Zhi yin

Although there are some familiar ideas here, Guidance is a unique film that will not only make you think, but curious about the technology that awaits us in the near future. It explores how we can use technology that is actually being developed to help humans more easily be 'encouraged' to live by virtues such as in this case truthfulness, which is an interesting unique concept for a film to begin with We always want to know if there is a way to 'cheat' to allow us to become better. The interesting question this film asks is 'would it work'? Once someone could tell you were lying, you would probably feel obliged to acquire the same ability to level the playing field.

What is even more interesting is that this is a Chinese film from a Canadian director. As someone who has lived in China long enough to experience how white lies are a very pervasive and acceptable part of the culture, it poses an even more interesting question to an audience that may be most intrigued by this idea.

However, when you ignore the language of the film, it could really be set anywhere and it still provides thought provoking ideas.

That being said, this is after all a 'relationship drama' set in the future, so if your curious about the idea of acquiring virtue by turning your body into a quantum computer aka 'NIS' and running an app called 'Guidance' to give you an advantage in negotiations / relationships you may be let down by the fact that this is a film about conflicted characters in flawed relationships. But maybe even if that is not really your thing you will appreciate the film for its unique scenery of China, a glimpse into a possible near future, and an unpredictable ending that is sure to catch most off guard.

Beautiful shots and storytelling in a near-future world with a sci-fi twist allowing the director to challenge our perceptions of human nature. One of those movies you think about more and more after you've seen it, leading to fun conversations with friends. Loved it!

Other reviewers have a synopsis of the storyline so this is not a review of the movie in that sense. So, no spoilers here.

I can count the number of original and exciting movies I have seen in the past 20 years on the fingers of one hand. Hands down the acting, directing and storytelling in this film are top notch.

You will need to watch the movie at least a couple of times to get more out of it.

Guidance is an intriguing international science-fiction drama by Iranian director Neysan Sobhani shot in Mandarin with only four young actresses and actors. The film revolves around a young couple that retreats to a modern cottage in the mountains as they wait for their scheduled rocket trip to leave planet Earth. They decide to take a special type of pill known as Guidance that allows them step by step to discover everything they want to know about their partners. Soon, the young couple realizes that both partners have some hidden secrets and try to come to terms with the truth behind appearances.

This movie convinces on numerous levels. The science-fiction elements are carefully employed and never exaggerated. The film offers the backdrop of a disastrous war in the past, a recent terrorist attack, plans for evacuation from the planet and an interconnected society that slowly eliminates privacy and secrets. This movie subtly criticizes megalomaniac social media moguls, overambitious scientists and repressive governments without pointing fingers at any specific company, country or culture. This film is thought-provoking and worth to be discussed as its dystopian backdrop is terrifyingly realistic.

Another strength are the excellent acting performances. This movie essentially revolves around three characters that are supposed to carry this movie through its running time of ninety-three minutes. Despite a somewhat slow start, all three characters become more complex, intriguing and profound as the movie progresses. Another interesting element to notice is that all characters have significant flaws and strengths which make them credible and easy to empathize with.

The acting performances are also quite satisfactory. The performances are careful and slow but at the same time emotional and realistic. The dialogues have been established with great care. Since this movie tries to have a realistic vibe, the actresses and actors involved are enjoyably composed and never overact for the sake of attention.

The settings of this film have also been chosen with care. This movie has a constant vibe of isolation in the isolated cottage, the huge company building and the expensive bunker. Even though the decorations show a certain elegance, taste and wealth, they can't hide that all locations feel clinical, cold and void.

The soundtrack also blends in very well. It focuses on timeless classical music that underlines the movie's scenes decently without being overtly domineering. Just like the settings, the score seems intellectually intriguing at first contact but ends up sounding emotionally distant and even starts lacking identity. Settings and soundtrack complete each other splendidly.

The most notable downside of this film is its slow pace that takes some time to get used to. However, after a first third with a few lengths, the second third establishes the relationships between the different characters very well and the last third answers several important questions and even includes a creative twist that most viewers won't see coming.

At the end of the day, science-fiction drama Guidance deserves its excellent reviews and should benefit from much more attention. Iranian director Neysan Sobhani is a name contemporary cinephiles should remember. Let's hope that there are more full length features to come from this creative, subtle and talented artist.

Not the usual type of movie I would go for, however when I started watching it I was completely taken in by the performances of the actors which were really authentic and made it easy to care about them and their relationship struggles. Really thought provoking movie with plenty on offer for everyone. The movie is capped off with really beautiful cinematography. Highly recommend!!