By Daniel Bradley,
I nearly didn't see this in the cinema, and that would have been a regret that lived with me well into old age, the next age, and beyond.
The story and characters, so beautifully laced together across vast expanses of time, echo the Dirk Gently method of investigation. I would hazard Dirk would have had a field day unravelling the inter-connectiveness of all things in this movie. Imagine life events inspire an artist to create a painting, a novel, a movie, or orchestral piece. That artist can have no idea how his work can effect the course of an individual's life many years after his death… Then imagine human nature is (almost) unchangeable, and we are doomed to keep making the same mistakes, kindnesses and decisions generation after generation…
How can you capture this idea in a film…? By making it 3 hours long. By making it equal parts suspense, horror, comedy, period drama, science fiction, crime fiction, fantasy and adventure. By making the character unique and the dialogue natural for each part. By flashing backwards and forwards through time. By letting the audience see the same faces through history, and having those faces move them through a myriad of genres and emotions…
Do not believe anyone that says that this film is too complicated, that it is a horribly mind-bending movie that'll tie you in knots and leave you unsatisfied… That would grossly devalue the film makers, the actors, screen writers, audience and author. I defy you not to let the adventure take you like a whirlwind, but you will have no problem following it. A tribute to it's creators and editors.
Please. Watch this with enough time to appreciate it. Shed a tear and invest yourself in the adventure. And buy a HD television.
Best bits: The many faces and characters
Worst bits: It was an honest account of human nature in many respects. Not the fault of the film at all.
For fans of Being Human (1994).
Rating: 9.8/10
