Watch my youtube review HERE!
Predestination is the latest from Australian filmmakers Michael and Peter Spierig (twins believe it or not) adapted from the short story 'All You Zombies.' The cast is led by Ethan Hawke and Sarah Snook with support from Noah Taylor. Having previously directed the genre films Undead and Daybreakers, the Spierig brothers have a change of pace with the time travel film Predestination. It follows the Bartender (Hawke) as he recruits John (Snook) to be a temporal agent and stop the fizzle bomber who kills thousands in the past.
The synopsis above is just the framework of film as it is much more focused on other things than the plot. In fact what Predestination is is a rather moving character piece about a person society has thrown aside; it just happens that this time travel plot is happening as well. That is where this film excels, creating a complex character and making their story emotionally moving. This is anchored by a fantastic performance by Sarah Snook who excels as both her male and female variations. Ethan Hawke is great as always and if you haven't seen Boyhood yet make sure you do.
The film is also very well made. The cinematography from Ben Nott is really good and I especially like the Film Noir styling with the sterile sci-fi production design. The score from Peter Spierig is also really good and not once do you think about the fact that this New York set film was shot in Australia. The script is well constructed and mostly well written but it does have a few problems.
After the first ten or so minutes the film comes to a screaming halt as we're met with a forty minute exposition dump that really slow downs the film. This is full of constant voice-over and flashbacks that actually could have stood on their own. Unfortunately this really brings down the film. Along with that you have an incredibly large plot hole with logic questioning the very existence of the story being told. This is a case where suspension of belief is a must otherwise logic will get in the way of a rather cool and original story.
Though logically flawed the Spierig brothers have constructed a very cathartic experience with very strong performances from the two leads. Predestination is a very original film and you're not likely to see another one like is this year or next. It's well made and engaging though it does have a few scripting problems but if you're looking for something different and want to support Australian cinema be sure to check it out.
3 1/2 out of 5 stars.
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