Buster's Mal Heart

I was able to suss out the plot line about midway through the 2nd act. Still, there were a few surprises working through to the end. Rami was excellent and perfect for the role; there were a few cool Easter eggs as the film progressed. Anything more would be spoiler-ish.

Overall, I'd recommend this flick to any M. Night Shyamalan fan.

Well done.

There are definitely different ways to approach this film. It can be darkly comic, but at its core, it's a tragedy with one actor at the center of it who is ready to give it his all. Malek has become a star due to his TV series, Mr. Robot, and here he gets an opportunity to shine even further. The lead character is a tricky one, balancing different story lines and timelines and personality traits while still having to be consistent in characterization. It's not hard to see why Malek was cast here. He has such a bubbling intensity and forceful acting style that comes across natural while leaving a lasting impression, and that's exactly what he does here.

This is a visually striking film with an amazing plot. It took some time for me to fully understand this film but once you understand it, it will stick with you for a long time. Rami Malek's performance is flawless and minimalistic. If you're obsessed with filmmaking and cinematography you will appreciate this to its full potential.

What a weird movie. And that is not just because of the time line, but because of the main character and his .. well way to "freedom" I guess. It really is messy and I'm not just talking about his "future" self, that seems to have gone a different path than his former self. And we do jump back and forth, which makes the movie more interesting. I imagine having our main character be in one mindset for a longer period of time - that might have taken some of the tension out of the movie and make it boring (dare I say?).

The central performance is amazing. Also DJ Qualls really surprised me, being quite humorless and just being as serious as possible. In a good way that is, in case I wasn't clear. And that is what makes the movie really enticing, but you really have to have patience ...

'BUSTER'S MAL HEART': Four Stars (Out of Five)

An indie mystery about a mentally unstable mountain man, and former family man, who now survives by breaking into empty vacation homes, while he constantly warns others (on talk radio) about an upcoming 'Inversion' at the change of the millennium. It was written and directed by Sarah Adina Smith, and it stars Rami Malek (in his first starring film role), Toby Huss, Kate Lyn Sheil and DJ Qualls. The movie had it's world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, and it's received mostly positive reviews from critics. I found it to be bizarrely interesting, and for the most part pretty well made, but it also left things just a little too unexplained for my tastes.

The film opens with a mountain man, Buster (Malek), desperately trying to escape the authorities that are chasing him. He makes it to the top of a mountain, where the film then flashes back to his past as a family man, with a wife (Sheil) and daughter (Sukha Belle Potter). He also recollects on his time breaking into empty vacation homes, and calling into radio shows ranting about an upcoming 'Inversion' (at the turn of the millennium). Buster also has multiple visions of being lost at sea. As a viewer we have to interpret what's real, what isn't, and when and where it's all taking place.

The film is definitely bizarre and interesting, and I was always curious of where it was leading to. I think the acting is good in the film (especially Malek in the lead) and Smith is obviously a very talented filmmaker. I was just hoping for a little more from the conclusion. I don't need everything explained to me in a film, but I don't like everything to be left a question mark either. I'm sure some viewers will think they understand it, but I think most of the film is entirely left up to individual interpretation. If you like that type of movie you'll probably love it, I'm not a huge fan of the genre though.

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