Um Jogo Perverso

Two of the thirteen reviews so far have a ten star rating. I'll let you guess how many other reviews those two people wrote. None! There is no chance in hell that somebody not involved in this movie would score it a perfect score, or maybe if you're very easily pleased and have no clue about other real gems. Braid starts promising, with good filming shots so I can't blame the director for that, but the more the movie advances the lesser the quality. It's just badly written, not interesting at all, and the final twenty minutes I just lost all interest as it became just a mess. Don't waste your time on this boring story.

It started looking promising - arty, sinister, some good interesting visual stuff, but then it just got too messy trying to be too clever, and I lost interest. By the end it had bounced about that much with reality versus mental health that I didn't really care what was real and what was not and what any of it was about or what happened to anyone. It was just too silly. Acting was pretty mediocre, working with a really thin plot and direction.

I watched this at home on DVD from my public library. I first read several user reviews and they are scattered all over the place so the only way to know for sure was to see it.

The summary on its IMdb page pretty well summarizes it, "Two wanted women decide to rob their wealthy psychotic friend who lives in the fantasy world they created as children; to take the money they have to take part in a deadly perverse game of make believe."

The two "wanted" friends were dealing drugs, lost about $80,000 worth in a police raid and now they are on the run. Both from the cops and from their drug supplier.

I see the writer/director is Italian, maybe that partly explains why it is so unusual, the relationships, the dreamlike aspect of some scenes. Frankly I didn't find it to be a very good movie, I was never invested in the characters and what they were doing didn't make a lot of sense. I'm glad I watched it, I enjoy seeing experimental movies here and there, but my opinion is most viewers will NOT find it a rewarding experience.

Let me say first, that I like things like this...I won't regurgitate the plot...there's enough of that here in the other reviews. What makes this a satisfying watch is that you're really not sure what's going on half the time, why characters do the things they do...at times it appears as one happy family, at other times a bit combative...who's playing who and who has the upper hand ? What is real and what is playing the game ? Simple things can appear as plot holes...or not, given the perspective that can change at a moment's notice. It all comes together at the end, but it's a trippy ride there.

Watch on Amazon Prime. This movie is a treat to watch. I'm not really sure what I was looking at sometimes, or exactly what was happening. But I think that is the intent of the creator and I was with her all the way. Know this: the cinematography is really good. Wonderful. There are plenty of creative uses of the camera and setting. The use of color filters added to the movie and I think sets this apart from conventional psycho-thrillers. The story is frank and disturbing and hard to follow. The acting is solid and for the most part honest. The set pieces are beautifully designed. The three women sleeping in the bathtub among mirror balls is a good example. The little girl slumber party. The foot-worshipping conductor. The dark hall of doors. You'll like it. Yes you will. And I think it's gutsy not to offer an explanation of what is "really" happening. We have a solid idea going in: two women need money and decide to exploit a crazy friends insanity to get it. From there you fall into the whole thing. I like movies just like this one. I like creativity and artistic flair. I like brazen, non-linear filmmaking. I like movies with dangerous, sexy, damaged people. I like a heady mix of erotic attraction and repulsion. The plot is not messy or nonsensical. Instead, I see it as a story told from deep in the minds of the participants. But which one and when is not clear all the time. I liked it and I think you will, too.