Time Code
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Movie Reviews of Time Code
Movie Review: a mindbender
Summary: 5 Stars
Film is an art form. Sometimes. Timecode is art. Its story reminds me of an Altman movie (one of the old ones, from when he knew what he was doing), but presented in real time and split into four points of view presented simultaneously. For the first ten minutes or so, it's difficult to follow the four screens, but it's not as confusing as you might think. The stories are touching, although they could have been tightened a little bit - at times it looks like the actors are drowning in improvisation. Most of the time, however, things flow beautifully. The stories are great, just don't expect them to be all wrapped up neatly by the end of the movie. They're more like "slice of life" stories. A few people have criticized Timecode for the fact that a boom and a cameraman's hand intrude into the shot during the movie. Come on - we're talking about four cameras moving simultaneously around a bunch of improvising actors for two hours at a time! It is utterly impossible to expect a perfect shot under these circumstances. Plus these people are totally missing the point. One final note - the DVD includes an alternate take which, as I understand it, is a complete alternate version of the film. I can't wait to see this.Movie Review: A grand cinematic experiment in a time of me-too productions
Summary: 5 Stars
True, Mike Figgis' great experiment is not an unqualified success, but it's so far from a failure that it deserves recognition. The split-screen shooting, which initially might seem a gimmick, quickly becomes a revelation. (I remember audibly gasping the first time two images combined to form one.) Few commercial directors are as actively trying to redefine and reinvent the form as Figgis. Gimmicks/innovations aside, the film is a hilarious send up of both Hollywood-style politics and Altmanesque busy narratives. The DVD version features perhaps the best use of the technology yet, allowing the viewer to see an alternate take of the entire film, and freely switch between soundtracks.Movie Review: Wow
Summary: 5 Stars
The best expression that I can utter about this film is Wow!Four seemingly disparate storylines, filmed in real time merge into one compelling movie. This was a bold experiment in cinema, showing 4 films at once, drawing your attention to the frame the director wants you to focus on by audio alone. What results out of initial chaos and confusion is a stunning statement on the convergent reality of our lives.
The final release version of this film was the 15th 'mix' - the first of which is available for viewing on the DVD as a contrast.
This is an excellent example of thoughtful cinema - heart and mind put into film, as opposed to mindless Hollywood action.
Movie Review: Plot is what you make of it
Summary: 5 Stars
Definitely not a thriller. But if you're a fan of watching the subtleties of actors getting into a role, you will probably enjoy this film.Movie Review: Ignore the plot to enjoy the film's technique.
Summary: 4 Stars
In the mind of director Mike Figgis, a vision has been born. That vision is "Time Code," a film that is not one, but four different stories going on at the same time, all seen in an innovative method of filmmaking using handheld cameras and a screen that shows four pictures at once. Never has anything quite like this been done before; it's one of the most impressive movie-making ventures I've seen in a long time. It's only too bad that Figgis pays more attention to his style than to the substance behind the four cameras. The movie is divided into separate storylines, some weaving into the other, though none of it ever has any emotional impact when the last frame rolls.
The overall plot begins with Emma (Saffron Burrows), the wife of movie producer Alex Green (Stellan Skarsgard), and while she contemplates leaving him, he is having an affair with aspiring actress Rose (Salma Hayek). Rose is involved in a rocky relationship with wealthy lesbian Lauren (Jeanne Tripplehorn), whose jealousy and suspicion drives her to place a bug in Rose's purse so she can monitor her actions during Rose's audition. As all this goes on, Alex's partners and employees are busying expressing their concerns to one another about his instability.
The interaction of each plot line allows for some very unique filmmaking touches, some of which are very impressive. The cameras are constantly rolling, and throughout the course of the film, characters will find themselves in several differing screens, something interesting to see happen. One scene that sticks out in the mind is the scene in which Rose and Alex meet behind the screen in the studio's screening room. Their interaction goes from two different screens to one; it's completely inspired.
Yet, any emotional feeling or understanding of the events at hand is diminished due to the constant grappling with trying to watch four screens at once. Some characters walk on screen and off so quickly that there is little knowledge as to why they are there, while our interest in one story tends to take away from all others. Figgis attempts to draw our attention to one story at a time by using the sound as a focal point (one screen will be clear while all others are almost completely muted), but it hardly works.
The film is interesting enough to watch it for its splendid four-screen division, though the plot seems to be muddled and misunderstood as we try to concentrate on one thing at a time. Still, "Time Code" is a movie that will go down in history due to its introduction of a dazzling new technique.