Another Version of You

*****Updated***** I think I may have been a little bit mean on this film. I still didn't really like the lead actor and DID like the idea so much I wish it had a more resources directed toward it, but in the world of current film making it's not half bad. It did have a great story idea, good editing production standards and pace.

This could have been a really good film idea if it hadn't been made by a writer/director with a limited budget and friends in film school and connections with good equipment. We see far too many well made, poorly acted, written and realised films and this is another one of those that almost should have stayed unmade until it could be taken to a level that is deserving of a wider audience and the interesting concept at its center.

It is not without merit at all though, and the script does move around at a pace enough to keep interest, but the main flaw is the blandness of the central character and his quest for desirability from the object of his desire which he clearly never deserves. He's just not an interesting person, mopes for the duration of the movie and seems to be more about the perfection of his hair management than the inner turmoil of character and the unfairness of his unrequited love. Seriously, how does he travel for that long without daily trips to the hair manicurist? He's all sculpted hipster beard with an ugly cardigan and trousers, over stated acting (his 'contented exhale' as he finishes typing his novel on his vintage typewriter should have told the director his delivery was killing the film as was the overt style over substance of the aforementioned vintage typewriter, ugly cardigan and gariish trousers he chose to go dimensional traveling in???, and indie fair trade barista on a lime scooter sculpted beard and hair cut, all detracting from a good human story of desire and consequence), all highlighting the lack of subtlety and the depth that the story could and should have been delivering. it's like a read through of a script, filmed on the first take and left there, although most of the females characters do much better in their roles than Diggsy. You can't help but wonder how good this movie could have been with a likable main character and some personality traits that make him worthy of the women around him. We never see him in anything other than annoying mode, even with his adoring sister, let alone the other ladies well above his class. Was that the point? It made for a less enjoyable film if it was. So not a horrible movie if you can tolerate the averageness of the central character's performance, and technically a well made film by a skilled crew on a good story idea that could have achieved greatness, but fell somewhere in-between.

This movie had great story elements. The outline must have been a 10 star story. But not enough is filled in. I saw in another review that the writer had done shorts before this and that makes sense. This is a short movie stretched out to fill 96 minutes. The beginning is a good setup, although I wasn't thrilled with the phone messages scene. There is an early sequence with Gwen which sets up the climax. The middle has a good twist when he meets his sister. That section was interesting. There is a touching moment between that scene and the reality that runs to the climax. The build up to the climax was just what was needed and the climax had another great twist.

There were moderately long sequences with no dialogue or human interaction. The story didn't develop. After Diggsy first begins his adventure, the story races through one reality or universe after another in a jumble, but that doesn't last too long. Actually this could have been filled out with some character development. Sequences with no progression happen over and over including right after the climax. It runs basically to one brief interaction at the end. The very last shot is another surprise because they had previously obscured a key detail. I wanted to say it was a contradiction, a goof, but looking back I just didn't realize what happened immediately after the climax.

Diggsy. What a name. You might expect a guy with that name to be a loser, and he is. His character doesn't really develop, even up to the climax although there is a stretch that focuses on that period and reality.

If you want to watch a really good 30 minute short that is stretched into 96 minutes, this is it. So disappointed. I rate it higher than I should because of the story outline.

Some viewers do not understand this movie... which honestly makes me wonder why they chose to watch it in the first place. It's not what one would call "cerebral fiction" that has to be analyzed.

Another Version of You is basically a romance / comedy / science-fantasy film that is very straight forward from beginning to end. It may not lead where one is expecting, but is certainly worth the journey.

This movie has heart, is enjoyable to watch from beginning to end, and doesn't have the problems many such films have of contradicting itself, leaving plot holes wide open, or making zero scientific sense. Most of all it doesn't employ endless, repetitious deja-vu. There is of course elements of such, but not to the point it becomes annoying; they serve more to tighten the film and make it more sensible.

The story line of the film-- given the subject matter-- is easily believable. The decisions the main character makes while not always wise, are exactly the kinds of things that might actually happen given these circumstances.

For those who didn't get it, hated it, missed the point, sorry but hey, it just wasn't your kind of film. The (current) 5.6 rating does not do this film justice. It is unique, different and tugs at the heart strings. Based on the plot it delivers in every aspect. The ending makes one think about all sorts of possibilities... which is exactly what this movie is all about: all sorts of possibilities.

What would you do if you had a key that lead to everywhere? What if you had an unlimited number of do-overs... and discovered that may not be best?

I don't know if this could be classified as a "brilliant" film... but it's certainly unique, different and thought-provoking.

I watched most of this movie wondering why the main character, a guy, was named Dixie. Then I finally figured out it was Diggsy! Anyway Diggsy was heartbroken when the love of his life married someone else and while in his funk a mysterious man gives him something and a note of explanation. It was a key that supposedly opened any door and when used that way it opens up a completely new, parallel universe. But once you step through there is no going back!

I have to give this movie a bit of extra credit for the novel concept. As Diggsy goes into various parallel universes he often discovers the same people he knew, except they were not the same people. It gets a bit complicated. Regardless the thrust of the inventive story is to allow Diggsy to learn about himself and what he really needs to do to find happiness.

Good movie for anyone who enjoys a completely different "what if". I watched it at home on Amazon streaming movies.

Yeah, bad episode of "Sliders", I said it. And that show had some real stinkers.

My main gripe is that the guy simply has no redeeming qualities. All I could think is that, yeah, Suzette was right to be with someone else, because this dude is just bland. He makes terrible choices, and it was predictable from the beginning that he was going to make more terrible choices as the movie one.

I liked the concept, but the dialogue was pretty sad, the main character mopey, and I thought the editing, especially during some initial "montage" scenes, was just clumsy (when you see him initially traveling to different universes and meeting different Suzettes, etc). No cohesion there.

I wish it had been done better. Still, at least it was lit well, the camera work was fine, and the other female actors did a good job.