Reviews

A "shooter" collects nine strangers that share a common life story thread. He locks those nine strangers in a room, handcuffed to a pole. The "shooter" advises the nine that their job, and thus their survival, is dependent upon their ability to discover the common thread that links all of them.

The nine strangers run the gamut of society: thugs, a priest, a cop, a dork, a lawyer and older lady.

My big issue with this movies is: none of these characters are interesting. As a viewer I cared less why they were in the room. The characters are card-board, cut-outs of people living with a deep secret. Wow! Refreshing. A revenge movie that holds people accountable for an indiscretion or two.

As the shooter follows through on his promise to kill one of the nine every ten minutes the strangers and then as the bodies drop they get serious and the film turns into a SA (Sinner's Anonymous) meeting. There is too much pressure on the script to make the nine intriguing and build let alone maintain any suspense. The back stories are lame and faulty- motivational experiences that push the nine to their indiscretions for which they are now being held accountable.

The only reason to keep watching at this point is to actually find out why, as the shooter asks, these nine people are in the room.

I asked my self at the final credits: "Why Did I Watch?"

Crossing Lines is a smartly written, cleverly acted and well produced drama about an international crime fighting unit that investigates multi-national (hence the name: Crossing the "boundary" lines of EC countries) high end and highly sophisticated crimes. The characters are intriguing yet follow similar patterns found in shows like CSI and Criminal Minds: aloof male leader (king archetype), warrior, princess and magician (computer genius) archetype as well.

The show's writers and producers have created some interesting twists in the first several episodes in terms of the main character's back stories and developing relationships with in the ICC unit. In addition, the crimes themselves are fresh and do not follow typical "clean all wrapped up nicely endings" often associated with other high end crime dramas on television.

The dialog is smart and treats the audience as viewers with a brain and soul in that there is plenty of passion and cognitive material to digest in each episode.

The writer's plot twists are risky and make watching the show intense since you are never quit sure where the producers will take the characters and story lines.

This movies is the birth child of Matrix and Demolition Man. The film also borrows themes from The Scarlet Letter.

The foundation that "medication" is root to turning people into compliant robots is a tired and worn plot line even if medications designed to dull emotions possible create "zombies" out of people over stressed and overwhelmed by daily life or unspeakable tragedy.

The production values mimic a comic strip with the use of gray, black and white color schemes. Yes it is done this way to create a stoic point of view for the movie watcher; yet it is formulaic and typical of movies in the genera that have already explored this topic. And of course, like the Wizard of OZ and so many other, full rich and vibrant colors tell the audience, as if we are stupid, that the character is going through change.

There are a series of quirky and odd story lines moving toward a typical and transparent plot development found in movies similar to this film that examine a society free of emotion and passion. In addition, the film's thinly veiled and weekly positioned view that blind faith to anything (the film offers up "religion" ) is the quickest root to emotions, passion and trouble. Nothing new here. Been there and seen this in movies houses before.

The philosophy and message of this movie is cookie cutter and in many ways presented in a kindergartner's level psychology that left me wondering why am I watching this predictable and cartoonish film that has nothing new to offer that Demolition Man and Matrix have not already brought to the table.

No need to worry about a spoiler, the average movie goer let alone film junkie can see the ploy twists coming a mile away.

Only two things that saves this movie is Bale's performance of an internally tormented cleric among other robotic and uninteresting characters. Movies that predict and portray a emotionless and passionless futures are more dismal and depressing than entertaining or intriguing.

Secondly, the films unwavering dedication to be "real" and not allow the hero the chance to "save the world" as occurs in so many films of this genera. This film and the producers and director has the guts to allow the hero to dangle in his own pain without the antidote of "saving the day" which is contrary to most "Hollywood endings."

Witty, crafty, sneaky and good production values (30 million in budget helps) make this horror movie with a "social message" engaging and intriguing.

The characters are interesting and played with such an understated low key, natural energy that the typical "over the top bad acting" associated with most horror films is a welcomed missing component of this film. The characters are diverse and actually interesting.

The story development is well done. Yeah, like most films, the story sags and drags at times; yet my desire to "figure out the plot" never slowed. Multiple story lines develop into one cohesive and congruent story with a funky finish. I had a couple of "WTF" moments during the film. The subtly at which the writers and producers poke fun at the typical stereo-types of horror films is done with masterful of understated sarcasm. There is a voyeur quality to the films underlying message. The balance of humor and horror story-telling is first rate.

The film's commentary on the manner in which some members of our global society are willing to accept and even celebrate violence against other innocent people so that a concept, "religion" or cause survives is vibrantly interwoven into the subtle and at times, over the head with a mallet, story telling.

No matter the level and skill of the satirical and anti-societal humor as well as the clever and tangled story-development, this is a horror film. The horror scenes are on par with many of the other films in this genera: over the top, quick, gory and with unspeakable violence that is likely to haunt your imagination for days.