How is your depth perception?

Rating: 10/10 (11 June 2008)

Repeated viewings of this is part of the requirement to fully appreciate this. Also included are genuine effort to get into it, thought applied to putting it all together, and obviously sufficient attention span. Reading the FAQ and visiting the site for it, and working through the puzzles found there, also help. I don't mean to scare people away from this, more to inform. This is like a jigsaw puzzle, and not a simple one at that. When the pieces do all come together... well, I imagine that it's satisfying, I honestly can't claim it's happened for me yet. But I really can't find anything in this to criticize. The plot is interesting, and develops throughout. The pacing is deliberate, nothing is rushed or dwelled upon in a manner it shouldn't be. The acting is flawless. The philosophy and food for thought are well-done. Editing and cinematography are excellent. They're experimental(that, in fact, is a word that really applies to this entire film) without being flashy or over-stylized. The music is amazing and always well-chosen. The production never shows that its budget was little by today's standards. The effects are astounding in every case. Kelly definitely deserves his work being noticed. The overall concept is well-thought out, and while this is certainly not the first depiction of it, even on the silver screen, it is the most "realistic" and consistent one, and it's near the top of the list as far as how engaging it is(The Butterfly Effect does, for me, beat this in that respect, but I will admit that the writers of that did do stuff that was more cool than it was sensible, if not very often). I understand that the Director's Cut is the version that largely explains what happens, whereas the Theatrical(which is the only I've seen thus far), to a wider degree leaves it up to individual interpretation. There is a bit of disturbing content, and there is some language, as well as dialog that should perhaps not reach younger ears. In any event, this is hardly meant for children. I recommend this to fans of Richard Kelly, the others involved in making it, and dark science fiction that you, when or if you watch, must be an active participant of. 10/10