Deceiving

Rating: 1/10 (13 November 2012)

This movie is deceiving. A movie goer expects an adventure and leaves with bloody shock after shock AND the writer's opinion about painful prejudice. Furthermore, if you're not confused, then you didn't watch the entire movie. Note that the folks you rated it high said, "What can I say?" or "I don't know what to say." Nobody really can explain how bad it is. This is nothing at all like the Matrix (which was great!)
I was somewhat surprised that only three people walked out of it. I should have, but I stayed for the entire bother. Sadly, it only got worse. I'm shocked to see the rave reviews and can only conclude that people give rave reviews on a movie that is hard or impossible to comprehend). Worthless is closer to a reasonable review.
The good: Tom Hanks and Halle Berry. That is ALL!
First of the bad: themes about love, especially sexual love, and reincarnation are prevalent anchoring the theme in the love in two homosexual males' love affair. The other homosexual appearing love is unrequited. Finally this love affair "reincarnates" in to a love affair of orientals, with whites(?), and black/white love affairs between each other throughout centuries. Male:male/male:female love making is too explicit. Oral love making is also suggested. Way too "B" movieish in all the sex.
The theme of "love never dies" is there, but it also suggests that love, no matter who it is that gives it or between who, is still love. And all love is great. But nearly all love affairs are doomed.
Demons (and a "white" devil) and spells and powerless incantations try to influence people to do wrong or help people survive--all to no avail. All love affairs are illegitimate and cause society's (and the white devil's) anger. Helping another person is for sexual favors, and men dream of sex with Halle Berry/black women. There are numerous suggestions in the film, and one leaves wondering what other suggestions have been planted in one's mind after the movie.
Prejudice seems to stand in the way of love (relationships that are illegitimate according to the society). The movie suggests that all people are equal in love but that men are more loyal in love and that all men seem to be smart while some women are pretty dumb. Men are all actors in the game of life and hopelessly and powerlessly in love only to lose it. Women sometimes get the point of life. Love that is abnormal to society is denied and abused. Illegitimate lovers sadly but generally can anticipate death. There is no place on earth to avoid it.
As disconnected as the above is, you will find it is a perfect descriptio of this disconnected film. A genius would find this film nothing but a dying person's flash of memories before death.
The writers have a throat fetish since dying from blood loss through the throat is common. This throat issue may be a fear of the writers, a wish that they could kill their current lover, or just an enjoyable thought to the writers (who seem to enjoy violence just for the sake of violence). It is disgusting, exhausting and the blood letting is exhaustive since many are extinguished through the throat method.
The one, very frustrating, part is that some speakers speak in a double/baby/ignorant talk that is hard to understand. This complicates things when the movie goer tries to understand the ideas pushed down one's throat throughout. When they speak this ignorant speech faster than normal, it is harder yet to understand. Not to worry, you can be sure that someone is trying to get around society's prejudices and have societally "abnormal" sexual relationships to their demise.
The move takes several scenes from different times (several hundred years), and runs them simultaneously which can become confusing. Splattered blood is repeatedly shown. Some "people" are treated like and die like cattle.
Orientals are particularly hard hit in the movie. Fake Orientals are a bit overdone. People are harvested for food throughout the movie for yet another pointless suggestion that the movie wants to make--possibly anti-meat and pro vegan since the most violent seem to eat people.
If you like to watch people die by bleeding to death from a wound to the jugular vein, homosexual love making, a more unusual position for heterosexual love making (including Oriental breasts), prejudice from groups toward smaller, somewhat helpless groups, killing for cannibalism, and abuse by the ruling powers in the world, this is the movie for you! If not and you'd like to be entertained with something more "normal," you might want to skip this movie.
Both of us felt it was a movie we wish we hadn't seen. We like entertainment and not mind twisting, gut wrenching opinions by writers. There is little "normal" about this movie. We resent paying money to watch numerous agendas that are shoved down our throats (the throat idea is evident throughout the movie). We prefer paying for entertainment that is interesting. I don't mind blood letting, but after several blood spattering deaths, it begins to get distasteful and overdone.
This is also the first ever movie I made sure I reviewed. Save yourself some time, money and mind twisting.
Please, directors, don't push your ideas over on us movie goers. I resent paying money to see a preacher--especially one that preaches "prejudice is all around" century after century. We know. Let's see something either uplifting or entertaining in movies. I'd rather go to church for a preaching. At least I get to choose what type or preaching I get, and preachers don't have an armload of agendas to get out in one, two hour period. Way too much!