I saw this film almost by chance. I barely knew what it was about, and I had no expectations. It took no more than five minutes for the film to bring me in with full curiosity. My interest was for both the story and the choices the director made in executing the script.
On the outside, `On_Line' is about two friends who run a web site that connects people for video chatting. For the most part, the conversations are in the same vein as `phone sex.' A small cast of characters make up the web of people who interact both online and offline. Essentially, they are all looking for the same thing, love and happiness. `On_Line' explores the difficulties of this endeavor with both humor and tension, which are well timed throughout he story and well played out by excellent performances from the actors. In the exploration of today's difficulties for finding someone to hold, `On_line' analyzes our expectations by comparing what we want on the surface to what we need inside. The film dives into the concept of satisfaction or lack of it, as a result of expectation. We want something, and when it is presented to us, we are not happy because deeply, we need something else.
Aside from the humorous stories that are intertwined throughout the film, the director takes us to another online video chat connection. Here we meet a character that explores the possibility of being alone forever. He is battling a decision that may be his last. The director looks into the extreme dark side of loneliness, but keeps us laughing so we don't regress into depression.
Why is it that when we live in a big city with millions of people, we find it so difficult to find someone to hold hands with? Furthermore, with the online world, in which we live, you can almost try before you buy, and yet it seems this has only made our task to find happiness more difficult.
I strongly suggest watching this film. You may find yourself in it. Perhaps you will learn something about yourself. At the very least you will laugh out loud.
