You Move You Die

For a movie I had never heard of, this movie was a very enjoyable surprise rental at the video store. There are hints of Pulp Fiction humour, a touch of low budget El Mariachi, nods to Lock, Stock or Snatch, and a real crappy Toyota station wagon. Considering the violence of the film, there is no real gore or blooded to be seen. Think of it as a crime caper comedy that doesn't take itself seriously.

Some film students/critics may not love it, but ordinary people with open minds that enjoy a laugh with their crime caper will likely find it worth the time. It is reasonably polished for the reported $50K budget, throws in a twist or two, brings the laughs, and doesn't try to overwhelm you with it's "art".

I bought a DVD copy and recommend it often. I am looking forward to what they do with the sequel when they have a few more dollars to play with.

As always it is the complainers that are the first to comment. I personally thoroughly enjoyed the film. Surely a films aim is to entertain? Well this one did the job as far as I am concerned.

Has something similar been done before? probably but who cares, and without knowing how it was shot you (or at least I) couldn't even attempt to judge how innovative it is. All I know is that it felt very different to watch than most movies you will see. As for the comment that this genre is dead... what a load of tripe, this is not some Quentin T rip. It stands alone as an interesting story with some good twists and plenty of humour (assuming you like your humour fairly dry) Was it a low budget flick? almost definitely, does it look "cheap"? not at all. I think this is a breath of fresh air for the industry within NZ. And I firmly believe it is a good quality, entertaining flick.

Is it the best movie in the world? of course not... still I liked it better than at least one huge blockbuster I saw recently. Mind you some people apparently can't live without huge explosions and/or a festival of CGI! If you enjoy the flavour of the "british gangster" type flick, and like your humour dark and dry you will probably enjoy this film.

So go check it out you will probably enjoy it. Plus you are supporting genuine NZ film.. i.e. not financed from half a world away with the money and talent disappearing offshore the day it wraps. Oh and it might pay to watch to the end...

PS I can't wait to see what these guys can do with the next film and some cash support behind them!

While it's not a great film, it is close to unique, consistently fun to watch, and keeps you interested until the end. A crime-action film like Crank in some ways.

It's the light-hearted version of a film like American Gangster, and gangster films in general which almost always take a very serious thriller angle to the story. The difference here is you really don't realize you're watching a gangster film until near the end. You get some strong hints of it, but it's never clear.

This is the type of film that should get a best screenplay award. The beginning and end tie together perfectly, yet you never see the connection until the end. I probably should give it a higher rating for that alone, but it's not without a few annoyances. Very much worth seeing nonetheless.

This is an obviously inspired film that isn't the usual predictable drivel that I see in so many films of this genre. It has a Taratinoesque quality to it but isn't quite so scattered brained as most of his movies are. The characters are interesting and personable and not over the top, and there are some genuinely funny moments. There is a little bit of bad acting but not from the main actors at all, just in some of the bit parts. The story line is very good and although there are some violent moments in the movie it wasn't at all gory or messy. Also, the camera work is really quite unique and there is a flow to it that almost makes you feel like you are part of the movie. I would think that a lot of other filmmakers will be trying to use this type of effect in upcoming movies. Overall I would give this move at least an 8 out of 10.

It's not a bad job. The characters are convincing, even if some of the action isn't. If you can accept stylized, unconvincing violence (no blood anywhere), which I don't mind, the story has some new twists. The first two thirds seem a bit aimless, like Mean Streets down under, just a tale of four thugs who seem to have an appointment to keep in the afternoon, and manage to keep it, in spite of the befuddled police they have to deal with in New Zealand. It's funny; it could have been funnier, but for something I never heard of before a street vendor offered it to me, it ain't bad. The acting is generally acceptable; the camera-work is utilitarian. Technically, it succeeds in some ways, e.g., the steadicam work, but fails in others, e.g., under- and over-exposure, or their digital equivalents. The dialogue is in Kiwi, i.e., "english", but it would benefit from subtitles, also in English, as in The Harder They Come. It's worth noting that the vaunted technical achievement (long, uncut shots) was barely noticeable-which means that it did what it was supposed to do without drawing attention to itself.