Comet (2014) User Reviews

Poetic and mesmerizing

[Sweetigal85 · 8/10 · 28 May 2017]

I absolutely adored this movie and I am only not giving it a perfect score because of the ambiguous ending. I had no trouble following the pace and flashing forward and backward in the character's mind. This may be a little confusing and irritating to some people though. The framing reminded me very much of the movie Closer. I think this movie Comet would best be suited for artistic, creative people and hopeless romantics.

I found the dialogue to be very real and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. The two main characters have amazing chemistry together and I didn't even realize until someone else pointed it out in their review that they are pretty much the only people in the entire movie.

The scenery was absolutely beautiful and very inspiring. I think Kimberly was more wacky like Dell than she chose to believe. I think they were both very strange, offbeat characters and that is why they fit so well together but also why they tend to clash. The acting was absolutely amazing, definitely Justin Long's greatest performance.

I personally would like to believe in the optimistic ending which is that "being pregnant and not leaving Jack" is Kimberly's lie which she had never gotten to tell throughout their relationship. Dell had specifically told her the night that they met that she needed to choose the moment of her lie for a time when he was least expecting it and for when he was in A TRULY VULNERABLE STATE. So when he kisses her in the end and interrupts her, I think she was definitely about to tell him that was her lie and she finally fooled him. That is what I believe because I too do not want to live in a world where Kimberly and Dell do not end up together!

Cosmic Convergence

[3xHCCH · 7/10 · 3 March 2015]

This film is about the relationship of Dell and Kimberly, a young couple from Los Angeles. "Comet" follows their six year love affair in good times and in bad, with random scenes of private conversations set in various locales. The main pride of this project is its insightful and witty script brought to life by two sensitive actors.

The script is written by director Sam Esmail. It is amazing as a debut script for a debut film. His ambition seemed modest, but the final product can be enchanting. The script was full of memorable quotable quotes and eloquently-worded sentiments throughout its 90 minute running time, like the following:

"He called himself a Bob Dylan song and proceeded to call me a Britney Spears song. I don't know what it means, but it sounds insulting." "You're a now person. I'm a 5-minutes from now person." "You said you believe in love. I don't. So let's put it to a test. Date each other, me and you, In a relationship. Let's do it." "I don't belong in a world where we don't end up together." "I never thought love was real, now I think life isn't real without it."

Justin Long and Emmy Rossum have excellent chemistry together. That is one big reason this film worked, despite feeling pretentious at first. Those long conversations may seem like senseless 'flights of ideas" on paper, but these two actors make these lines believable and real. Glib Long plays Dell consistently throughout, the hip, pothead narcissist that his character was, around whose point of view the story is told. Beautiful Rossum plays his dream girl Kimberly going through a whole range of emotions like she was being two different women as she falls in and out of love with Dell.

Of course, we have already seen many movies like this. The "Before" series by Richard Linklater immediately come to mind. But instead of a continuous straightforward narrative, "Comet" breaks up the scenes into seemingly random order. This gives the film a more cosmic air that it aspires for. The gauzy, filtered photography and innovative camera angles also contribute to the dreamy effect. That final scene, a minute of silence as two suns rise over the horizon, packed such an emotional wallop.

This film is not literal. It leaves the audience to decide what the film means to them as individuals. You decide which was reality and which were dreams among the various events that flash before you on screen. Dell was telling himself (and us) from the very beginning, "This is not a dream". But is it, or isn't it? Now I think I want to watch it again. 7/10.

A painting does not have a beginning, a middle and an end

[bluestranger · 8/10 · 14 December 2014]

That's what "Comet" is about and that's how it feels.

It's about man and a woman shown in different stages of their 6- year-long relationship. The director's got the remote and he's switching through the "channels" of their lives: the couple after 2 years, the day they met, the couple after 1 year and so on. You just need to be able to yield the steering wheel and enjoy the scenery. And wow! What a beautiful scenery it is! This movie is about romantic mood, conversation and connecting. It's neither about events, nor chronological order. It's not about a traditional story or deep meaning, but rather about how it makes you connect the characters to your own love experiences and the fuzzy feelings you get.

