (that's probably due to the dialogue, see earlier.)

Most of what you see in this film are fairly unlikeable people. The other guy in the DJ booth seems to sit there looking on with abject glee as his co-host melts down, whispering unhelpful lines. Not sympathetic at all. Actually this applies to most of the film it must be said.

Oh and if you have to explain to the audience via title cards what the character names are, that's bad too.

6) "Star Trek: Generations" syndrome.

This is a big one for me. If you've not seen that particular star trek film, let me explain.

An audience's emotional engagement with a film only occurs when they see something that provokes a visceral reaction within that person. It could be a horror film making people jump. A romantic comedy where the audience falls in love with the characters or "Irreversible" where there's a fairly horrific 9 minute sequence in it that reviles universally.

If you don't show this in any way shape or form, the audience tends not to care. If you only tell us about something bad happening then it's doubly false. That's ST:Generations syndrome.

This film has this glaring fault as a major plot point! Something has happened to the DJ character and instead of showing the audience, he just talks about it instead. Talks! We haven't seen it, we haven't experienced it with him therefore we don't care about it!

*facepalm*

I can see where this all came from. The filmmakers saw "Crash" and thought "that's a good idea! We'll do an intertwining character story!" Unfortunately they missed the point behind crash: characters we have a connection with and actually care about.

What bothers me is this could have been a quite interesting film. There's a good point to be made out of the story, but it's so ineptly handled it squanders all it's opportunities. It's so bad, half the audience walked out of this film within 30 minutes of it starting. On that basis alone, I would highly recommend you avoid. If this is the state of indie film, we're all in trouble.

I'm finding it hard to know where to start with this travesty of a remake.

*** SPOILER ALERT *** They tried to make the characters more realistic by giving them individual flaws. However they went overboard with this. A good example is Starbuck. Not only would her actions in striking a superior officer be dealt with a lot more seriously, but her portrayal now just doesn't work.

A cigar chewing female pilot ... sorry Ms Sackhoff, your abilities don't quite stretch to the character and as a result ... you're unlikable. I can take Starbuck and Boomer being female but their new characters simply don't work.

This mini series suffers from a major amount of fluff and padding: something I like to refer to as "Jean-Luc Picard" syndrome. Given that Ronald D. Moore was a major writer and contributor to Star Trek, this ain't that surprising.

What I mean by all that is ... they TALK EACH OTHER TO DEATH. Let's agonise over something for a couple minutes of screen time (I checked), do it and then agonise over it for up to five minutes afterwards.

I'm not sure if they were aiming for length here and padded out to fill or they truly believe that people do this. Makes the story unbelievable for me.

Now for the nasty bit.

We have a major case here of "Deep Impact". I refer to the disaster film about asteroids hitting the Earth here. This means that whenever the director thought the emotional tension was getting a bit low ... let's drag in a child! (Seriously, watch the film and see what I mean). There is a moment when they introduce an orphaned child for PRECISELY and ONLY that reason.

Direction ... bad. Emotional arcs aren't directed properly and the actors don't seem to know how they should behave a lot of the time. Thus a lot of the characters seem flat. Someone here also decided to use "Cinema Verite" too ...

... which brings us nicely to the D.o.P. Pick a stylistic choice and have done with it! The start is shot conventionally with the usual master shot - close ups we've come to expect. About half way through this changes to a "NYPD Blue" style half-drama / half-documentary feel better known as "Cinema Verite". This wobbly camera work makes it hard to concentrate at times.

Aside from being wobbly ... they don't know how to use the aperture on their cameras either. It all is either bang on or about 1 stop over-exposed. This is something you can get away with when shooting film, but not on video (which they've used) where you have exactly zero latitude for this kind of thing.

Makes the pictures look like crud is what i'm saying.

Cylons becoming more human ... it strikes me as a cash saving exercise. Makes you look cheap guys.

Lastly, because my battery is running now, can we stop with the Cylons apparently being conflicted between religious nuts and nymphomaniacs.

To sum up. Characters that don't work. Direction that's obvious and flawed. Camera work that looks like crap and gives motion sickness. Story padding to the point where i'm screaming out in pain or boredom. (Took a lot of caffeine to get through this) I could personally cut out about 1/2hr out of this mini series and no one would miss it. If anyone would like to take me up on this ...

This film sucks. It's is one of the most pointless movies i've ever seen. The original Cube was intended as a low budget one off ... Cube 2 is merely a high budget sequel that doesn't make sense.

POTENTIAL SPOILER ALERT.

Sure, the physics seem to stand up from my rather limited knowledge but the characters truely just bug me. No, they IRRITATE me and as a result not only do I not care about whether they get out ... i'm actually waiting for them to die.

I have major problems with certain early scenes where everyone seems to be yelling at once. It's dull to watch and painful to listen to. The dialogue is really bad in places ... just listen to some of the rubbish that they say and wonder who in their right mind actually speaks that way in real life. It's totally unrealistic.

