I really enjoyed this movie. I loved the gimmick of these 5 men waking up in such a strange scenario having memory loss. We watch as they gradually have memories, some specific, some vague and some misleading, which give them clues as to who they may be and who the others are. They have them at different paces and it is interesting to watch unfold. There was action but not too much, which I don't care for. Some other reviewer called this movie slow, I don't know what he is smoking.
I do have a major beef with the film, but it is not one I would say should keep anyone from seeing it. The film is partially funded by IFC. But the final act of this film reeks of movie studio executive interference. The ending is not horrible, and I understand why 90% of the gratuitous violence is in the last 10 minutes, and I don't mind that. But we are subjected to a needless and fake fireball explosion and a twist on top of another twist.
You can just sense some executive saying, it needs an explosion, where's the explosion. So they film a scene where someone throws a lighter on gasoline and a fireball shoots up 40 feet in the air while the protagonist is in the foreground walking away from it. Oh my god, have we not seen that in half every studio picture for the last 15 years!? Then you could just see the doing a re-write. There is an interesting twist at the end, which is fine. Twists are not necessary in every film, but I liked it. But then just seconds before the film ends, they slap another twist on top of that twist. You can just sense the re-write, no no we need another twist, nowadays films need multiple twists that's what the kids expect, how else can we market it?.
That last twist was just gratuitous and a bit confusing leaving you to spend 20 seconds or so figuring it out while the closing credits and song roll. I thought IFC would not stoop to these tactics, but apparently I am wrong. But once again, I did really enjoy this. It is still better than most of the junk that comes out.
I do have a major beef with the film, but it is not one I would say should keep anyone from seeing it. The film is partially funded by IFC. But the final act of this film reeks of movie studio executive interference. The ending is not horrible, and I understand why 90% of the gratuitous violence is in the last 10 minutes, and I don't mind that. But we are subjected to a needless and fake fireball explosion and a twist on top of another twist.
You can just sense some executive saying, it needs an explosion, where's the explosion. So they film a scene where someone throws a lighter on gasoline and a fireball shoots up 40 feet in the air while the protagonist is in the foreground walking away from it. Oh my god, have we not seen that in half every studio picture for the last 15 years!? Then you could just see the doing a re-write. There is an interesting twist at the end, which is fine. Twists are not necessary in every film, but I liked it. But then just seconds before the film ends, they slap another twist on top of that twist. You can just sense the re-write, no no we need another twist, nowadays films need multiple twists that's what the kids expect, how else can we market it?.
That last twist was just gratuitous and a bit confusing leaving you to spend 20 seconds or so figuring it out while the closing credits and song roll. I thought IFC would not stoop to these tactics, but apparently I am wrong. But once again, I did really enjoy this. It is still better than most of the junk that comes out.