As Justin Long's character says at one point: "you should see our relationship as a painting; it doesn't have a beginning, a middle and an end."

Time is not a character allowed to crash their lives'party.

my notes

[FeastMode · 6/10 · 22 July 2019]

Good movie with a nice story told in an interesting way. there were a lot of very creative scenes. visually stimulating (1 viewing)

SPOILERS

Theory #1 - Dell in our universe is having weird dreams which are actually memories from his parallel universe. In our universe he doesn't end up with her but in the movie Universe he does and it helps him cope with losing her. A clue is that she was lying about being pregnant and was about to confess before he stopped her and figured it out. And he couldn't read anything in the black book, her thesis. At first I thought it meant he can't really understand her or something along those lines but apparently you can't read in dreams Theory #2 - they really don't end up together in the movie timeline but the two suns in the background mean that is the alternate universe and in our universe they are together

the girl as a characters wasn't very likable. but I guess the point is that she was supposed to be a little messed up and not perfect

I was very close to disliking this movie before that final scene. I was worried it was going to be one of those where you really have no idea what happened at all. But the last scene did a good job of making you understand the different possibilities. if this movie ended before that last scene it would have been completely ambiguous with infinite possibilities. But that last scene kind of narrowed it down a lot

From chat discussion with Ronnie: That's a great comparison. In neon demon you can literally come up with anything and it might be true. And most of your analysis will just be about metaphors and symbolism. In this movie there are definitive possibilities for exactly what happened in the movie

Night of the Comet.

[morrison-dylan-fan · 7/10 · 17 June 2017]

Catching up on some DVD viewings,I decided to see what films were about to be removed from Netflix UK. Not having seen her since the double bill of The Day After Tomorrow and The Phantom of the Opera in 2004, (despite being based on a UK show,Shameless has never come out on UK DVD) I was intrigued to spot an indie flick with Emmy Rossum,which led to me looking up at the sky.

The plot:

Crashing into each other whilst standing in line to watch a meteor shower,Dell and Kimberly collide into a romantic relationship.Over their six years,Dell wonders about what state the romance must be in alternative universes.Unknown to (this version of) Dell,the other Dell's and Kimberly's are seeing their love burnout across the galaxy.

View on the film:

Experiencing anything but a crumbling relationship behind the scenes, (she would later get married to the writer/director) Emmy Rossum gives an excellent,fragile performance as Kimberly. Initially whirling in with a kooky smile,Rossum pulls it into a fraught state,where the mere sight of Dell makes Kimberly fall more out of love with him. Tripping over his sweet nothings to Kimberly,Justin Long gives a great performance as Dell,who Long keeps from ever feeling he is on stable ground,which pulls his love for Kimberly into an unstable state.

Programmed before he created the TV series Mr. Robot,the debut screenplay by writer/director Sam Esmail scatters a snapshot across the screen on the various eras of Dell's and Kimberly's relationship criss-crossing over each other,from the lightly comedic first encounter,to the emotionally raw,bitter downward spiral the romance becomes trapped in. Although the use of parallel universes keeps the romance unsettled,Esmail disappointingly does not use it to give the characters a complexity or depth,but to instead use it as a device to jump back and forth on the various stages of the romance.

Inspired by the Cinéma Du Look movement,debuting director Esmail & cinematographer Eric Koretz crack the night sky of Dell and Kimberly's blossoming stage with a wave of ultra-stylised neon reds,blues and yellows,that shimming as Esmail dips from the real to the parallel. Tripping the colours as Dell and Kimberly's romance hits new lows,Esmail keeps the Du Look styling simmering in a warm light blue darting across Dell and Kimberly's romance like a comet.

It's a puzzle, an enigma you need NOT to solve.

[yakirue · 9/10 · 23 January 2015]

This movie was presented like a puzzle. You may want to solve it but the truth is, it has been pieced together all along.

Throughout the movie, the 6-year long relationship of Dell and Kimberly are flashed but not in a chronological manner. In fact, stages of their relationship are shown in clips that interchange the past and the present.At times, you could find yourself doubting if the events are real or were they some sort of a dream or a mere product of imagination.It may seem confusing, but it's really not. Basically, like how relationships are, the movie shows how they met, broke up, got together,etc... That's it. But what's endearing about this movie is how the story was told,how the characters were portrayed and the conversations they had.It's a masterpiece on its own.

