U Are the Universe

I'm usually too lazy to write reviews, but this one is worth a note.

I had some spare hours between appointments near a theater that specializes in alternative and art films, so I chose this one - we don't get many chances to watch Ukrainian movies.

I loved it. It's a surprisingly good film with a great balance of science fiction, drama, romance, and comedy.

The science part was impressive. I studied aerospace engineering, so I had classes about spaceships, orbits, space maneuvers, propulsion systems, and communications - and I usually get frustrated with space-related movies. But this one really got it right. I wasn't actively looking for errors, but everything felt pretty logical.

Despite taking place in a confined space with only one character on screen most of the time, the acting was very convincing and really drew me in.

There were also some references and Easter eggs from other movies that I absolutely loved - they added a clever, funny touch.

I rarely write reviews, but this film impressed me so much that I felt the need to do so. It is a film that, in the garb of science fiction, touches on many other themes. It does so while wringing both smiles and tears. Declared pacifist, despite the fact that it deals with the end of the world, it leaves a kind of faint hope, on the fate of the human race, on love relationships and also on those that bind us with so-called artificial intelligences. There are many tributes, from Kubrick to Ridley Scott via Christopher Nolan. Kudos to the male lead, who almost single-handedly held up the entire length of the film admirably. In short, I really recommend this film.

No pun intended - actually the movie references quite a few Science Fiction movies (Kubricks 2001 even musically). But that does not mean it does not stand on its own two feet. The fact this was done in Ukraine is even more mind boggling, considering the situation (let's call it what it is: occupation and war) ... the director is on this for almost a decade as he told us after the screening.

And he knew the ending from the beginning (is that another pun?) .. but needed the time to gather and get money to make this. He hinted at a new project ... which sounds amazing to say the least. But let's stick with this one just a bit more.

This is quite the tour de force the main character has to go through. And apart from a robot, he is alone most of the time ... will he be able to overcome and stay alive? If he does, for whom will that be? While this was conceited before the war started .. you can see parallels and you can feel the pressure ... sometimes even think: I feel there is a direct connection ... a message the movie is sending us ... in a few words ... like the ones he receives too.

The pacing is good and there are a few twists coming to at you ... the effects and the set design also are top notch. We did not talk budget, but I assume he did not have too much money ... and yet it looks amazing ... and the dialog ... just great! A fine line to have him interesting and flawed at the same time ... a "normal" human being ... a nobody ... and everything is on him now? Well let's see where he "leads us" ... a perfect ending (I would argue, no pun intended)

I watched this movie on a Toronto-Ukrainian Film Festival. I absolutely loved it!

It's funny, heartfelt, and filled with clever Easter eggs that only Ukrainians might catch.

The plot keeps you engaged - just when you think you've figured it out, it flips your expectations in a brilliant way. It's a perfect balance of laughter and emotion, with moments that truly move you.

What strikes me is the fact that it's basically a one-man play. The lead actor Volodymyr Kravchuk is both charismatic and charming. You really feel for him.

Beautifully crafted and creatively told, it's a story that stays with you long after the credits roll.

What a beautiful film! A low-budget, high-quality film with a lot of content, as well as being entertaining and featuring an excellent performance by Volodymyr Kravchuk. It will certainly be in my top 10 of the year.

The film's direction is masterful. Various feelings are explored, such as empathy with the characters' loneliness, sadness regarding their certain and fatal destiny, and the ever-present humor. A mix of post-catastrophic futuristic science fiction, comedy, romance, and drama with a sensitive view of what it means to be human.

It's a shame that more intelligent and sensitive science fiction films like this don't get more attention from the cinema and streaming market.