Well-made depiction of unworthy plot

Rating: 4/10 (10 March 2002)

This movie's strength is that it keeps your attention, trying to figure out just what the heck is going on. It's well made, but suffers mainly from being too cryptic. I'm not a stupid person, but I can't imagine anyone with an IQ of only 100 being able to figure out what's going on and therefore to enjoy it. (I'm sure the viewers who gave it a "10" will be duly flattered.) By the time the movie ends, you have a wonderful idea of what it must be like to lack short-term memory -- the director and editor did an outstanding job here -- but as a viewer you are still owed a denouement, and what you get isn't complete; there are yet a few unresolved facts that gnaw at you. Furthermore, the plot is grisly. A person with the protagonist's problem could be pursuing an entirely different quest. Which gets me to the last point: the scenes of violence were more gratuitous than necessary; they didn't strengthen the plot. If you really like to work hard while watching a movie, or if you enjoy something out of the mainstream, this one's for you. It's "out there".