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Monday, November 19, 2012

[6.50/10] Upside Down (2012)


Upside Down (2012)

Brief review: Hitting US theaters on Dec10 this year, "Upside Down" is the second feature film by Argentinian director Juan Diego Solanas, who manages to deliver one of the most extraordinary love stories ever made, meant to those willing to see something truly one-of-a-kind, both premise-wise and execution-wise. However, "Upside Down" is definitely not for everyone, as the whole idea of the movie is odd, and may be 'too much to handle' for more traditional viewers. Also, the forbidden love type of romance doesn't feel sincere at first, but it gets more believable and charming as the movie progresses. Mixing sci-fi and romance is one movie is rarely a smart move, but Solanas blends these contradictory genres rather seamlessly, and with an exquisite sense of flair. He also deserves a lot of credit for his work in creating this movie on a purely technical note, because "Upside Down"is incredibly difficult to shoot and execute, considering its 'upside down' concept, and the fact that it requires great skills to be made properly. Visually, "Upside Down" has a lot going on about it, sometimes even more the eyes can take. The visuals are imaginative and nothing short of striking, and while there are a lot of CGIs involved, those are absolutely top-notch. Kirsten Dunst and Jim Sturgess not only do an excellent job in their roles, but also share a great chemistry, and the supporting cast is pretty much on par.

Overall summary: Slightly pretentious and at times utterly peculiar, yet still engaging, "Upside Down" is an unusual love story full of originality, inventive ideas and stunning, never-seen-before imagery, that is further elevated by some solid performances from the cast involved.

This review is also featured on TVFilmNews.com

12 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Not too sure about the pretentious part.

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Alex, and I think this is the perfect movie to enjoy with your wife, because the romance ain't cheesy, and the sci-fi bits are great.

Unknown said...

Didn't this have another name? I swear I have been hearing about this film for over a year now. Maybe it's just me losing my mind. LOL

I do want to see this. it's been awhile since I've enjoyed a Kirsten Dunst performance and from the trailers I think I will like this one. And from your terrific review, I believe I just may. :)

Ninja Girl said...

Is there a trailer? I'm going to look b/c it sounds interesting.
Ninja Girl

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Mel, as far as I know it doesn't have another name. I don't know, I might be wrong.

To be honest I never really cared about Kirsten Dunst, but then I saw "All Good Things", and completely changed my mind. She can act for sure! :)
The movie is a bit quirky, but totally unique. I believe you're gonna like it. :) Thanks, hon.

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Ninja Girl, there is. Google it. :)

Anonymous said...

I'm not sure what film you were all watching but I haven't watched a film quite this awful in a very long time. The screenplay was so bad and utterly confusing at times, much of the story seemed to skip in places to the point where I thought I might have simply fallen asleep and missed such (and I could quite easily have fallen asleep, trust me).
The lack of chemistry between the two leads was so obvious throughout the entire movie, which wasn't helped by the lack of time spent on the pair and their 'love'. Overall a complete disappointment, and a film I will certainly won't be recommending any time soon.

stefanos said...

A super sci-fi love story with beyond-reality-sightseeing you really got to see!

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Anonymous, I guess it's a matter of opinion. To me, it was pretty unique in terms of both concept and execution. There was absolutely nothing confusing about it. Did you see me mention it was great? No, because it wasn't. Yes, it's a bit too much t take at times, but I think overall it was an interesting watch.

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Stefanos, I presume this recommendation wasn't addressed to me, because I've obviously seen it already. :)

OLIVER KUBE said...

A very good looking, but ultimately very boring film. A missed opportunity.

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Oliver, you're a bit hard to please, aren't you?