Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Film Filter: Off - Identity

Film Filter: Off- One of the first things I look at when choosing a horror movie is the cast.  Seeing as this one had a pretty well known group of actors, I figured I would give it a go.

Pros- I really like John Cusack, and despite his tendency to always play the same type of role, I always enjoy seeing him on screen.  In addition to his performance, I think most of the cast held their own and portrayed their characters well.
   I would definitely have to say that the premise for the story was pretty unique as well.  Despite the fact that human psyche films are popular, this one definitely took a different look at it.  It also did an excellent job of making one world out of something that was actually two.  Eventually it became clear that there were separate stories, but the two fit very nicely together until that time.
   The ending does a nice job of tying up some loose ends while also throwing in a bit of a twist.  It was one that I sort of saw coming, but dismissed right after I thought about it.  I think it's one that would be a surprise for most, as it's really not all that predictable.

Cons- One of the things that I thought was pretty irritating was Amanda Peet's character and her inability to follow simple directions.  I get that she's an independent woman who doesn't like to take orders, but when people are dying and a former police officer is telling you what to do to make the situation better or calmer, you should probably heed him.
  Another thing that I found a little jarring about the film, was the moment the viewer realized that there were indeed two stories going on at one time.  It took me a while to figure out what was happening and who belonged where, and then it upset me that some of the characters I had grown to like ended up not being real.  I suppose the film was supposed to force you to take a minute to figure it out, but there was a definite WTF moment for me mid-way through the film.

Wrap-up- This film isn't bad, if your looking for a psychological drama with limited scary moments.

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