Cinema Non Pareil

Rating: 10/10 (16 December 2006)

OMG This is an amazing film, an absolute masterpiece. I am absolutely mind-blown. I really like intellectual science fiction and nihilistic visions of the future collapse of western society, and this one is so plausible and palpable.
Intelligent, funny, powerful, political, and quite a logical warning and rational progression from where we are today. This could happen. I don't know about the major plot point - that humans stopped reproducing, but the rest... it could happen.
The cinematography is blindingly excellent. I lost all sense of sitting in a theatre watching a movie and found myself feeling thoroughly captivated - which meant that my heart was racing and I felt like I, also, was in harm's way. It is violent, but not the usual garden variety of "There are men with guns on the screen, they are fighting." No, this is Technicolor 3-D "cinerama really makes it real" violence that is presented with such clarity that you will walk away and feel a sense of relief that the street scene you will encounter as you walk outside the theatre is once again comfortably normal.
The sound editing is also brilliant, I really like the way they would take a sound and transform it as the scenes changed. I can't be more specific without writing spoilers, but please trust me, this is a film to see in the best theatre you can afford because the sound design is a critical component to the experience of being in this story.
Excellent soundtrack too. I want it, gotta have it. Amazing gems, from King Crimson to Radiohead and all over the world and back - with an extra cool cover of the Stones' Ruby Tuesday used to great satisfaction.
Rated 10 out of 10 on the super cool movie experience scale.