The Other Half

Couldn't shake the feeling of having felt like I'd wasted an hour and 45 minutes of my life. The only thing I could give it was that I did want to see what happens at the end but I don't think that was necessarily the film more that I don't like not seeing things through. I found the film weak with poor execution of building suspense. Could have been great with the topic and storyline but just found it flat and boring.

Nickie Bellow (Tom Cullen) is a volatile drunk. He works as a cab driver and waiter in Toronto. Five years earlier, he suffered a devastating loss back home in the UK. He gets into a confrontation with a customer and saved by Emily (Tatiana Maslany). She seems to be a happy soul and they start a loving relationship. Her mental illness surfaces and they struggle to deal with their troubles.

I only watched this for Tatiana. There isn't much here other than good work from the two leads. It's nowhere near enough. The drama isn't there. The filming is indie with some experimental lite. It's not compelling enough other than the skilled cast. They try their best but the material is thin.

Would have gotten much more out of this dialogue driven film if the dialogue was more clearly enunciated; with higher clearer volume levels (I had to double my usual volume level just to capture some of the words.) Of course the producers failed to pay the small additional amount for subtitles, nor any Special Features to allow the viewer to explore the film's origins or importance to it's participants. Cheap!

Tatiana Maslany's character's mental condition could have been explored more intelligently as well as shown cinematically more clearly. It should have been the focus of the story rather than the other, other half - Tom Cullen's character which turned out to be just as obscure. The film jumps about giving us brief shadowy bits of each person's life to assemble on our own which if lucky sort of works, otherwise good luck. True to her self, Tatiana's acting is the most redeeming part.

Face it. Not everything is pretty pictures. This is a difficult story - but one that deserves watching. The feel is gritty. The story is told in it's own time. You won't find a Hollywood tale here. The portrayal of life outside of the frames of the pretty happy, works of Emily is engrossing. Don't look for something simple here.

Do you know what? I think this had the makings of a really good film according to the synopsis on this site...

Actors seem good. Good camera work, nicely lit, suitably moody soundtrack...

But...

Try and hear a damn word that anybody in this film has to say... Go ahead... try it...

I even tried lip reading...

Of late, this is not an uncommon thing in films out of both North America and Canada... Mumble, mumble, mumble...

What is it? Are your scripts such rubbish that you're ashamed to let the audience hear the dialogue?

How about you do everybody a favour... If the reality is that you actually have nothing to say that you want anybody to hear then for god sake don't waste peoples time with any film.

I for one have better things to do with my life.

VERY ANNOYED.