On_Line

Most films of this kind call strictly for a kind of voyeuristic response on the part of the viewer. This one rises well above that level because of its message and its unique manner of execution. It displays an interdimensional technical structure that works well, especially within the context of internet effects on ordinary human behavior.

In other words, it takes what might ordinarily pass as borderline pornographic scenarios and makes them the vehicle rather than the main focus of interest in showing how people respond to that novel kind of intercommunication. Skillfully moving from the computer screen to real life situations and back again, the film overcomes weaknesses in plot and credibility to succeed in creating an overall sense of purpose.

Not that the story or acting are uniformly deficient. Indeed, there are a few fine performances of difficult material here, as well as production values that rise well above those of most independent films. This is one of those films that require some serious reflection on the part of the viewer in order to get past preconceptions or prejudices.

Everyone can and should see it a little differently.

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.

This film, which won the jury prize at Cinequest (the San Jose, CA film festival) for best narrative feature, is nominally about two roommates who start an Internet sex site. But happily the film is about more than that. It is also about real life interactions, and about the confusing lines of public vs. private on the Internet.

The director was there to answer questions when I saw this on 3/3/2002, and the story behind the film was also pretty interesting. Most of the online interactions really did happen in real-time, although often over local network connections between people in nearby rooms rather than over the Internet. In one case people who were supposedly in different states were actually in rooms on adjacent floors of a dilapidated building, and they had to take care to make sure that the one on the upper floor didn't cause dust to rain down on the other person. The film was shot in 18 days on digital video, and the director said that the film will likely get distributed.

Living in the Cyber-Age, "On_Line" is a great film which tells the story of 7 people whose lives are all connected through the internet, specifically online chatrooms. In the world today, so many people's lives are connected through the internet, so I'm surprised that there aren't more films like this, but there's no need for saturation now, this film does a great job.

The cast are all fantastic. The wonderful Isabel Gillies is in a role that is a far cry from her SVU supporting character Kathy Stabler as she plays Moira, a young woman looking for love and who chats in a suicide chat room. Eric Millegan is great as a young gay guy also looking for love. Love actually happens to be a major part of this film, and is something everyone can relate to, be it On_Line or not.

Well put together film that actually is very accurate. This is a very interesting genre when you consider such flops like feardot.com which actually aren't accurate, stupid, and silly. Here we have a real movie with surprising good acting and not to mention *OUT-STANDING* soundtrack. One of the better indie films that really deserves a viewing. A very key thing to point out about this film is the pace is rather good. The development of each player in the movie is well done, we really do feel for everyone which is not an eask task in 1 1/2 hours. Its easy to make a movie about this content and show unrealistic screenshots on the computer, this was also another area that was real and honest.

My only grip is would they please release a ANAMORPHIC VERSION of this DVD!! :)

good job Jed Weintrob