Most movies are easily understood. Those that aren't are either shoddily plotted or written by artists smarter than most people, perhaps too smart for their own good.
Predestination (2014) seems to fall into the latter category. I say "seems" because I'm not sure I understood more than the basics of the story. Written and directed by Aussie twins Michael and Peter Spierig, it is yet another flick about time travel, specifically going back to prevent horrendous crimes. The following is spoken several times during the narrative: "What if I could put him in front of you? The man that ruined your life. If I could guarantee that you'd get away with it, would you kill him?" These days it is most unusual for sci-fi to be so talky. Since there was no close captioning, it made it even for me harder to follow. I rely on it these days. Still, this is an absorbing work. The emphasis is on the characters. Who are they are? Since it involves time travel, the possibilities are endless. I read through the commentary section at IMDb, where discussion was lively and intelligent. Unfortunately, I still feel I'm only guessing about the details, but it's comforting to know I have company. This was only the Spierig brothers third full feature since their debut in 2003. The other two, which I haven't seen, were also sci-fi. I'm interested in what they come up with next.
Predestination runs only 97 minutes and stars Ethan Hawke and Sarah Snook. 127,000+ users at IMDb have rated it, forging to a consensus of 7.4 of ten. On a scale of five, I say 3.25. Those who prefer constant action should probably pass. This film challenges the viewer to think. Perhaps the intent of the creators was to encourage speculation. They certainly succeeded in that.
My thanks to the couple who purchased the box set of J.R.R.Tolkien's
Lord of the Rings trilogy and a romance novel, and to Jack of Chase, who donated eleven books. Someone else bought a book and I can't for the life of me remember what it was. I hate that.
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
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