Plato's Reality Machine

Plato's Reality Machine takes an innovative non-linear approach to this tale of the messy love lives of a group of young New Yorkers who relate better to technology than they do to one another. The visuals are impressive, the virtual reality of the game space impressive (on a $35,000 budget for the entire film) and the narrative is challenging. This isn't the kind of film to hold your hand. The director, Myles Sorensen, challenges the audience to come to their own conclusions and the film is all the more rewarding for it. The young cast is also impressive and the New York setting is well captured. This is the kind of film that will appeal to anyone who has ever had their heart broken and felt unable to trust again. It also explores our culture's increasing dependence on digital lives that take the place of our physical ones. The main character has retreated into a world of gaming and violence after ruining his last relationship. Plato's Reality Machine provides an interesting micro-budget counterpart to Spike Jonze's HER, exploring many of the same themes.

I really enjoyed watching this film. I loved the whole concept. Gaming is so prevalent these days, another reality to escape to. This is the digital world we live in now.

In this film we see both reality and virtual reality through an honest lens. The characters are people you can imagine knowing, inhabited by extremely talented actors.

What struck me the most about this film is the honesty of the dialogue. The interview-like and video game segments weaved through this movie made it a beautifully crafted one. I loved the New York backdrop.

It's a thinking persons movie, artistic and thought provoking.

Full disclosure: I am not a gamer. Quite honestly, I haven't played video games since I was a teenager.

But as far as PLATO'S REALITY MACHINE goes, that doesn't matter whatsoever.

In fact, some of my favorite moments of the film occur during the video game sequences. Why? Above all, they are finely crafted. The combination of seamless editing, a soothing voice over, and stimulating graphics creates a hypnotic feel which works as a smooth transition to the various characters' dating toils.

This virtual world is essentially more comfortable than the reality world. The reason being? Because we the viewer can relate to the dating struggles of Mr. Sorensen's characters. The game of love can frequently be difficult at best.

The backdrop of New York City is a great setting, and the cinematography is beautiful. The film is well-acted, the score and music are engaging, and the editing is fantastic.

I look forward to seeing what Myles Sorensen directs next.

This film will challenge you. It has a totally innovative structure, more like a song, with verse-chorus-verse then a regular, boring Hollywood film structure.

It delves into the lives of 6 interconnected New Yorkers. And it creates a bit of a rubick's cube game that it is up to the viewer to figure out. Music is AMAZING. Performances, especially Trieste Kelly Dunn and Macenzie Davis are off the charts. The video game story line is creepy and weird. It's almost like a David Lynch film. You hear the character as he is playing the game too. That is another way the director is playing with the audience's perspective.

But again, you have to use your brain with this one. Its a romantic comedy, essentially, but its not Failure to Launch or 10 Things I Hate about You. It asks the viewer to participate in the creative act. It asks the viewer to make connections and be open to a different kind of structure. A lot of people won't be up for this, they would rather have corny jokes and recycled plot lines. Easy laughs and obvious plot twists. Then go watch Operation Dumbo Drop.

It's a lyrical piece, haunting, but a brain is required to enjoy!

Plato's Reality Machine is a film about gamers and the game of life. It is about young singles, living in New York, trying to define themselves and connect with each other, but also about their avatars, their ideal selves, fighting for survival, forming alliances and deciding whether to betray their allies before they are betrayed. It is at one moment dark and intense, and at next, light, funny and sexy. At several places, as in the stylish sequence in the strip club, it is all these things at once. At first the game world appears to be typically dark and futuristic, but even there real human emotion and humor shine through. The real world locations are clearly New York, but not the same tired ones you've seen over and over. The performances are spot on. The soundtrack is cutting edge. Do yourself a favor and log in!