I'll admit, considering it's my understanding that the first public premiere (which I attended in California) was only last night, I too thought it was a little strange to see such glowing reviews posted from before that.
Integrity is obviously important, and I hope the brothers commit to that standard, but I'm really here to talk about the film.
I liked it.
I found myself enjoying the process quite a lot (though, admittedly again, I am a fan of sci-fi, so there's definitely some bias working for it).
From a technical standpoint, this movie rocks! Sound design and score were very good IMO- it reminded me why this storytelling medium is referred to an AUDIO-visual experience.
Speaking of visuals, the cinematography was certainly commendable. Shooting in confined spaces is never easy, and I thought the filmmakers worked well within the parameters they had.
Editing was also pretty good, however, there is more I wish to say about it in my "cons" breakdown.
The story felt uniquely genuine in depicting the human connection and conflicts shared by these men who are clearly passionate and knowledgeable about their fields of study. Juxtapose those character arcs (which actually show growth and change, so that's cool) with the looming threat of something "extra-human" now possibly now making itself known for the first time ever, and you have a tale that peers out at the grander implications of such discoveries from such a small and tangible viewpoint that most people in the audience can easily identify with. Excellent contrast.
For a film that (to me anyway) gets fairly technical with its storytelling devices, I still was able to track a lot of what was going on and the significance they carried. This was largely due to the quite decent dialog the script brought to bear. I'm struggling to recall many moments where I cringed in my seat from "campiness". And there's definitely some good funny bits too.
The acting? Solid. With such a small cast (mostly just 3), there's really no wiggle room for subpar theatrics, and I didn't think there was much of that on display. The talent really breathed life into their characters, made them feel real and complex, and overall we're just pretty fun to watch.
How about the directing? Also, it's pretty good. I'll just say that for me, I felt a touch of that special "in between the lines of the script" magic that was exuding from the screen. These guys were clearly passionate about their project and worked very hard to creatively tell their story with what they had available to them.
Alright, I've gushed about this movie long enough; time to talk about some cons.
It's long.
Now, like I said, I personally enjoyed the slow burn, but there were some places that the pacing and momentum felt like it slowed or dragged a little too much.
There is a lot of talking in this movie, and while it is pretty good for a good chunk of it, some character beats might have benefited from keeping them a bit snappier.
One of the critical setbacks that happens to the scientists midway through and lays down the foundation for climactic conflict I felt was not adequately explained as to what exactly triggered the catastrophe (I guess the script said so?).
Also there's a sequence right before one of the main action set pieces that has a timer countdown. For supposedly being under the gun, some character actions/reactions feel a little mismatched to how I felt they should have been in that moment.
Also, I started to notice the relatively frequent use of dramatic zooms. Perhaps fewer, more selective uses of them would be more effective?
Basically, I thought the editing was alright, but could have been tightened up even more to improve the overall narrative and presentation.
In summary, this film has a lot going for it, especially considering how little was available to put into it.
For what it was aiming to accomplish, I think the movie did a remarkably good job of doing that.
Definitely looking forward to seeing what else Elliot and Zander make in the future!
Peace.
Integrity is obviously important, and I hope the brothers commit to that standard, but I'm really here to talk about the film.
I liked it.
I found myself enjoying the process quite a lot (though, admittedly again, I am a fan of sci-fi, so there's definitely some bias working for it).
From a technical standpoint, this movie rocks! Sound design and score were very good IMO- it reminded me why this storytelling medium is referred to an AUDIO-visual experience.
Speaking of visuals, the cinematography was certainly commendable. Shooting in confined spaces is never easy, and I thought the filmmakers worked well within the parameters they had.
Editing was also pretty good, however, there is more I wish to say about it in my "cons" breakdown.
The story felt uniquely genuine in depicting the human connection and conflicts shared by these men who are clearly passionate and knowledgeable about their fields of study. Juxtapose those character arcs (which actually show growth and change, so that's cool) with the looming threat of something "extra-human" now possibly now making itself known for the first time ever, and you have a tale that peers out at the grander implications of such discoveries from such a small and tangible viewpoint that most people in the audience can easily identify with. Excellent contrast.
For a film that (to me anyway) gets fairly technical with its storytelling devices, I still was able to track a lot of what was going on and the significance they carried. This was largely due to the quite decent dialog the script brought to bear. I'm struggling to recall many moments where I cringed in my seat from "campiness". And there's definitely some good funny bits too.
The acting? Solid. With such a small cast (mostly just 3), there's really no wiggle room for subpar theatrics, and I didn't think there was much of that on display. The talent really breathed life into their characters, made them feel real and complex, and overall we're just pretty fun to watch.
How about the directing? Also, it's pretty good. I'll just say that for me, I felt a touch of that special "in between the lines of the script" magic that was exuding from the screen. These guys were clearly passionate about their project and worked very hard to creatively tell their story with what they had available to them.
Alright, I've gushed about this movie long enough; time to talk about some cons.
It's long.
Now, like I said, I personally enjoyed the slow burn, but there were some places that the pacing and momentum felt like it slowed or dragged a little too much.
There is a lot of talking in this movie, and while it is pretty good for a good chunk of it, some character beats might have benefited from keeping them a bit snappier.
One of the critical setbacks that happens to the scientists midway through and lays down the foundation for climactic conflict I felt was not adequately explained as to what exactly triggered the catastrophe (I guess the script said so?).
Also there's a sequence right before one of the main action set pieces that has a timer countdown. For supposedly being under the gun, some character actions/reactions feel a little mismatched to how I felt they should have been in that moment.
Also, I started to notice the relatively frequent use of dramatic zooms. Perhaps fewer, more selective uses of them would be more effective?
Basically, I thought the editing was alright, but could have been tightened up even more to improve the overall narrative and presentation.
In summary, this film has a lot going for it, especially considering how little was available to put into it.
For what it was aiming to accomplish, I think the movie did a remarkably good job of doing that.
Definitely looking forward to seeing what else Elliot and Zander make in the future!
Peace.