Solitary

I spent 2 hours trying to make sense out of a story that made no sense. It misleads the viewer over and over again and makes the characters look as stupid as it makes the viewer feel. It is poor science fiction but is not labeled science fiction up front. The director helped write the story so I understand why he was involved in the making of it. What Ican't understand is how he found some apparently talented people to work on it. I was left with the feeling that I had wasted my time and that there must be more to the story. I want to say something good about the movie. I guess the actors did a good job with what they had to work with and it was free (with my satellite TV package.) If you are not a science fiction fan, skip this one.

Solitary (2011)

The lead actress here, Amber Jaeger, might be the only real acting talent in this fairly small cast. But she's really good, as she was in he husband's recent movie, "Take Me Home." In a way this is a suburban middle class version of the Ashley Judd look at insanity, "Bug." And like "Bug," this recent movie is low budget and deeply flawed.

And there is also a huge twist near the end that is very clever, and you can see a much better movie in it all by rearranging the clues to the twist so the audience can build some expectation. I can't say more without ruining that part of it, but I can point out the obvious that any viewer will discover in short time--the movie is slow, redundant, and confusing. It's highly improbable (or so it seems). If it had been even more improbable, so that you didn't just think it was bad writing in a bad movie, you'd start to wonder why it was improbable, what kind of weird "Memento" like trick is at work.

No such luck. Instead we have to see Jaeger's fighting her mind, and her fear of open spaces, and ignore the weird facts. Once you realize what is really happening (in the last ten minutes) you'll wonder why the whole movie couldn't have been an extraordinary mind trip, a fanciful game of invention and imagination. But that would make sense (like it does, in a weirdly parallel way, in the Robin Williams romance, "What Dreams May Come").

This is an indie production made in 2009, but in one of the common and frustrating aspects of that world, it sometimes takes really long to find a distributor, and so it's out in 2011. The director, Greg Derochie, is a special effects guy from Hollywood (everyone wants to be a director, you see), and in a huge irony, the special effects here are clunky. (I'm going to guess he didn't transfer to a low budget world very well.)

Anyway, I love movies, and I rarely say this, but unless you're an Amber Jaeger fan (there must be several of us in the country--we'll see more of her), I'd skip it.

It fell flat. I picked up too many plot flaws and actually became annoyed🙈 Watched until the end but had worked out what was going on about halfway in. Too many options to choose an action or reaction that was not followed through or realistic. Lead role was great, convincing. So many symbolic moments that I could not understand because there was no explanation in the end. Don't want to add spoilers so won't mention specific scenes. Acting from the rest of the cast was ok. Had potential to be a nail-biter but sadly it was not. The director can do better with more experience and a better storyline.

Agoraphobia ... but is this what this is about? Does the mind of our main character play tricks on her? And is that a pun considering what the story later reveals to us? Yes there are twists and I understand that some watching this may feel offended by how the movie evolves and develops. But if you don't have love for low budget movies, than this may not be for you from the start anyway.

This is about the intriguing story and how it is told. Does it have flaws? Yes! And too few also. But is it able to grip you and hold your attention until the end with the story and how it unfolds? Also yes - if you let the movie of course. Taste in movies is something that makes us discuss and also disagree a lot. I expect this to be the case with some who feel very strongly (negatively) here ... but that does not change what I felt while watching this. It is good for the budget it has and for mystery it serves the viewer. And the reveal is more than fine enough (with me)

This is not a great film, but it is far, far better than the 5 average it has received. It is a mystery with a bit of science fiction added, and I suspect it is the science fiction part that is bothering some of the viewers. But even if you hate science fiction, you should give this movie a view because it will keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time. Who is good and who is evil? You will not know until the very end, and the ending will be nothing like you have seen before. You will be left breathless and it will make you think. The acting is very good, and the timing and discontinuities are very well designed to keep you guessing. Don't miss this movie if you have a chance to see it.