Kudos to the director and of course, to the palpable chemistry of Justin Long and Emmy Rossum which has played a major contribution in making this film a masterpiece indeed.

Watching this movie might be confusing at first. Nonetheless, you never stop watching. That's how wonderful Comet is. It's wonderful. Truly a must-watch.

Rossum and Long were great. The confusing editing of the story, not so much.

[chrismackey1972 · 6/10 · 6 December 2014]

I only watched this because of Emmy Rossum, but I kinda wish I didn't. The film was rather pointless. The acting from Rossum and Justin Long was very good, but the storyline was lacking. It was very confusing because they would jump from one...story...dream...whatever it was, to another. Instead of doing that, they should've just played out the love story through its ups, downs, and finally its ending. It would've been much more endearing that way. I have to say Long's character was kinda creepy and narcissistic, because he seemed to think the relationship was all about him. He wanted her, so he followed her around until she said yes. She wanted to get married and have a kid, but he didn't, so it didn't happen. He didn't care that she was miserable, even though she told him right out that he wasn't making her happy. As she said, he seemed comfortable being miserable. When he stalks her and finds out she's riding on a train, he just has to chase her down again. When she's finally pregnant and going to marry a man who understands a relationship is not just about him, Long's character tries unraveling that bit of happiness Rossum's character has, simply so HE will be happy. Thankfully, she said no. He said he couldn't live in a world where he and she don't wind up together. Maybe he should live in a world where he doesn't have his head shoved up his butt for so long that he thinks his crap smells good.

I gave this a 6-star rating because of Rossum's and Long's talents. However - again - it was confusing as to what was supposed to be a dream as opposed to what actually had taken place. If you like Emmy Rossum and Justin Long and you want to watch anything they'll be in, this is for you. If you like a cohesive storyline though, you might wanna skip it.

You have to wait until I am vulnerable ...

[imdb-69463 · 8/10 · 28 December 2015]

Other reviews have covered a wide range of topics. Although I didn't find one which explained the ending. I am not a fan of movies which leave you hanging. When this movie ended my first thought was, here we go again.

Wait, what was it Dell said when he met Kimberly. He told her he lied about not seeing the Sixth Sense. A few moments later he tells her that you have to wait to lie, until he is in a vulnerable position where he will really fall for it.

While some have commented on Kimberly's role, what could be more clever than timing your turn to lie to the moment Dell is least likely to guess.

The symbolism in the ending has a lot more meaning now.

Interesting character study of two in a couple who can't quite decide.

[TxMike · 23 August 2015]

I came across this movie on Netflix streaming. I like the two main actors so gave it a try. Frankly it isn't easy to figure what all is going on, and when, because of the editing. But that didn't matter to me, I enjoyed the performances and the overall quirkiness. I was looking to be entertained and I was.

Justin Long is Dell at an outdoors nighttime viewing of some heavenly phenomena. I believe it was a comet. He happens to encounter Emmy Rossum (of "Phantom" fame) as Kimberly. She was there with a date but that didn't stop Dell from telling her that she needed his phone number because she would want to contact him, he was sure they were soul mates and should be together.

Not for all tastes, but I enjoyed it. We get to see them in a number of situations over the 6 years.

A breakup story

[edu_gru · 7/10 · 15 March 2020]

Comet is about any breakup story, just as we all have gone through, which alway contains memories and fantasies, that in the case of Comet this fantasies are defined as parallel universes Be ready to be confused, spend time reflecting and you will understand that this story is or was your breakup story

too clever, not clever, too special, not special

[Rob-O-Cop · 5/10 · 27 May 2015]

