En boucle

No pun intended - the filmmaker himself made a video that we got to see before the movie (Weird Weekender Festival in Stuttgart). He admitted that he is good with .. time! And if you have seen Beyond infinite two minutes, you know he is not lying. The question is, if you want to watch a movie that is similar to that.

While this is good (added comedy I reckon) and still quite twisted in a sense, the former movie is a tiny bit better than this one. That said, you do get new and original ideas with this one. And maybe even an explanation why something happens ... to a specific group of people in a specific area ... we follow one character for most of the movie. That said, we do get to see a lot of people besides her.

There are some inconsistencies when it comes to logic (especially when we have a "hunt" going on), but with a movie and an idea like that it is better to suspend your disbelief.

What a great little indie film. Loved the female lead character Mikoto, she kept me watchingl While stuck in a loop, the staff of a hotel try to both keep their guests happy and informed while also attempting to understand and extricate themselves from the situation. Unlike other loop themed tales, everyone recalls everything from previous iterations. This allows them to perform a variety of experiments to gain information that could lead to an exit. At same time all the usual human responses and interactions proceed apace. With an overlay of Japanese mannerisms, the story is completely beguiling.

Give it a try.

More than a movie.. this is feels like an interesting short/project (one seemingly funded via MotionGallery).

You can see the amateurish cinematography, where you are reminded that there's someone behind a camera running around. The acting is good (for the most part), the characters energetic, the location makes the film, and the developments entertaining enough to retain one's attention. The OST is memorable and the ending a bit out there.. which makes it all a very particular and memorable experience!! Eloquent human-self centrism appreciated.

I've seen enough things (even Japanese) not to be surprised or shocked by the developments. But it is quite fun and some might even find it very different! Reason enough for me to encourage anyone into giving it a try.

This movie is so entertaining and it's mainly so thanks to the chemistry between the cast and crew which evidently suggests how fun (and hard) the preparation would've been. It's like a theatre group enchanting us with their presence and talent at so many places. I really wish that I get to witness these actors and filmmakers (of the theatre club Tollywood) in numerous other projects.

This movie, River, while in no way was better than Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes/Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes (2020), which introduced me to this awesome talent pool a few days ago (Nov 28th, 2023 to be precise), when I had lost hope that original, accurate, and entertaining movies could still exist.

However, this one was probably more charged emotionally, even though we only gets to see more of Mikoto and Tako, who makes it feel like a romantic comedy (but in a good way).

The plot device of time loop is okayish and isn't exactly explained as much as it could've been. Even the attempts to resolve the conflict were quite rushed, quick, and not at all came when stakes were high. At times, the repetition did seem a bit too much. Other characters could been shown more often than Mikoto's sole viewpoint everytime the loop reset. Would've loved more of that serial writer, publisher, and the duo who just ate rice and chatted (but even then they're funnier than probably everyone else).

It also had one of the best dates in movies and that brilliant reference to Audrey Hepburn-Gregory Peck classic, Vacances romaines (1953).

Overall. Better than most movies of present era. At least most original movies. Not among the best though, unfortunately.

7.3/10.

(Jan 22nd, 2024)

I'd give this a 7.5, but I'm rounding up for being short and to the point.

This is an extremely Japanese movie. The look, the feel, the Shintoism, the soundtrack, everybody working together to solve a problem, the efficient production, and even the sci-fi element felt straight out of some kind of anime. It explores the idea of people in a small area being stuck in a 2 minute time loop, and takes a very light hearted approach on the subject. Even the darker moments are done with a bit of a smile. I particularly enjoyed the development of the main characters facial expressions every time she reset.

A joy of an indie film, but be ready to pay attention because it's almost all dialogue.