In what could playfully be argued as indie cinemas answer to Pacific Rim, Nacho Vigalondo's most recent picture seems to have divided many over whether or not this film even means anything.
I for one am a proponent of the film feeling that it represents real characters with real problems; whether that be Dan Steven's character (Tim) being a right ass, Austin Stowell's character (Joel) being a massive coward, or of course Anne Hathaway and Jason Sudeikis's characters Gloria and Oscar respectively, struggling with alcohol; something I found particularly relatable or so my friends keep telling me (I don't see the problem).
In any case, I found this character driven narrative to be both full of whimsy and validity, even if the explanation for the events that occur in the film are thinly veiled at best, it was Hathaway's exceptional performance that certainly helped me to look past this pretty rubbish story. Perhaps the most succinct way to explain this films narrative is that it is allegorical of our inner demons. The two main characters struggle with multiple psychological issues that at the beginning of the film seem at most, slightly embarrassing, with side effects including Gloria being unable to hold down a job, or fighting with her boyfriend, etc. But events later on in the film reveal that her drunken behaviour impacts more than just her own life, but is in fact killing hundreds in Seoul and yes, the metaphor is slightly over the top if you ask me, but its message is as clear as this movie is stupid, and that is, how our own personal problems can hurt others unbeknownst to us.
All things considered, this isn't a bad film to wind down your week on a Sunday night, with Anne Hathaway delivering one of her better acting performances, more akin to her part in The Devil Wears Prada than more serious outings like Le Mis, but ultimately this film feels forgettable and I can't say I would recommend it to anyone other than the most die-hard of Hathaway or Sudeikis fans.
I for one am a proponent of the film feeling that it represents real characters with real problems; whether that be Dan Steven's character (Tim) being a right ass, Austin Stowell's character (Joel) being a massive coward, or of course Anne Hathaway and Jason Sudeikis's characters Gloria and Oscar respectively, struggling with alcohol; something I found particularly relatable or so my friends keep telling me (I don't see the problem).
In any case, I found this character driven narrative to be both full of whimsy and validity, even if the explanation for the events that occur in the film are thinly veiled at best, it was Hathaway's exceptional performance that certainly helped me to look past this pretty rubbish story. Perhaps the most succinct way to explain this films narrative is that it is allegorical of our inner demons. The two main characters struggle with multiple psychological issues that at the beginning of the film seem at most, slightly embarrassing, with side effects including Gloria being unable to hold down a job, or fighting with her boyfriend, etc. But events later on in the film reveal that her drunken behaviour impacts more than just her own life, but is in fact killing hundreds in Seoul and yes, the metaphor is slightly over the top if you ask me, but its message is as clear as this movie is stupid, and that is, how our own personal problems can hurt others unbeknownst to us.
All things considered, this isn't a bad film to wind down your week on a Sunday night, with Anne Hathaway delivering one of her better acting performances, more akin to her part in The Devil Wears Prada than more serious outings like Le Mis, but ultimately this film feels forgettable and I can't say I would recommend it to anyone other than the most die-hard of Hathaway or Sudeikis fans.