YazQuan
Atlanta GA US
Feels like a work in progress
I was looking forward to the science fiction multiverse plot and in most ways it didn't disappoint - although there were scenes from the early promos that I liked MUCH better than the ones that actually made it into the movie - or at least the version of the movie I saw - there may be a different version in another part of the multiverse.
The unifying element of the multiple universes is Kath's consciousness of all the worlds and the relentlessness of her determination to be with Lin, and happy with Lin, in at least one of them. That seems a prospect with diminishing odds, given how many times and in how many random ways they are kept apart.
The sheer ambition of the number of scenarios had to be daunting for the production staff and feels like overreach in parts. It's not that they fail to entertain, because each scenario is compelling in itself. It's that, even at just over two hours running, there simply isn't enough time to do them all justice.
And it's that overreach that leaves the ending feeling rushed and ambiguous. It's hard to be reassured when right up to the end we're treated to the cinematic version of 50 ways to leave your lover.
PROS
High marks for story, soundtrack, action, and romance, and ultra high marks for angst.
The technical production was near flawless; the location scenery was beautiful; and the space mission special effects were impressive.
Freen Sarocha Chankimha's acting was outstanding, natural and engaging throughout, making each of her characters the focal point of shared scenes.
CONS
In the version I saw, the English dialog didn't match the English subtitles, which is just weird, and the Thai subtitles ran on top of the English subtitles, obscuring the dialog in places. Note: It's likely I saw a version that wasn't supposed to be publicly available. The prominent watermark visible throughout gives it away as a film festival copy.
The Tsunami CGI was awkwardly done.
The actor playing space mission commander is cartoonishly awful in his delivery, which ironically fits with the Spaceman Spiff level dialog he's given.
Co-lead Rebecca Patricia Armstrong's physical acting shows tremendous improvement from earlier projects, but her long term career prospects may hinge on getting some truly professional Hollywood level acting lessons to bring her dialog delivery up to standard.
The ending needed more breathing room. The director surely could have borrowed 30 seconds from somewhere to give the characters the resolution they deserved.
SUMMARY
Given the runtime limitations for a cinematic release, I have no doubt a lot of quality work was left on the metaphorical cutting room floor. A multipart series may have been a better vehicle for a project of this scope. If the cinematic release continues to have trouble getting its legs underneath it, maybe a re-edit into a series could give it new life.
The unifying element of the multiple universes is Kath's consciousness of all the worlds and the relentlessness of her determination to be with Lin, and happy with Lin, in at least one of them. That seems a prospect with diminishing odds, given how many times and in how many random ways they are kept apart.
The sheer ambition of the number of scenarios had to be daunting for the production staff and feels like overreach in parts. It's not that they fail to entertain, because each scenario is compelling in itself. It's that, even at just over two hours running, there simply isn't enough time to do them all justice.
And it's that overreach that leaves the ending feeling rushed and ambiguous. It's hard to be reassured when right up to the end we're treated to the cinematic version of 50 ways to leave your lover.
PROS
High marks for story, soundtrack, action, and romance, and ultra high marks for angst.
The technical production was near flawless; the location scenery was beautiful; and the space mission special effects were impressive.
Freen Sarocha Chankimha's acting was outstanding, natural and engaging throughout, making each of her characters the focal point of shared scenes.
CONS
In the version I saw, the English dialog didn't match the English subtitles, which is just weird, and the Thai subtitles ran on top of the English subtitles, obscuring the dialog in places. Note: It's likely I saw a version that wasn't supposed to be publicly available. The prominent watermark visible throughout gives it away as a film festival copy.
The Tsunami CGI was awkwardly done.
The actor playing space mission commander is cartoonishly awful in his delivery, which ironically fits with the Spaceman Spiff level dialog he's given.
Co-lead Rebecca Patricia Armstrong's physical acting shows tremendous improvement from earlier projects, but her long term career prospects may hinge on getting some truly professional Hollywood level acting lessons to bring her dialog delivery up to standard.
The ending needed more breathing room. The director surely could have borrowed 30 seconds from somewhere to give the characters the resolution they deserved.
SUMMARY
Given the runtime limitations for a cinematic release, I have no doubt a lot of quality work was left on the metaphorical cutting room floor. A multipart series may have been a better vehicle for a project of this scope. If the cinematic release continues to have trouble getting its legs underneath it, maybe a re-edit into a series could give it new life.
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