Puzzlehead

Unlike so many of the mass-produced, mind numbing works of garbage being pumped out by the Hollywood machine of late, this film was as thought provoking as it was entertaining.

This film is an ideal example of how a little genuine creativity and a lot of hard work and dedication can outdo a large budget, CGI and crowds of extras any day of the week. For that alone, the makers of 'Puzzlehead' deserve much credit. The scene of a drab future world, in which scientific advances are shunned in favor of protecting and preserving our own human concept of humanity, is set flawlessly through the thoughtful use of cinematography and colour.

Ultimately, this film has one questioning which of the many factors we associate with humanity are actually desirable, and which are not. It also raises questions regarding which human traits are necessary in a being in order to regard that being as human. If other humans think it human, does that make it so? I also appreciated the film's insinuation that all things made by man will ultimately suffer from the same innate flaws as man himself.

If you're looking for a film that can stand firmly on its own two feet, without the crutches of a catchy soundtrack, famous actors or multiple explosions, then I would highly recommend that you watch Puzzlehead without delay.

This movie is one of the most original films I've seen in years. If you like thought provoking films you'll love it, if you are more into action and exploding cars you probably won't be so keen. My only reservation about it is the setting which is only mentioned once and it's tantalisingly left at that. That's fine by me because you can see more or less what's happened but it still would have been nice if the background was a little more consistent. I wanted to see more of it especially as it was so hauntingly shot.

I was interested by a comment someone else posted - "I don't understand how tripe like this can still be churned out in the 21st century with over 100 years of film history behind us.."

It's almost like they are saying movies started off terrible and amateurish and have somehow gone on an evolutionary journey to being better. I don't see that with Hollywood at all, it seems to me as though intelligent movies like this one are a rarity whereas in the past plot was something writers worked at because flashy effects and exploding cars were harder to come by.

"NO movie studio should back things like this." The person adds. Sadly, most studios won't so you have almost got your wish there. It's a shame though because films with an actual story to tell like this one will stay with you a lot longer than that exploding car scene. Each to his own though, I think this is a work of genius but I know a lot of people will disagree simply because it is slow and thoughtful. I personally found the implications quite scary, more so than a CGI monster popping out and a blaring noise to inform the viewer when to jump which is what passes for horror these days.

Intelligent, low key sci-fi piece, impressive looking for it's reported budget of $500K. This has stylistic echoes of films like David Cronenberg"s "Dead Ringers".

In a near future dystopia, a scientist builds a robot that looks like him, and has his memories. They end up both competing for the same girl. While the basic building blocks are familiar, the acting is quite good (especially for a no-name cast), and there is more thought put into the creepy, complex philosophical and moral elements, and the moody muted tone then into cheap scares.

The ending is a bit of a let down, in that it feels a bit more formulaic. But overall this is an impressive first film by a director who sadly has yet to make another.

It's seldom nowadays that I find a movie that I feel connects with me intellectually. I guess I've just seen way too many movies! This was a breath of fresh air, let me tell you. At the end of this movie you won't feel like you've visited a 3$ wh***. This movie's story is complete in every way.

Despite all the above praise, I have to mention one thing that led to my average vote. Why no one has commented on this before me, I have absolutely no idea. The acting is atrocious; and there's just no way of getting around it. It's partly because of the mood the director wanted for his movie, but no one in this movie is even close to pulling it off. Even playing the robot, which in the beginning of its creation shouldn't require much skill, they completely miss the mark. In fact, if the story wasn't so genius, and the setting so beautifully laid out, not to mention some of the very artistic filming - I would probably have stopped watching the movie altogether.

In a world 'after the decline' a scientist creates a robot in his image. The robot, named Puzzlehead, is getting smarter every day, and more independent, which at some point makes the scientist feel threatened by his creation. A strange love triangle brings the situation to a boiling point.

I very much liked this small scale and moody sci-fi picture. It's well acted, has an intelligent screenplay and lots of atmosphere. The writer-director never makes the mistake of trying to make his low budget film bigger than it it is, thus keeping it believable.