The Bestowal

I'd compare it thematically to "Man from Earth" (though that was far better). I have to commend the filmmaker for trying something.

I found it a bit preachy. It touched on ideas that I find distasteful. Still, it challenged me a bit.

It touches on anti-technology, religion, good and bad, self-interest, capitalism, eastern spirituality, commerce, pride of work, homelessness, wealth inequality, justice, afterlife, suicide, "love", punishment and reward, simulation theory, a "God" that is not all-powerful, a vengeful god, heaven and hell, the mutability of facts. Unfortunately the movie makes some presumptions while exploring these ideas, and does not acknowledge all sides of the ideas that it touches on. At some point it becomes an apology for human suffering under an altruistic god, and at a different point it mirrors the Unabomber's view of technology. It's all over the map with its religion, is it hindu? it is christian? is it buddhist?

Frankly, the thing is a mess, most of the mechanisms and drama were contrived, yet I am not unhappy that I watched it. I don't think it is anywhere near a masterpiece, nor do I need to see it again.

This film is a unique dose of philosophical drama. The heart of interest; what is beyond our reality and our understanding of reality? This film was well written/shot/acted. It is definitely a thinker movie!

A bunch of moralistic, anti-capitalist clap trap. I would rather have rusty nails driven into my eardrums than watch that again. I gave it three stars because the leading lady, whose name I won't even try to spell, was three stars worth of pretty.

What I find hardest to believe about this film is that anyone takes it seriously enough to give it more than 3 stars. The concept and dialog are philosophical nonsense from the start. It's not science fiction, as there is no science therein. It is imaginative fantasy in the heaviest sense of the term, but in truth isn't all that imaginative.

The acting is dire, the directing non-existent, the sets not really sets. It's not an art film as there's nothing artful about it. The philosophy is stuff pulled out of random self-help books mixed with a whole slew of "wow, someone smoked a lot of weed while writing this".

As speculative fiction-- which is the best it could have hoped for-- it's as speculative as stating we're all billiard balls in a universal game of snooker. Throw whatever random, mundane concepts one can put together, present it in a form of two people talking all. the. way. through. the. film.... and we have the climax and culmination of this "story". I find it difficult to believe this mundane attempt at film making has an average of 6 stars on IMDB, or that anyone would have the lack of cinematic integrity to actually give it 10 stars in a review. This is philosophical, zero-evidence "what-iffing"... and not much more.

The best I can say for it is that it does make some basic points. Happiness comes from helping others. Love is just the best thing ever, even when it's awful. One can try to do good and still miss the mark. Welcome to Life 101. Despite all its flaws it does manage to hold attention right to the yawner end... that is, if someone doesn't exercise the better part of sensibility and turn it off before then. Trust this: if you're not impressed by the first third, save your time on the rest. But if random, half-baked philosophical wandering is your bag... you'll LOVE this.

"The Bestowal" by Andrew de Burgh is quite an original ride, and he shows you that good sf can really be about charachter development and passionate acting more than lazer battles. It deals with both existensial and political issues in a thought-proviking way that makes you start realizing that the true sense of wonder is to be exploered within the human soul. Despite a limited cast in numbers, de Burgh manage to launch a number of parallel events and suplots off screen of which I personally feel some stays unresolved, However, the stuff of for example Arthur C Clarke works best when not everything is written straight on the audience's noses. And I'm sure Neil Gaiman would like it if he ever will have the chance to see it. Though this may be intended as a one-shot, I felt like there is a whole universe to explore in there....