One and the Same

It is a rare movie that attempts to do something different, but this one tries, it really does. The execution is a bit muddled sadly, the script really needed to be tightened up, and while I got the gist of it, it got a bit too convoluted for it's own good by the end. I can understand why some hated this movie, though I don't feel hate is at all justified because outside of the convoluted somewhat muddled script, it is a good sci-fi endeavor. I would call it a solid B sci-fi movie, which I do not use B movie as a pejorative as a some do, I think there is a place for low-budget and/or B movies.

I also felt the script spent too much time trying to hide the main thrust of the film, there are some twist, but the main thrust of the story is given away in the title, so I don't understand why they spend so much time attempting to conceal it. This is why the script gets a bit convoluted and muddled, because of it's attempted concealment of the main thread of the story. The movie is set in the late 1990's, but it never really uses that setting, one of the character's glasses would NEVER have been worn in the 1990's, I know because I grew up then. This style came back into fashion much later. The clothes also do not look like 1990's clothes, nor do the hair styles. The cars seem to mostly because from that era or earlier, but it just doesn't do a good job of looking like the late 1990's.

On the positive side, most of the acting is good(outside of the opening seen where the acting was pretty bad), the characters are decent, it takes time to build them up a bit and flesh them out, I really enjoyed that aspect, and it was interesting to see what happened to each character. Even though the female lead is basically an Antifa-like rioter(she throws Molotov cocktails, that crosses the into into rioting, and even says "say his name" late in the movie), and isn't the nicest person, I still liked her, crazy I know, as real-life Antifa rioters are some pretty vile nasty people. This movie is truly a tragedy, there is no happy ending, and the movie is filled with misery at every turn. From dead parents, to abusive parents, to rape, this movie is really about cycles of abuse and hatred. I have watched several movies with this theme, another, significantly less well-made film about a similar topic was "It Knows", and I would rank this much higher, "One and the Same" is a good movie, with a good concept, but because of it's attempts to conceal it's main plot point for so long, it will confuse a lot of people, and needlessly so.

The outline of the story is great. However, they add too much filler in the beginning, as they try to explain the climax. 50% of the first 3/4 of the story could be taken out, and that time used in the end, and this could have gotten more stars. If you're okay with a slow movie that has a good ending, then you may enjoy this.

I found the anachronisms quite amusing. Given that, I think that the cinematography was a bit lacking.

I liked the story and the premise, akin to 'Brainstorm' but they missed one central thing...the scanning...what was it for?

Of course, the story was great, but the execution, that was middling. If they would have used the scans just a bit more, they would have gotten a '9' but I'll have to stick to a '7' for good effort.

-J-

Because only someone related to those involved with this mess would rate it so highly.. 🙄 Except for Plummer the rest need a lot more experience in acting.. The mom especially was tough to take.. Over wrought and way over played.. Some of the crap acting is on the script and some on the directing.. Shades of Dead Again, but very diluted shades.. The seeds were there and I'm all for exploring past life connections, but this was all over the place and just poorly executed in every way.. Maybe the writer and director were in constant conflict because one was channeled from a past/alternate life, but they just never managed to work it out.. Too bad.. None of the characters were likable and with nobody to root for it's hard to be invested emotionally or curiously.. Its all pretty much sub conscious id manifesting thru emotional reaction with no sense of logic or self reflection.. In any case 5 is being generous only because I want to root for anything dealing with consciousness.. Go watch Dead Again or The Reincarnation of Peter Proud or even better What Dreams May Come.. Now that was brilliance of depth on a similar subject matter..! Cheers.

It's not a Hollywood blockbuster but it was a good movie. Kind of hard to follow at first but after it all evolved it all made sense in the end. Very suspenseful and action packed held me in there for a while. White, Plummer, Day, and Fling seemed to be the seasoned actors of the film but truly all of the cast did a great job. The postproduction was very established as well.