I have major problems dealing with a later scene where two of the characters "get it on". If I was stuck in a life or death situation i'm sure that sex would be the last thing on my mind. Nah, not for this film. Instead we're treated to an effects laden sex scene which appeared to be almost entirely for titillation.

In the original film, not only did the characters each have an individual skill to contribute so that they could get out, but their character names reflected actual prison names too. Not so here, we've got a doctor, a senile mathmatician, a computer games designer, a lawyer and a P.I. Hmmm, I don't think that this motley crew could find their way out of a paper bag.

The character introductions feel artificial and forced. It seems the scriptwriter couldnt think of a good way to do it. He/She might as well have had the actors turn to the camera and introduce themselves!

However, the sound and effects design are pretty good. I don't think the music gives the same feel as the excellent score for the original but i'd still listen to it.

This still doesn't stop bad script and bad acting making this a real turkey.

There are spoilers in this review. Read with caution if you haven't seen this film yet.

No matter where you stand on the whole issue of hate between people of different religions, colours and creeds, you WILL read something different into this film depending on personal perspective.

I must point out it's very difficult to try and review a film without letting my own personal bias creep in. I will state for the record that i'm totally opposed to violence and that people who discriminate are fundamentally stupid NO MATTER what colour or creed or religion they are.

So here I am, the day after i've watched this film and i'm still thinking. This is good. What isn't good is the fact I found the films intentions slightly confused. For a start, the title is bound to provoke. Why? "White Lies" is a very sweeping statement to make when lies are all around us every day (and not just from white people either).

So we start out with a central character who (and let's face it) could be a sister or a daughter of any of us in the western world. Through the standard parental apathy that seems to permeate western culture, her questions are unanswered and ridiculed when all she wants is some answers. Then she falls in with some people who give her answers but probably not the right ones...

On a realistic point of view, my own experiences of hatred would make this film very realistic indeed even down to the "recruitment" of Sarah Polley's character and the fact that whether you're racist or not, violence permeates both sides.

Sarah Polley conveys a staggering range of emotion during the film, ranging from an insecure shy girl to a swaggering cocky young woman through the influence of her new "friends". Her "friends" gave her the support her school and family never did. Perhaps the most devestating part of the film is the televised debate between her and the anti nazi character. Watch it and see what you think.

The direction of Kari Skogland has an unusual aspect to it. It seems to be more experimental in it's use of camera technique to convey emotion. Kari uses unusual techniques which make this film difficult to watch at times but is well worth it if you persevere though.

Dennis Foon's writing is incredibly believable. The dialogue is exemplary in the fact that I could believe the lines the actors were given to say. Before you put that down to an individual actor/actress' performance, there is some dreadful acting in this film but the lines are still good. Credit must be given for a very believable story line which only had one slight flaw in my opinion where it came down to Sarah Polley's character trying to get a termination for her unwanted pregnancy. You'd think an intelligent if mislead girl like her would have taken precautions before sex. (I'm told that the canadian schooling system is excellent when it comes down to sex education but even an ignorant britisher like me knows what to do. This makes it all the more irritating.)

This film pulls it's punches and pulls them well. The starting titles with all the bodies hanging from the lamp posts on a city street (a la what happened to italian dictator Benito Mussolini) gives a good impression of how dark this is going to get and it does. The suicide scene is particularly memorable and shocking.

To sum up, I was impressed with this film. At times it is difficult to watch but then so was "American History X". The subject matter is not for everyone. My earlier comment of personal bias creeps in now. You will get out of it what your bias is. I found it to be an excellent example of what kind of things go on, but by that token I can imagine how some could use it to justify their ideals.

Certainly worth watching at least once.

Well, that was a waste of £2.75.

Fans of my previous comments will note that i've not really had too much luck with films of late. They've all been complete crud and this is NO exception.

**** POTENTIAL SPOILER ALERT ****

Let's start with what's cool in the film. Very little.

1) The concept of the tertiary star system with the planet they're stuck on in the la grange point between the stars. (basically the point of gravitational balance so that the stars and other planets can orbit around it. certainly feasable as far as my knowledge of physics allows).

2) The enhanced seeing ability of the "prisoner" character, which also serves as a plot device later.

3) The aliens themselves. Although I look at this film and then the film "Aliens" and go "rip off, rip off!", at least they seem to act like ordinary unintelligent animals which makes a damn good change. Their POV shots so we see what they see are also pretty cool too.

4) Our "baddie" character who through the magic of role reversal is also a "goodie", has very very cool eyes. Don't believe me? Check out his POV camera shots.

5) The "bleach bypass" used on the film negatives gives a very very interesting look to the film and helps add realism to the tertiary star system concept.

The rest is crap.

Seriously. The rest is total rubbish. The start of the film although with impressive CGI rings hollow and the rest of the film does too. I watched the first 40 mins or so and I was BORED. I just didn't care two hoots about the characters.

