Passengers

If I had had the opportunity to attend the Mill Valley Film Festival, I would have gone there. I haven't seen Passengers "yet", but everything I read about this movie, in addition to all the comments posted on this website prior to mine, confirms that it is definitely worth viewing.

Yet, the story seems very simple : an ordinary couple, living an ordinary life, to whom something ordinary happens, that could happen to anyone of us, anytime in our life.

Some of us might have already experienced this very painful situation (after a divorce for instance) in which one figures out that it is possible to hate someone much more than one has loved them, and that one's life can collapse anytime… so why not after a few hours spent in a traffic jam… There's no word to explain and to express the complexities of the feelings which can unite or separate two persons. However, it seems that the very talented Michael Bond found the most adequate images to make these complexities live, helped by actors very talented too.

In a movie, very often "all is well that ends well". As I haven't seen Passengers, I don't know whether this is also the case in this movie. But I want to know ! This is the reason why I do wish that this movie will be released in France and in Europe, and that it will, here as well, get the success that it apparently deserves.

We all know the famous citation of French philosopher Blaise Pascal : "The heart has its reasons that reason knows nothing of". I'm sure that, if this man was still alive, he would be interested in this movie, and would probably find another citation to comment it. And no doubt that he would post it here !

I loved this film.

Beautifully scripted with hard hitting performances, Passengers is at times frightening in it's accurate portrayal of relationship weaknesses and human flaws.

I'd be surprised if anyone couldn't relate to one of the lead characters on some level - their pain, frustration, distraction, isolation, alienation, a range of everyday emotions we all experience.

Further still, is the director's ability to so beautifully capture all of this in a more subtle, authentic manner than we're used to in recent dramas, which I found heightened the emotional impact even more.

Can't wait to see it again, and looking forward to more offerings from first time director Michael Bond.

Who knew you could make such a compelling movie in a SUV? Great script, acting and directing made this a low budget pleasure. It's also encouraging to see a movie aimed at adults that isn't an 'adult' movie. Passengers is the type of movie the studios have given up making in favor of chasing 14 year old boys as an audience. This audience of boys is the same that is staying home and stealing studio content off the internet. This is collaborative film-making at its finest. Well done. Thanks for the mature feast. Let's see more of it. This bodes well for the future of independent film-making.

rick Stevenson

I was simply blown away by this film. It is an artistic feat that I have yet to see rivaled in this way. To have such a limited area in which to film this story could have been disastrous, instead it was compelling, heart-wrenching, uncomfortable, and devastating in all the right ways.

I was riveted from start to finish and I have the writer/ director, cinematographer, and actors to thank for that. So, thank you for creating such a beautiful movie. Make more!

I am surprised at how much I am longing to see this film again. Well done!

It's difficult to add to the previous comments, with which I agree wholeheartedly. I'm usually an action/sci-fi movie junkie, but Passengers floored me for all the reasons expressed above. I think there is a depth to Passengers such that each of us in a relationship will find it talking personally to us at many points. From a technical perspective, Passengers is beautifully and succinctly shot, with the stunningly rich LA lights contrasting the mood within the SUV. Cutaway shots strengthen the developing poignancy, and the audio and atmospherics are perfectly integrated. This is simply the best feature debut I have seen in a very long time. I can't wait for Mr Bond's next movie!