Almost really liked it

Rating: 6/10 (4 February 2008)

The story of a dying wife is often very emotional in nature. This is obvious. It also is the type of movie that I am already not partial to. However, the other elements of the film that I saw as flaws or felt were uncomplimentary to the film, took this from a possibly great film to an above average film. (note that I would consider going up to a 7 out of 10 maybe with another viewing.) One problem is that the non-linear story telling works for some films but didn't seem to pay off for this one. They accidentally created in the viewer too strong of a desire for their to be a tying together of these stories. Not to say that you couldn't figure out what the tie in was, but films create their own world of rules and it seemed that this world wanted to explain itself.
The story makes you want to think that this fascinating visual of a man floating through space is real. Then you begin to believe that this story is really just the novel the wife was writing .. (which the way the film was made, leaves that to be the only reasonable conclusion.) However then the film makes you doubt this yet again, and you think maybe this man in space is the future doctor that eventually fulfills the destiny of sacrificing himself to give re-birth and so on. It just ends up being ambiguous.
Ambiguity is great and I'm not one of these people who can't deal with things not being spelled out for me. However, the story does set you up to think that it will be explained where as if you contrast this with Kubrick's 2001 (where it was beautifully unexplained) but you weren't being set up to think that you were getting an explanation in that film.
The imagery of heaven, the symbols of ancient religion, references to the bible and other iconic stuff also annoyed me a bit. After watching I thought 'why do you need this garbage to tell a story?'. However then I thought how many people are conditioned to react to these images as though they automatically mean something deep and profound. So, I guess it makes sense but I didn't really like it.
In conclusion I still think the movie was interesting and thougth provoking. I find it funny how it provoked so many people to have a polarized view of it. This is an example of a film that made it difficult for you not to have an extreme opinion of it. I wanted to say "I absolutely loved it" then I wanted to say "I absolutely hated it" but ultimately I have to give it a 6 out of 10. wheeeww.. now I can get on with my life !!