Do Geese See God?

When I saw this on Amazon I believed their bit about an alternate ending. However, now I now realize that this movie's point is to slow us down in our daily lives and that the alternate ending is just a witty way to make people to take a break from their schedule. Like the title, which is the same when spelled backwards, this movie is just a play on images. I thought it was done wonderfully, and quite honestly I loved the camera work and the music. The only real fault I had was that the idea that a movie had to repeat itself just to slow us down was rather insulting to me, but I realized it needed to be done and served its purpose.

Another unique idea that I thought was presented very well was just the urgency all of us feel is required in life. By using cartoon characters the film showed how from when we are just a little kid we begin to hurry through life. Dr. Awkward, the main character, represented the American dream with his nice clothes and TV, yet that did not mean he had everything he wanted. That is why Karma is so central to the film, because time well spent is, at least according to the film, maybe fleeting but more essential than most of the time spent in one's life.

This film was about nothing at all and yet everything at the same time. This is why, after viewing this film the austerity of it all lingers with us, much like the scent of a freshly picked rose.

This movie intrigues as a post-modern existential play. The backdrop of human existence is the fast paced, tecno-driven urban encounter of man and technology. The search for meaning is conveyed by the false sense of urgency or danger. Life is depicted as being driven by screens: plasma screens, watch screens, t.v. screens, pda screens. Flash memory configures and guides it all.

The titles "Dr. Awkward" and Do Geese See God each spell the same thing forward and backward, further symbolizing the relentless swing of the pendulum of life.

The "rat" life, as man in a rat cage running is cleverly depicted by the three blind mice, the mouse that is really the "weasel" which pops constantly from the turning of the handle; the quote of Einstein, re-configured to suggests that "time" cannot save, but confuses. It is the nature of humanity immersed in time to be anxious and driven.

The photo of the untied, clean, unused shoes....and the statement of the street person" I am God" must be heard backward: I am "Dog". To society, only dogs lay around and enjoy things.

Under the metaphor of the flower we accept the message, which is not bland, but sends us to search the rest of the movie for hidden clues to how to be still. We are not to be fooled by the taking off of the watch. That is too easy. As the number 181 is the same number forward and backwards, taking off the watch is just the backward action of putting it on again. We do this every morning and every night, which is symbolized by the repetition of finding the CD and starting the sequence all over again.

The meaning of the film is found in the emotion, the rush, the pace, and the incongruent of the screen life with the evergreen that sits quietly at the "real screen" of the window of the city. Dr. Awkward never look out of this screen, to contemplate the world. He rushes from one manufactured screen to another. Like us.

It would have been better to have the instruction for the click on the roses on the first page so that the film did not have to be viewed twice. I thought that was a waste of time. Actually, one viewing was quite enough. I did not see the palindrome until I read the comments of others. In my opinion, that was the most clever part of the film. I felt it was a waste of time and I could have been out "smelling the roses." But, the product placement was interesting and I like the actor. I look forward to viewing the rest of the films in the series and hope they are more interesting. Also, I did not know about the ten line summary and had to rewrite and lose this several times. I am a person of few words.

What a fantastic short!

I would not have picked up on Dr. Awkward being a palindrome without the help of other reviewers, so I wanted to add some thoughts to the theme as well. Did anybody notice that the shoulder bag strap that the human/rat wears is labeled with the infinity sign? That's when it occurred to me that the character isn't being referred to box 181, it's a call to return the character to the same struggle, over and over again, for infinity - the infinity sign is in between two parallel lines on the box key.

Same DVD, same run, same message, and this snatch of time starts over again.

What I enjoy about the theme is that the cycle continues only as long as the character lets it continue.

There's some really interesting post-modern theology in this short: humanity's view of God, of time, of the "important" things in life.

Interesting film but it leaves me unsatisfied.

I recognize the looping, undending nature of the film may be part of the commentary, but that doesn't make it any more enjoyable.

The fact that I had to watch it in a small window on my screen probably detracted from it as well. I'd rather have it be available in larger formats for those who wish to use up the bandwidth. But that's a separate issue.

How a film with so much pseudo-action and intensity made me bellow one of my favorite Homer-isms, "Bo-ring!" is beyond me. I guess that's what happens when you have a good production but a story that really goes nowhere.

Then again, maybe I'm just too dim for this film.

That said, I LOVE the fact that Amazon is following the "BMW Films" lead. Go Fallon!