Lapsis

Not the easiest thing to review. It's really frustrating to get through an entire film only to come to a conclusion that one either doesn't understand or just doesn't make sense. Considering many of the reviews on here, it doesn't appear that I am alone with the finale puzzlement. I don't know when this takes place, though everything seems "today" with landlines and cell phones and normal vehicles, but it sure plays like futuristic sci-fi about, of all things, gig workers being taken advantage of. These workers are literally pulling cables through forests to connect to a new kind of computing technology. It's a very unusual, original & intelligent film with a cast of unknowns who all give honest and very real performances starting with the lead, Dean Imperial. It's well made and looks good especially for a low budget film. There 's a lot of real life family connections running through this that you can read about here. Talent clearly runs in the family. Still, as I said at the beginning, this oddity is ultimately a frustrating experience due to that obscure ending, though I'm sure writer/director Noah Hutton knows what it means. Shame he didn't let us in.

The concept of the story was really innovative with lots of commentary on gig economy workers. And how they're often taken advantage of. But I think much of the film was supposed to be satire. And if it was, it failed at making that clear. There were so many absurdities and plot holes that would have been fine if it was clear that it was satire. But it was always hard to tell.

Coincidentally, the week before seeing this, I watched Ordinary People (one of my favorite films) from 1980. It starred a young Timothy Hutton, who would go on to be the father of the director of this movie. Small world.

Ultimately, a nice try. But it needs a tone that's a little more clear.

The Writer-Director of Lapsis, Noah Hutton, is the savvy heir to the throne of Tim Hutton and Debra Winger, two of the Hollywood elite of the last generation. Therefore, it should by all means disqualify him from achieving any success as a Writer or Director. I should write a negative review just in the hope of stopping him from taking on a bigger and more influential presence in the film industry.

In this case, however, he is redeemed substantially by providing us with an original concept, a well-written screenplay, unknown cast and a troubling alternative universe. None of this should have happened, but because it did, Noah Hutton deserves praise for a job well done and congratulations for his bright future in this industry.

In another life, Noah might have played his parents' connections to the extent that the result would have been worthless. However, he has exceeded that level of achievement and is the pleasant recipient of an indescribable satisfaction, the kind of result that comes from a deep understanding of the nuances of story and directing, a rare achievement for a young person of any lineage.

Since I had no preconceived notions about the storyline, I went into this blindly, and was amazed that I felt as compelled as I did to follow the main plot to the end. Although none of the actors was recognizable, everyone performed their roles well, and every word that was uttered seems to have been arrived at naturally.

The basis of the story is that there is a technology known as "quantum computing" that is similar in some way to 5G and the population is similarly paranoid about it as many are about 5G towers. The way the Quantum tech is executed is through having ordinary people string cables through miles of wilderness areas to provide the access to the so-called "quantum" technology and it is up to desperate people to run the miles of cable through the wilderness to various cubes of this unknown technology -- again, very similar to 5G, albeit much more insidious.

The central character, RAY, is a chubby schulb who is hired to run cable through miles of forest, and finds out halfway through that he has been given a false name to use on the job which causes everyone to distrust him. Thus, the mystery is born. What is the significance of the name? What is the hidden cost of the technology? He undertakes a mission with a high payout, to run cables for many miles, and is slowly educated by a woman he meets on the trail named Anna, who reveals some part of the mystery what the name he was given really means.

All through the screenplay we are left trying to decode the various clues that are dropped without much success, until we reach the point where several loose threads are tied together near the end. There is a moment of triumph, but in the back of our minds, the triumph is very much a false one. The corporate entities that are the villains of the story are there, and. as in real life, they have a stranglehold on the brave new world of Lapsis.

I also watch almost anything SF. Problem is, most ostensible SF is SF in name only, what used to be disparaged as "sci-fi" in the SF community.

True SF is about ideas, not just mindless action sheathed in sci-fi trimmings. That is why, even with the compulsion to watch almost anything that may possibly be SF, we are mostly disappointed, so much so that being disappointed becomes the default expectation.

So, indeed, Lapsis surprisingly exceeds these expectations. It takes an idea and runs with it. That it may not comport "realistically" with actual cable laying is beside the point. We explore the "idea" and its ramifications, and this exploration is enjoyable and engaging.

That is what SF is about...so perhaps being pleasantly surprised in this manner inflates the rating a little bit, but if the grading is on a curve, it is well-deserved.

Lapsis is one of those films that makes you think. One that will be a classic in time due to its quirkiness and story. The normal story of a many named ray who joins a mysterious company that pulls cables for the quantum computer. It starts off normal until he starts to notice things and unravels a mystery that drives you deep. The cast and director both did great. Its a well written and acted film that although strange it makes fun a fun watch.