Praxis (2008) User Reviews

Minus 10 and Counting Backwards!

[dmoorejdrf · 2/10 · 17 September 2021]

Ok, so I decided to start my review by giving this movie 10 stars based on concept. I thought it was a very interesting premise, not the typical in the closet trying to come out of the closet gay movie. So now it's time to start subtracting stars. Most alarming for me was the sequencing of the scenes....oh, there wasn't any! I never knew for sure if I was watching the past, the present or the here after. One moment I'm sitting in an office, quick flash....now I'm at an art gallery/museum, quick flash....now I am staring up a stairway, quick flash....now I'm back in the office. Hard to know where or what state the character was in at any given time. It was so bad that I am subtracting 2 stars so we are down to eight. Next issue, character development.....oh wait there was none. There is a girl which apparently is a girlfriend and there is a guy which apparently is a boyfriend. Each ones acting requirement is to sit stonefaced throughout the movie, oh and to be pictured naked caressing the main character who is also naked. We know nothing substantial or frankly unsubstantial about these characters other than they are immobilized by main characters suicide. The lack of character development was so prevalent that I need to subtract 2 more stars, we are down to 6. Next let's take on the acting. I honestly have no idea what the acting talent is for these actors. If hired to replicate statue poses they were outstanding. If they were hired to draw audience sympathy and devastation then they failed miserably. I get more emotion from my paint by number still life picture than I get from these characters. I'm only taking away 1 star for the acting. I can't say it was good or it was bad because they didn't act at all. Now we are down to 5. Next on the list is set design. I assume this movie was done in a warehouse somewhere. Whole movie appearance was very industrial looking. Little to no warmth and minimal in furnishings. It was very low budget looking. I take away another star....down to 4. Realism is my final category. Scenes looked staged like the bar and assault scene. Looked very fake. And for goodness sake, this is 2021. Yes, it has become acceptable to see a mans ass or penis. We've been showing female breast for 50 years, but we are afraid to show a guys package. Grow up! For this I take away another 2 stars making my final rating 2 stars.

Two Actors in Search of a Script and Director.

[RitchCS · 1/10 · 22 January 2010]

I generally don't write scathingly bad reviews, especially to first time film makers. It's better to obey the adage, 'if you've got nothing good to say, then...". However, this is an exception. I write this as an alert to anyone who might buy this DVD for its terrific cover art or even plop down five bucks to rent at your local BB store. I'm an avid movie fan and see over a thousand films per year...especially independent films which I like to champion...now here comes the BUT... "Praxis" is the first movie I've ever seen where the viewer at home can leave his TV set, go into the kitchen, fix a full meal, take a johnny break and come back to the movie and see exactly the same scenes before you left the TV. Yes, I watched 'The Making Of Praxis" on the DVD and saw how carefully, the director cast his first film...seeing thousands of headshots and interviewing dozens for his male lead. Tom Macy was chosen...a young actor with great potential who even admits, he was never sure whether he was pleasing the director and kept wishing for the director to 'say something'. The director states in the 'making of' that there's little or NO dialogue, rather he wanted the actors to bring the emotions to the set and let him film what 'they' were thinking. This is a good technique for some productions, but when the idea of the film was in the director's head and he forgot to tell his cast, much less the audience. To create monotony or how 'depression' must feel, we see the same exact shots over and over and over six, eight, ten, maybe twelve times...when ONCE would be enough. You don't have to hit your audience on the head as if we're all dummies...we got the point in the first five minutes. There's a scene where our second male lead is punching a boxing bag. This scene lasts longer than an entire Steven Seagal movie. After maybe 45 minutes, the director puts a pseudo-documentary on Tom's TV explaining to Tom AND to us what 'fragmented identity' is. OHHHH! Is that why we're seeing the same fragments six and eight times? FINALLY after 61 minutes, the film has a nude swimming scene...not sexy...but it was at least, something we hadn't seen before in the first hour. Then the movie is pretty good before the credits roll some 18 minutes later. The ENTIRE first hour could have been left on the cutting room floor and NEVER missed for a second. Fair warning, if you attempt to watch it all in one sitting, I think you won't last after the first 20 minutes. OK, so the kid's depressed. There's a 30 second commercial running currently on TV for an antidepressant and that little ad has more depth, more story, and more professionalism than the entire 93 of "Praxis". I would also suggest that if you DO want to watch it, join Netflix or Blockbuster online video and use one of your monthly rentals. It's the cheapest way to see it. IF someone else DOES watch it, would you be kind enough to explain who the old Hispanic-looking bum waving from his rocking chair represented? I haven't figured that one out yet. I REALLY felt sorry for the two actors, wrapped up in the joy of playing leading roles in a promising independent film...BOTH just 'dying' to be cast and having NOTHING to work with...no script (I doubt if there's 25 lines of dialogue in the entire film) and absolutely NO direction. I hope and I'm positive that somewhere in the director's mind, there is a good and interesting film...but his cast nor his audience never got to see it. BIG SPOILER: Young man has number one bestseller, gets writer's block, gets depressed, hooked on antidepressants, attempts suicide, while all the time his main problem is...is he straight or gay? I still think the Cymbalta ad on TV is a better movie.

Don't be too harsh...

[plater · 6/10 · 22 June 2012]

Ah, well—this is probably written in reaction to some of the harsh reviews; they're fully justified—but this film deserves some defense. True, it's long, repetitive and lacks real focus—lacks a real narrative, actually. OK, dabbling with esthetics without mastering everything. OK, a number of gimmicks and silly bits.

But it's emotionally forceful; the portrayal of depression and one's relation to pills is quietly poignant. Esthetically, it has moments of real beauty and quiet eroticism/tenderness. Tom Macy transcends his handsomeness with truly convincing acting—doesn't seem to me to be "lost at sea" doing things at random.

So, not a complete failure; not just another arty, pretentious, uneducated ego trip or film school spawn. Deserves watching and appreciation.

Some of us surely can understand

[stef-decloe · 8/10 · 22 October 2012]

Well, luckily I didn't read the reviews before watching this movie...

I liked it a lot. Of course, the movie is slow, of course, there are things that are repeated several times.

I have been "there" - for over 10 years - and can confirm that when you are living a severe depression, the same things run through your mind, over and over again, and sometimes become obsessive.

There were more subjects in this movie that I could relate to. Maybe you have to "have been there" to understand, or maybe you have to be motivated to understand.

The nude or semi nude scenes are filmed with great respect and are not shocking at all. Personally, I loved the scene where the guys go swimming.

Maybe the movie is a little bit "artsy", but I found it beautiful.

8/10

An allegorical fantasy

[meskal-68039 · 7/10 · 16 June 2018]

This film is definitely not for everyone...but if you are willing to invest a little thought and effort, you will get a big payoff here. It's a morality play centering on cause and effect. It incorporates real life situations, cosmic theory, scientific fact and a bit of metaphysical belief (seemingly held by the writer director). Although this has what might be to some seen as homoerotic imagery, this is definitely NOT a "gay film"...especially when you find out what it all meant at the end. The acting is "experimental" and varies from character to character, but overall it is a nice work of non-linear storytelling with some very thought-provoking imagery...whether you subscribe to it or not. I think the negative reviewers were expecting something a bit more salacious or mind-numbing...which this is definitely not.