Uncertainty (2009)
Need to do things a little differently this time, as this movie is not one that can be reviewed in the style my previous ones have been. That said, I'm not quite sure how to review this, so for the most part, I'm just gonna wing it and hope for the best.
Let me say one thing first- Joseph Gordon-Levitt is one of my favorite actors; Brick, 500 Days of Summer, Inception, all great flicks- hell even his turn as Cobra Commander in GI Joe was entertaining, and I'm looking forward to his role in The Dark Knight Rises. I'm not quite certain how I found today's movie, but more then likely I was skimming JGL's imdb page and saw it was coming out, then watched the trailer. The film looked interesting, but still took me some time to actual find a copy and watch it. Going in, I'm not sure what I was expecting, and now that it's over, I'm not sure what I think of it.
The plot is pretty inventive I'll give it that. A couple, Bobby, played by Levitt, and Kate, played by Lynn Collins, stand on the Brooklyn bridge and discuss what to do- about what, we are not sure just yet, and frankly neither are they it seems. They decided to flip a coin, and though no stakes are given nor is the outcome shown, they both seem to know what they are going to do and proceed to run in different directions off the bridge. This leads to the film's selling point- both possibilities for the day's events are played out. One leads to the two going to Brooklyn to spend The Fourth of July with Kate's family, the other takes them to Manhattan and the discovery of a lost phone being sought by dangerous people.
I think my biggest issues with the film is with this idea- not that I don't like it, far from it, I like the idea of two diverging paths stemming from a single decision. What bugs me is that to do this the film needs to sacrifice portions of both stories. The family BBQ story, a drama, tends to have more development; we learn that Bobby is Canadian, that Kate's family has issues with their relationship and with one another- an uncle with Alzheimer's, a deceased brother, a sister looking to leave school, and a nosy mother are all present, but don't move much from those basic character tropes. We also learn that Kate is pregnant and she and Bobby are unsure of what to do about it- another decision they were discussing on the bridge. The family dynamic is interesting, as is the decision to tell them of Kate's pregnancy, but it doesn't go anywhere .The couple even find a lost dog on the way and take it in, but we never learn why it was lost or who it's owners are. The Manhattan storyline on the other, being a more action thriller styled piece, lacks much development and sticks to the basic formula- someone finds something important, two others seek it out, are willing to kill for it, finder must figure out what to do to survive. Well Kate's pregnancy is mentioned slightly, it doesn't matter and doesn't stop her and Bobby from running through the city avoiding the people looking for the phone. Both stories have potential, and likely could have made decent films on their own with more time and development, but trying to put them together leaves both lacking.
Now I understand the idea the movie is presenting is that one choice can change everything, and thus we need to see the bits of both stories to understand the different paths, and this is an interesting and novel approach to take. However, in my opinion, for a movie to work there has to be a conflict or something at stake, and while the latter story has this, it is rushed and the conclusion seems tagged on to coincide with the ending of the former story, which while the conflict seems to be whether Kate will tell her family or not, this is brushed aside as nothing by the end, making it seems pointless.
There are some positives to the film however- Levitt and Collins have great chemistry, and in both stories you do believe they are a real couple trying to deal with their situations as best they can. I'd say the realism they possess is one of the films biggest strengths, because simply by being there they make the situations they are in seem real by association. The Manhattan story, while plausible, is a cliched plot that only really has any weight because those involved are real enough to draw the viewer in. Likewise, the Brooklyn story allows this realism to shine further, as the interactions between the couple and the family members seems very much like a real family get together, little is forced.
One reason for this I believe, comes from the fact that script was written without dialogue. According to imdb, the actors developed the dialogue during rehearsals with the help of the directors, which I believe is the core reason that the interactions seem so organic- these aren't people reading some writers words, they are reading from a script they themselves helped create. Outside of the interactions, there are some good throwaway lines, such as when the couple compare stories of where babies come from they heard as children; Kate tells Bobby her father told her babies grow on trees, whereas Bobby's father told him that he came from his balls. It's a chuckle worthy line but sounds like something a real person would say.
So let me summarize just a bit- the cast is good, the acting is good, the dialogue is good, and the idea is a good one in theory. However, the execution of the idea is lacking and because of that the film as a whole suffers from a script that pushes an original approach over fully developed stories. That said, it was still a decent film, though I doubt it will be joining my DVD collection anytime soon. Still, if you like the concept or like me are a JGL fan, give it a shot, might be more your cup of tea then it was mine.
2.5 Different Timelines out of 5
Until next time, I'm the Drew, and I'm certain I Be Awesome.
No comments:
Post a Comment