It's all about timing, for a great movie to be great. This film has some fantastic components in it. Every scene is fantastically crisp, with nice depth of field images with beautifully blurry backgrounds, vibrantly coloured, quirkily framed, too much so to the point of that looks nice but what's the point in relation to the story you're telling, immaculately lit, ...... willful editing quirks too, jumping through timelines it seems to just be clever, too clever for it's own good. The script, witty banter, back and forward trying hard to keep us guessing where it's going to go, to be off the wall, quirky, again, trying too hard to be clever, to the point of the script drawing attention to itself, making it obvious that these are written characters and not natural on the screen. They're kind of unlikable in their clearly contrived nature of cynical guy and quirky girl, acted well, Justin Long gives good character, he captures what was obviously on the page, but what was on the page isn't necessarily believable, engaging or appealing. Justin is good but still this fails, it just fails because it seems so text book indie cinema, written and made by a student of great cinema, looking to the great innovators of great cinema, but a well studied facsimile, a well executed pastiche, but not taking that cinema anywhere naturally new, and showing up the lack of real depth in the material and execution. Cos anyone who wants to make a text book film can hire a RED camera, and colourgrade the sh!t out of their edit in Premiere these days, and really the execution of this movie does have craft, it looks good, it really does, but when access to making movies is so accessible now the real quality in cinema is revealed, having something worthwhile to say, and that something can't just be that you love cinema and want to play, it has to be that you have something to contribute to our understanding of the human condition. I see so many movies out there failing at that simple plain objective, and they fail to connect because of that. That said there were patches of good here. The Where's my money bit worked, Dell's love soliloquy was nice enough, and it was almost going somewhere on the re writing of moments mash up dream thing, but it got confused and ended up not making it. This movie had a lot on a few levels, but it doesn't have enough.

Modern Romance Unbounded

[jimster1 · 10/10 · 19 April 2015]

Hollywood movies rarely move me as the formula used is predictable, with most endings being predictable shortly into the film. If you are looking for the Americana white picket fence house in the suburbs, two kids and a dog relationship this is not for you. Comet is a statement on love between two people looking for love who have the unsocial ability to speak their mind, the truth. Truth hurts, and without the "skills" to cushion their raw feelings they do hurt each other. Its a beautiful refreshing approach to viewing a relationship, magically crafted by the filmmakers by interweaving the 6 year timeline of their relationship leading up to the final scenes. A film to show this narrative needed two actors who could bring the characters to life and make you believe, outstandingly accomplished by Justin Long and Emmy Rossum. Please realize most of this entire film is carried by these two actors, the supporting cast is small but excellent, the cinematography is captivatingly beautiful, and the musical score integrated perfectly, adding up to a great movie experience. I gave this film a 10, which I never do, to counterbalance the rating of people who obviously did not take the time to take this journey. Don't missed out on relating a few stokes of your life's colour brush to this painting..

Good overall, but indie hipster tropes marred it

[JodyBruchon · 7/10 · 22 December 2015]

This film has a lot of great things going for it. There is an experimental element in the exposition of "parallel realities" that is a little annoying at first but becomes more effective as the film progresses. In fact, the film uses quite a few techniques that are unconventional, and for the most part they are effective. The central story is obviously a love story, and by now it isn't anything special on its own; you've probably seen this story before, and other reviewers have already covered much of the obvious influences already. The magic is in its execution, and that's where things both work wonderfully and fall apart.

As I said, many unconventional ways of presenting the story are used very effectively; I'd not rate the film so highly otherwise. The core of the film is solid. The three stars that I took away come from two major problems: an ambiguous ending and the use of obnoxiously annoying framing choices that every indie film hipster seems to be all about using nowadays.

I hate all film endings where the ending is ambiguous. I liken it to ripping the last few pages out of one's favorite novel. Movies where the loose ends are left untied leave me with that feeling you might get if handed a plate of delicious food and then having the plate unexpectedly taken away when you're only half done eating. There is nothing more to say about this problem; some people aren't bothered by it, but I see it as either laziness or being "artsy" to the detriment of your storytelling.

The far more serious problem is the one where the "rule of thirds" and other fundamental image composition guidelines are thrown out the window. There are some shots where this works well because the violation of the rule fits with that aspect of the narrative. However, there are far more instances where the framing choices just look plain stupid and make no sense. Leaving a lot of empty frame space behind and/or above the actor's head is a compositional no-no and should only be done in rare instances, but like many other smaller indie films released in the past couple of years, this one falls victim to the director trying too hard to be edgy and clever. It is the Tragedy of the Cinematic Hipster. They've randomly forgotten that the point is to tell a story and that producing a film for mass consumption isn't an artsy film school assignment. A story should work BECAUSE of the camera work, not IN SPITE of it. The overall film suffers a bit; it is distracting at best and obnoxious at worst.