They spend 30 minutes or more going on about what a bad character our "hero" is. Great. Now show me. Oh, you're not going to are you? Right, now the suspense behind him is completely shot before you even see him in action. Just because the other characters are afraid doesn't mean we are because we haven't seen what he's supposedly done. Put up or shut up. Preferably shut up.

Now it should be pointed out that David Twohy obviously doesn't know how or where to point the camera. There are a couple of interesting shots which are great if we were watching a pure suspense film. We are not however. There are scenes where I was left almost dizzy and not knowing what is going on because of the camera blur.

Because of this, the story just doesn't ring true. There seem to be shots and lens effects used simply for the sake of the "oh, doesn't it look cool?" trap i've seen many filmmakers get into. (including myself).

I'd like to have known what the original script was like. David Twohy is on record as stating he took the original script and re-wrote it in his own image. This to me is arrogance of the highest order. Didn't anyone else get to read it first? There was probably nothing wrong with it in the first place. As a result, some of th ... no, most of the damn dialogue is incredibly stilted and unbelievable.

There were good moments, but not many. This film tried to be too many concepts at once and failed miserably at every one of them.

So, to sum up. Don't pay money to see this. Ever. If a friend has made the mistake of renting it then watch it if only so you can laugh behind his/her back later. Cruel, but true. I wasted £2.75 on this rental.

Stop David Twohy before he ruins another script and/or film.

I've just come back from the Tyneside Cinema in Newcastle, UK where Mike Figgis himself was presenting his new film Timecode. The audience reaction was favourable and he seemed almost ill at ease.

This film takes about 10 minutes to get used to. It requires a different technique to watch it. The sound moves from frame to frame to direct attention. It's possible to watch different frames than intended thus giving a different film. 10/10 for technical excellence Mike!

The story was laid out by Figgis just before shooting and is surprisingly effective for something that was TOTALLY improvised by the actors involved (all of whom worked for NO pay). Once you realise that all the sequences were shot simultaneously and combined you realise what a good film this is.

*** POTENTIAL SPOILER HERE ***

This film seems to be mostly a satire on the American Film Industry. Mr. Figgis made the point after the film that it's a whole different mentality there and they discuss points of films for hours. So, listen to the dialogue and I challenge you not to laugh at it and the fact it's probably happening somewhere in Hollywood as I type.

*** END OF SPOILER ***

I seriously recommend that you watch the film and just keep track of the sound moving from frame to frame. You'll enjoy it more as Mike Figgis has done an excellent job of mixing the sound from the frames (and composing the music over the top too).

My only real gripes with this film are basically :-

1) The starting titles could be a little friendlier in introducing the audience to the split screen format.

2) The music seems a little overpowering in places.

3) There doesn't seem to be a real conclusive ending to the film, although this is debatable.

4) Some of the actors and actresses seem to be wasted in their roles. (e.g Saffron Burrows seems to be acting her heart out but we hear virtually none of it except where she's near any of the other main characters)

and 5) In the last 20 minutes of the film, the bottom two frames are in the same room but in different angles. I was hoping for a little more variety.

In short, excellent example of modern technology impacting film. This isn't the kind of film you kick back and relax to: it demands your full attention. I came out of the cinema with as much popcorn as I had when I went in!

8.5 out of 10. Nice one Mike!

Oh dear oh dear oh dear.

Very poor indeed. Where's the plot? I'm sorry but it lacks the spark, direction and sheer evilness of the original. And that is what made the original great.

Star Wars started off with an impressive spaceship sequence followed by a powerful acting sequence. Phantom Menace starts with none of these.

** SPOILER TIME **

Storyline: Tax problems do not exciting filmmaking make. War (like the original) does.

Characters: The best character in it (Darth Maul) was totally wasted. And we won't even see him again either.

Plot Development: Surely there is something wrong with a four year old falling for an 16yr old??? Plus R2D2 should NEVER HAVE been created by Anakin. It's too corny for words.

Plus, it's the first time i've seen a major battle where no-one gets killed ever. (Apart from those stupid little robots with their annoying "Roger Roger" routine. I was just waiting for them to get wiped out.)

** END OF SPOILER **

Do not go see this. Do not rent this. Save your money. Save yourselves. Let's just hope George Lucas doesn't ruin the rest.

Well, what can I say? I watched this film on DVD thinking that i'll have a good exciting time and wow, what a total let down.

True, the action sequences are impressive but that's it. As I was watching them thinking yes, but why is this happening?

De Niro's character seems overly antagonistic. Why? It's not explained.

Sean Bean's character leaves quite early on. Wasted talent time again.

*** SPOILER ALERT ***

De Niro yells at Sean Bean. "What colour is the boat house at Hereford?". Hate to tell you this but I don't think Hereford actually has a boat house. (It's in the middle of Wales for anyone who want's to know).

*** END OF SPOILER ***

The director's use of long cam's for filming some of the car chases. Why? What purpose does it serve? Annoying myself it seems. It's totally pointless and spoils the timing of the sequences.

Jonathan Pryce seems to be the only good thing in it. His is the only character that is actually explained to any length of detail.

Avoid like The Plague.