Z for Zachariah

"Z For Zachariah" (2015 release; 95 min.) brings the story of a couple of survivors of an unidentified contamination or radiation. As the movie opens, we see someone with a protective mask going through an empty town to pick up various things, including books from the library. When later the person takes off the mask, we see it is a young woman, named Ann. Ann and her dog live on their own, tending to the land and surviving as best they can. Then Ann runs into another survivor, a man named John. When John inadvertently takes a swim in a contaminated lake, he becomes very ill. Ann takes him home and nurtures him back to health. At this point we are 15 minutes into the movie, but to tell you much more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: first, the movie's end titles say that the is "Based on the book by Robert O'Brien", but it would have been better to have said "very loosely based on/inspired by Robert O'Brian's book", as the plot for this film version differs dramatically and almost unrecognizably from the 1974 book. Since it is featured openly in the movie's trailer, besides Ann and John (the two characters in the book), the movie introduces a third character, Caleb. Second, while the setting of the movie is post-apocalyptic, the movie really doesn't feel all that much sci-fi. It's just three characters playing out their lives in an unspecified location somewhere in the US. In fact, the movie feels just as much being a Nicolas Sparks-like romantic drama than it is a sci-fi movie. Other elements featured in the movie include religion, and race. Third, the acting performances are strong. Up-and-coming Aussie actress Margo Robbie (also in The Wolf of Wall Street) does great work. She is definitely going places, that much is clear. Chiwetel Ejiofor and Chris Pine play John and Caleb, respectively. Fourth, the movie was mostly shot on location in New Zealand, with some additional shooting in West Virginia. Gorgeous sceneries most of the time. Last but certainly not least, there is a very nice orchestral score, composed by Heather "The Instruments" McIntosh.

I had been looking forward to seeing this movie, and it finally opened this weekend at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati. The matinée screening where I saw this at was attended okay but not great. If you are in the mood for a romantic drama with a slight sci-fi twist, you'll definitely want to check this out. On the other hand, if you read and loved the book, you will absolutely want to avoid this.

I was a big fan of Margot Robbie's work in The Wolf of Wall Street. I thought it was a fun, charismatic, electric turn, but I wasn't necessarily sure if that meant that she was an actual, capable dramatic actress. This really proves that she's one to watch out for. Although all three performers deliver some strong work, it's her moving, resonant performance that really stuck with me. I kept hearing a lot of negativity towards this film's ending and so I was sure it would be something out of left field, some turn or twist or something. It wasn't really any of that, and I actually loved the ending. It was semi-ambiguous, although not really, and the last scene was just pure magic and worked to conclude the film, beautifully. Definitely a very underrated, underseen film that I wish I had heard about before.

Science fiction movies have always aroused interest of directors and screenwriters and whetted the imagination of people. Z for Zachariah, based on the homonymous book by Robert C. O'Brien and directed by Craig Zobel, is a typical post-apocalyptic movie (to quote a recent film in that style we have the great The Survivalist - 2015) which focuses on drama and interpersonal relationships. Ann Burden (Margot Robbie, known for The Wolf of Wall Street - 2013) is a young woman who survived a nuclear disaster, which devastated almost the entire planet, in one of the only places not affected by the radiation: her family's farm. She lived alone with her dog Faro until the appearance of the scientist John Loomis (Chiwetel Ejiofor, known for 12 Years a Slave - 2013), which had managed to resist the tragedy thanks to its special costume. An affinity and a bond are established between them, but the arrival of another survivor, the mysterious Caleb (Chris Pine, known for the films Star Trek - 2009 and Star Trek Into Darkness - 2013), threatens the relationship between John and Ann and shatters the harmony of the place.

The pace of the film is slow, focused on drama and the internal conflicts of the three characters. Instead of external threats and great action scenes or destruction, the plot deals with the complexities of the human mind, such as game of interests, distrust, fear of being alone and people's different reactions when subjected to extreme situations. Thus, the success of this type of narrative depends on tension and suspense created by the script coupled to casting and director's skills.

The performances, by the way, left absolutely nothing to be desired. Chiwetel Ejiofor hands on all duality of his character, John, which is intelligent and skeptical, but at the same time, possessive and keeps some secrets. Margot Robbie embodies the role of Ann, a humble girl, religious, sweet and naive, which is vulnerable by the inexperience of life and the fear of loneliness. Chris Pine completes the cast of confused personalities with the mysterious and manipulative Caleb, who brings with him a dark past.

The photograph, taken with long shots to explore the beautiful nature of the region, and the good soundtrack are positive features in the movie. But small failures in script and direction eventually delivered a smaller film than it could be. The dialogues and the atmosphere of tension and conflict between the characters should be better developed, especially in the third act. There is a visible continuity error in the movie: Ann's dog simply vanish after Caleb's arrival, with no explanation at all. The end, built ambitiously to enable viewer's reflection and imagination, leave some loose ends which causes the feeling that a few scenes lacked depth. After all, Z for Zachariah creates tension and drama in some moments, besides having great performances.

Originally posted in: https://vikingbyheart.blogspot.com.br

Just saw this movie at Sundance and thoroughly enjoyed it. While certainly not perfect, the film was beautifully shot, scored, and directed. As a post-apocalyptic film, it took a unique take on what was essentially a small group of survivors after nuclear fallout. However, instead of focusing on the apocalyptic elements themselves, it focused on the human drama that resulted and the emotional responses to this extreme sort of isolation.

I had essentially no expectations coming into the film and found myself completely invested in the storyline, which develops methodically but beautifully. The writing hits all the turning points within each character's development at just the right time, with just enough delicacy. In turn, the actors all delivered superb performances.

I had only seen Margot Robbie in The Wolf of Wall Street previously, and I was highly impressed by her perhaps more subtle turn here. I thought she did a wonderful job of portraying a woman trying to preserve her faith and even innocence in trying circumstances. Likewise, Chiwetel Ejiofor portrayed his character's shortcomings in an extremely relatable, human way.

Chris Pine's introduction into the film basically becomes the linchpin for the majority of the rest of the movie's tension, and Pine's typical suave-ness does not disappoint. Ultimately, a story of jealousy, desire, and necessity emerges, with the sense of isolation and loneliness prevailing, with an ending that leaves you thinking afterwards. 8/10.

This film tells the story of a woman trying to survive in a post apocalyptic world. She meets another survivor and form a strong bond, but this changes when a third survivor arrives onto the scene. Jealousy and rivalry takes over the struggle to stay alive.

"Z for Zachariah" seems like an intense drama on paper, but I found it very boring. There's little dialogue as there are only the characters. As a result, very little events happen, making it dull and non engaging. The behaviour if the characters are subdued and restrained, while events in the film are presented in a matter of fact manner, with no suspense or thrill. There were times when I really struggled to keep my eyes open, and I had urges to take a cup of coffee to stay awake! In the end I did stay awake, and the story didn't get any better. It's been a long time since I watched such a boring film.