If the director's future films spend less time trying to be so edgy, there is a lot of potential for amazing work, but it's too late to save Comet from the indie hipster disease. Still, it's definitely a film worth seeing, and after all of my whining, that's pretty impressive.

Pretentious movie with unlikable characters

[holo17 · 3/10 · 9 February 2020]

One of the most pretentious movies I have ever watched. The main guy character is an unlikable, self-important asshat right from the start, in a way that should be obvious to everybody - except, apparently, the main girl character. She likes it, goes right along with his "I'm the smartest man alive" schtick, and delivers some crazy chick attitude in return. The writers worked hard to make narcissistic, sociopathic character traits appear quirky and cute. They're not. They're narcissistic and sociopathic. Couple that with clumsy exposition, wooden dialogue, and wannabe "aha!" moments, and it all turns into a major trainwreck. I'm guessing the actors did the best with what they were given to work with. However, the result should appear highly unlikable to any human being with a shred of actual empathy. Comet is a movie that looks good on paper, but unfortunately, does not deliver on its promise at all. Unless we're supposed to find these two painfully annoying, in which case, congratulations.

Good enough

[Red_Identity · 7 December 2014]

The aesthetic here is really incredible. Of course, it goes a bit overboard, but it works as well as it needs to. The acting is also really effective, but the dialogue just gets too pretentious at times. The beginning, especially, got sort of insufferable. But at one point within the first 20 minutes, I sort of got into the film and its characters. It was entertaining enough, even if the film didn't really do anything all that original. Very well done and composed as a whole, and Long was convincing, but the film really could've been something great and instead it's only halfway decent. But maybe that's enough for some people, I guess it just depends on each individual person.

Cringy execution, pleasant content, overall: skippable.

[lalybehappy · 6/10 · 12 November 2017]

For starters, I was let down 15min into the movie because I found out that the main actor wasn't Keanu Reeves (ok, maybe that's just an emotional argument). Before that, I was wondering why Reeves' character wasn't as good as I expected from him and how he could've fallen into such a lame role.

But continuing with the rest of the movie: Photography sucks, everything is on the two bottom thirds of the screen, almost out of frame, which is terribly irritating. They were trying to be artsy, but it wasn't well executed (unlike "Her", which's Photography is also artsy, "hipster", but successfully centers on the appreciation of "the aesthetic"). Some effects were quite fake. Most of the effects were acceptable because that can happen when you lack a large budget or strong CGI tools, however, at some moments I don't know if they were going for "magical"? but it stopped at tacky, like it was edited by a 10-year-old. I saw it as unprofessional. User "Jody Bruchon" covers my points pretty well: "A story should work BECAUSE of the camera work, not IN SPITE of it."

Acting and script are unnatural as well: Transitions between ideas in the conversations are totally unnatural and fake. Half of the time Justin Long's acting was —as user "Grasswerks" states it— "garbage", and Emmy Rossum's was "as cute as her face = barely."

Hard to enjoy the potential and ideas of the movie when you're cringing because of all of these things.

But there are also good things this work: I like some dialogues, the concepts behind it are very well stated, quotable, which is the reason this movie is saved from being reviewed less than 5 stars. The plot and concept of it being "like a painting, without a beginning or an end" are pleasant. I don't think the ending should be taken that seriously, else you're stuck with that unsatisfying "what type of ambiguity is this?" I didn't have a problem with it and even thought the last 20 min were the most enjoyable of the whole piece.

It's a good movie to watch when you have some spare time and you're doing something parallel to watching it (i.e. it doesn't need your full attention; unless you want to suffer from the photography and acting).

Relatable

[artistatcamera · 7/10 · 24 September 2018]

Beautiful movie! Wonderful aesthetic, interesting story that makes you think about love, Universe and life in general.

