Fans of science fiction and thrillers will certainly be impressed by the extraordinary film of James Ward Birkit. The author of the film “Communication” (2013) was able to present the story so that its individual fragments for a long time cut into the memory and make you think a lot.
Preparing for filming
The project director and screenwriter Birkit approached the preparation of the filming process with all responsibility. Being a man close to the theater environment, he decided to shoot a picture without a large film crew, special special effects and detailed dialogue.
The filmmaker made a special bet in his science fiction film "Communication" on the improvisation of the actors involved in it and, looking ahead, we can say that his hopes were justified. It is noteworthy that the main shooting took place directly in the director’s house.
The plot of the film "Communication"
A young girl named Emily pays a visit to old friends - Mike and Lee. Other guests who have gathered for a joint dinner are already present in the house. Shortly before this, the main character (in the movie "Communication" Emily Foxler took this role on herself) is faced with an inexplicable phenomenon - the screen of her mobile phone suddenly cracks. Subsequently, it turns out that this problem happened not only for her. The company is discussing a remarkable event: “Miller's comet” will fly over the Earth this night, and there are rumors that this could turn into some mysterious incidents.
The assumption of friends comes true - in the house the electricity turns off, and after that all the heroes encounter a mystical discovery. It turns out that right outside the window there is a house in which exactly the same company sits, and to be more precise - the same company. That is, very close to them are the “second they”, who consider themselves no less unique, and are also shocked by the turn of events.
Reactions and reviews on the movie "Communication"
Viewers and critics very positively perceived the output of the project. The authoritative Rotten Tomatoes website, replete with professional reviews, put the picture at 85%, which is considered a very impressive result. James Ward Birkit won the Best Screenplay Award at the Austin Science Fiction Film Festival at its premiere year.
Positive feedback was also given to the film “Communication” at the Sitges Film Festival - there the film won an award for the screenplay, as well as a prize for the youth jury. In turn, the festival of fantastic films in Amsterdam marked the thriller Black Tulip for the best directorial debut.
Protracted beginning
The project is almost unknown among a wide audience and its main viewers were devoted fans of the genre. Why did this happen? There are many significant reasons for this. First of all, it should be noted that popular Hollywood stars did not participate in the filming, there was practically no advertising campaign, and the plot from the first frames seems incomprehensible and even boring. The chamber atmosphere created by the director does not promise the dynamic development of history, but subsequently makes you feel like a direct participant in the whole action.
Birkit decided to shoot his fantastic thriller in a pseudo-documentary style, but periodically departed from the given genre, which may somewhat discourage the viewer. The plot also turned out to be ambiguous: it keeps it in tension, it goes slowly and even dragged out. It is worth noting that there is no bright and memorable soundtrack in the film, although it could bring a lot of dynamics and intrigue to the overall course of the story.
Meaning
If you delve into the details of the plot, then the idea that the author tried to lay down becomes clear. We are talking about the struggle between evil and good, which are present in one or another ratio in each of us. It becomes clear that one of the parties wins - depending on the development of events, and even the most seemingly insignificant details can radically change our behavior, character and personality.
After a slurred start, the picture is steadily gaining momentum and with varying success holds it until the very end. Some viewers were unhappy with the ending, scolding him for some predictability and obviousness. This fact, of course, does not leave a stunning effect from viewing. Nevertheless, the overall impression remains positive, because history raised many interesting questions and provided serious food for thought. Each viewer can think about his secret fears, put himself in the place of the main characters - in many reviews of the film "Communication" this feature is noted.
Actors
There are no Hollywood stars of the first category in this film, but many moviegoers and lovers of TV shows can see familiar faces in it. First of all, we are talking about Nicholas Brandon, who played Xander for several seasons in the popular project of the 90s, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
In the movie “Communication” (2013), the character of the actor mentions that he once played in a very popular series - from the first series to the very end, but his new friend, who is a fan of the project, cannot remember this character. There is a certain irony in this, because after filming in the multi-part film by Jos Whedon, Brandon’s career definitely went into decline.
A key female role in the thriller is played by Emily Foxler, who has also been involved in projects such as Ghosts of Former Girlfriends, Grizzly Park, How I Met Your Mother.
Mori Sterling starred in many popular series, and attentive viewers will be able to remember him from his work in Homeland, Ambulance, Fool Me and some others.
Also in the thriller were Elizabeth Graysen (“Charmed”), Alex Manughyan (“Rango”), Hugo Armstrong (“Think like a criminal”) and others.
Total
Despite the long start, not the most brilliant acting and quite predictable ending, about 15 minutes after the first frames the picture looks pretty easy. The tape is claimed to be sci-fi, but reviews of the movie “Communication” indicate that the result was a psychological thriller, and the rest of the interweaving genres are already secondary. The plot will make you wonder: is there a dark side in us and does it prevail right now.