Roulette

I don't know who wrote that initial glowing review, but I blame them personally for the excruciatingly painful 17 minutes I suffered in watching this film. 17 minutes was as long as I could take the torture.

Poorly written, poorly directed, idiotically stilted dialogue recited by insanely talentless actors. It didn't help that it seems they worked hard to only cast annoying, over-acting actresses with screeching voices. Massively amateur, and not in a good way.

The plot is filled with every stereotypical relationship/scenario. Whiny women and angsty boy-men.

I have no idea what they were trying to accomplish with the weird coloring... half the shots are a weird monochrome pinkish-red, others are some drab sepia with random pops of colored objects. It reminded me of those really unappealing color-separated photos of food in old 1950s magazines.

Avoid this movie at all costs!

"Hey! My friends and me made a movie, wanna see it?" If you are in the mood for a film school submission made with lunch money with acting/directing/editing that never lets you forget you are watching an attempt at making a movie then, this is for you.

Lots of lessons on what not to do. On the other hand, as far as film school shorts I have seen, it is pretty good. The writing was good and there were scenes that were done very well.

I was rooting for it to bring me under its spell but gave up after 16 torturous minutes, concluding that it was simply unwatchable.

Why all the stellar reviews? Could they be self serving or did I completely miss the point?

Roulette will surprise you if you give it the chance. Heavy plot, deep character development, and believable acting make for a movie that, although an indie, certainly is a marker of great things to come for all involved. The movie is actually all about character development as it deals specifically with 3 individuals coming to grips with themselves, realizing that every decision they make, and have made, leads them directly to where they are. Something many people do only when it is too late. There are a few moments that are drawn out that could have been just as effective had they been trimmed just a hair. But that is something easily forgiven. The story throughout seems to be pulled forward by flashbacks. This might seem confusing at times, but is suddenly pulled and bound together in a familiar yet dramatically memorable way. Not a date movie, but one to share on many different levels.

What's wrong with this flick? Acting; writing; direction; everything you see and hear. What's right with this flick? After what feels like an eternity of pain for the viewer, it finally ends. What's wrong with the reviews? As I noted in my own previous reviews, there is a clustering of rave reviews which always means a pity party held by those involved in the travesty; in this case, the month of around November. Gang, if you're going to lie (or give into your delusions) then at least spread the wealth out over several months (and to some extent the guilty parties did this) to dampen suspicion. The bottom like: Listen to the negative reviews; you surely have something (ANYTHING) better to do with your precocious time. Maybe watch a dumpster fire if you can find one....

I had never heard of this film. Not until I walked into a rental store did I see the cover and it's many awards and accolades. So, I took the chance and rented it. Not disappointed at all! The acting was a little off and the stars weren't- I knew none of the actors in this movie. That said, it was great. I really liked the idea of no bombs blowing up the planet, no sex-scenes too realistic but, some nudity was needed for the story to work. "Sunny" forced her struggling Christian role but, did o.k. overall. The others were well, like I said, not top-tier actors but, worked well together. The story line was unique and presented very well. Three suicidal people meet at one's house and play Russian Roulette with the intention to kill themselves...until it got too real. Flashbacks were used as part of the story so pay attention. Each person got to tell their story as to why they wanted to die. In the end, all was for naught. This was some kind of recurring incident. And to go any further would ruin the movie for those still wanting to see it. Great movie, good acting, great story and I liked it very much.