One of the most touching and beautiful films of 2014

[jonruff108 · 9/10 · 9 August 2015]

It is difficult for me to form words after seeing this movie. I'm sitting here at my desk trying to gather my thoughts to string together logical sentences but I have become overwhelmed with emotion.

For now let's talk technicalities. The acting, directing, cinematography and lighting, editing, and soundtrack are gorgeous. The film is aesthetically beautiful to look at and listen to, so much so that it almost hurts.

But the real star is Sam Esmail's (USA's Mr. Robot show-runner) writing. This is where I'm having difficulty expressing my general thoughts. This IS NOT a film for everyone; and that's what makes it so unbelievably special. The characters are beautifully painted and feel fresh and new, which is something I can't say often. The screenplay is so incredibly touching that it often felt like a transcending experience; something more than just a film.

If you are a fan of deeply challenging films (i.e. Mr Nobody) then this is an absolute must see. If your a film student, this is a must see. If you are a lover of cinema in general, this is a must see.

The film is on Netflix and it's only an hour and a half in length making for an extremely easy watch. Please support this film. It's such a rarity that we see such beauty in a film released in 2014.

A visually unique and engaging Sci-Fi/Romance

[eddie_baggins · 7/10 · 25 August 2015]

Whatever one was to say about this ambitious and often highly effective indie Sci-Fi/Romance, there's little doubting that Comet is one of the most visually striking and uniquely crafted films of recent memory and a hugely effective calling card for first time director and boyfriend of Emmy Rossum, Sam Esmail.

While it would take some time to discover all the nuances and narrative conundrums of this original journey, Esmail's directional eye and way with words is something to behold, no better magnified by the fact that Comet really is a 90 minute conversation driven piece that is not dissimilar to a Woody Allen or Noah Baumbach film. From emotionally charged scenarios through to comical situations, Comet often masters a raft of different genres and it's musings on life, love and the plausibility of parallel dimensions is balanced to wonderful effect by Esmail. The film, as mentioned, carries a fantastically appealing visual flair, from strange framing, beautiful lighting and nice visual ticks Comet looks a treat, even more so when considering its low end budget.

It's refreshing to see a filmmaker utilise the tools at his disposable and all the good work Esmail does with his screenplay and directional style would've come to naught had he struck out with his main actors but thankfully you'll find here arguably career best turns from Justin Long and Emmy Rossum. If Long's Dell and Rossum's Kimberly had failed to create a chemistry led spark, Comet would've been an exercise in artistic frustration but in these two relatable and often impressively created characters we have two humans that we can both relate to, enjoy and even dislike. It's a testament that both these actors keep the films narrative intact, even when things seem to be gathering steam towards an incomprehensible whole. With these two young actors at centre stage, Comet really becomes a memorable experience.

Comet is enjoyable, moving and original and while not everything works completely within this high reaching dialogue driven outing, there is enough that clicks to make it one of the most accomplished directional debuts and romantically tinged movies of recent years. Something akin to a less whimsical 500 Days of Summer, come the films quietly beautiful finale, Comet is a film sure to impress all those who enjoy wordy and brain scratching character studies.

3 1/2 Chinese food orders out of 5

I don't care what anybody says, this movie is a masterpiece

[bilburry · 9/10 · 26 July 2022]

Not giving it a 10 because of its ambiguous ending but hey isn't the whole movie a bit ambiguous. The movie explores the couple's relationship for over 6 years and I believe that some parts were of parallel universes. It is raw and beautiful. Although the chronology is vague and not enough substantial information is provided about their relationship, the movie still manages to be interesting throughout. We have to draw conclusions from their conversations at various stages of their life where they are breaking up.

like a daydream......

[dramrita · 7/10 · 11 May 2015]

This movie is "without a beginning, middle or end", as rightly quoted. So any attempts at searching for order could rob you of the pleasure of enjoying the current of conversations between the characters, beautifully played by Justin Long and Emily Rossum. The characters are hurtfully honest and delightfully creative in their interactions. The highlight of this movie are the innumerable quotable quotes that are seamlessly inserted into regular conversations between this couple, beautiful, yet at times it could seem too over the top to feel real. Watching this movie is like sitting and day dreaming, clips of real incidences intermixed with imagination, reminding you of your own relationships off and on. There does not always need to be a story. Something very important may happen without a conclusive end. If you do not care for such trivialities, you might just fall in love with this film...

