Asphalt

The concept here is an interesting one. A couple ride to the hospital in the back of a taxi, unsure whether or not the woman is having a miscarriage or not. Mostly the journey is wordless, with the characters lost in their own thoughts looking out the window. The viewer also looks out the window, at scenes that represent life and death. The concept had me pressing play very quickly.

The problem is that the delivery is not as good as the idea. This is not to say it is an unsuccessful film, but just that the majority of it (the symbolism out of the window) doesn't deliver as much as it should have. Perhaps it was just too subtle or arty for me, but the scenes out the window did not carry as much meaning or emotion as I would have hoped, which means that the majority of the film feels empty and a bit dull. It is a shame because there is plenty of interest in the few character moments; the presence of a very old- fashioned and male dominated view/attitude is there from the start – and it pays off in a brutally simple couple of lines once the couple return to the car. That moment is great but the film doesn't build enough around or after that.

Strong aspects to it then, but in the end the concept is better than the film itself.