Read about this movie before watching it !

[cekadah · 5/10 · 29 March 2015]

Believe me, please read about this flick before you start watching! I did not read about it until after watching. I had to read other reviews because at movies end I had no idea what I had just watched.

After reading other reviews both by professional writers and amateurs writers the film makes sense but it really doesn't save it from being confusing and often nonsensical. Throughout the entire story I kept thinking there was two different worlds with the same characters but each followed a different path. Not so. What we are given is a patchwork of scenes and events in this world on the relationship of one couple.

I can only guess the Director/writer Sam Esmail had some ideas about creating this rather odd ball couple but couldn't figure out how to make their relationship time line more coherent so he just threw together events over the 6 years without regard to when it happened; which makes the movie just weak.

It does not have to look good on paper to feel good.

[jfkearney · 8/10 · 8 July 2015]

A romantic love story set in different parallel universes based on the outcome of a perfectly pained couple in a flawed relationship :

Despite the harsh commentary and 6.6. rating on IMDb I personally feel that this romantic comedy was one of the best to arise from 2014. I was approached by my friends, after a recent breakup, to watch this movie and it turned out to be one of the most touching movies I have ever watched, yes it could have been better and there are flaws no doubt but the message behind the plot was conveyed beautifully.

In the start of the film i was uncertain about watching it, in fear that it might be one of those cliché love stories, yet once the perspective changed from 3rd person to first person it drew my attention as i rarely ever stumble across this unique use of camera work.

The film starts off with a bang as it jumps into one of the most critical moments of this couple's relationship based in a parallel universe. Throughout the movie we can see the flawed relationship as a prominent theme which brings the adrenaline levels up and makes us wonder whether or not they will really ever be together.

The character Dell was accurately conveyed by Justin Long as even his look added to the narcissistic personality of his character, no offense Justin. We are lead to believe that it is the actions of Dell that break the relationship yet it is the unstable personality of Kimberly which lead to most of the breakups in the parallel universes which i found as quite unique as no antagonist is created in this film as everyone is to be praised and blamed.

On the more story based side, Kimberly refers to time as being the only complication between them and wished that life could be like a painting, no start, no middle, and no ending. This metaphor created by Kimberly is conveyed throughout the film as it jumps from start to end to middle to the dream where all the memories and events combined.

The movie ends beautifully with this perfectly matched couple with their flawed passed standing on the edge of a balcony with the duel sun setting behind them. We are uncertain of the outcome of the movie as the duel sun can represent multiple things, one of those could be that Dell was dreaming all along or that the whole movie has been based on alternate outcomes which he created in that instance that Kimberly saved him lastly it could even have been that the couple saw each other in a universe with two suns. Everything is possible which makes the movie so beautiful and unique, like a painting you can take out of it whatever you wish and you choose how the relationship between these two people end.

One of the few films that brought a tear to my eye and definitely made a lasting impression. Thoughts about the film can differ from person to person as we all have a different taste in movies yet this will definitely be going into my top 10 .

Regards

Nesteron visit my blog for more details : [e-mail]

Different

[jacenknet · 6/10 · 21 February 2020]

Very different and unique. didnt follow the storyline entirely nor did i connect with the characters or really understand the premise but was still entertained and thought that it was original and thought provoking. kudos weird movie.

Viewer Beware

[JackieO_04 · 1/10 · 13 September 2015]

In his directorial debut Sam Esmail shows us that he is competent enough to put together 3/4 of what look like a promising film. Unfortunately he fell victim to the now common modern trend of ambiguous endings. This does not leave the viewer interpreting the ending, it just leaves the viewer wondering what happened to the rest of the film. ( Since it's an Indie Film, one might assume budget issues are to blame?) Although the dialogue was intriguing and somewhat humorous, not enough time was spent on character development, even though the co-stars Justin Long and Emma Rossum were in almost every scene together. I might have rated this film higher if a complete film was provided.