Buster's Mal Heart

This film is more than just a film. It is an experience, and it has you from start to finish in its seemingly quiet way. Then it comes to you in your dreams too, in your conversations about it, and your will for others to see it too. The characters, the world, the scenarios, all bring to light a new perspective. I loved the storytelling and it's fresh, funny, and dramatic.

I often find that I am not so moved by newer films, that they aren't succeeding in providing me with new insight or actual cinema or unique stories. I have no issue with walking out and never needing to look back. This is a movie I want to see again. And I will find new revelations there.

I wish many more films would aspire to this, which succeeds in what it does.

After a first watch, it's difficult to characterise or rate this movie. Certainly intriguing and engaging, the viewing experience is mind-bending. The atmosphere is a weird mix of claustrophobia, psychedelia and human drama. The movie explores ideas around sanity, reality, imprisonment and the quest for freedom. It comes over as sensitive and real on a human level, alternately touching, tragic, funny, sad, depressing, chilling, and strangely inspiring. The main character gives a brilliant portrayal of an altered state of consciousness. The meaning and story of the movie are expressed in a very unconventional way; non-linear, disorientating and confusing - which I'm sure was intentional. The experience is rather psychedelic, and there isn't quite enough logical substance to really carry the viewer to a satisfactory conclusion, but this might change with a rewatch, when the rating might go up.

What a weird movie. And that is not just because of the time line, but because of the main character and his .. well way to "freedom" I guess. It really is messy and I'm not just talking about his "future" self, that seems to have gone a different path than his former self. And we do jump back and forth, which makes the movie more interesting. I imagine having our main character be in one mindset for a longer period of time - that might have taken some of the tension out of the movie and make it boring (dare I say?).

The central performance is amazing. Also DJ Qualls really surprised me, being quite humorless and just being as serious as possible. In a good way that is, in case I wasn't clear. And that is what makes the movie really enticing, but you really have to have patience ...

I'm keeping with the on the run theme, having just watched The 39 Steps. Buster (Rami Malek) is no Robert Donut though and this is a much more involved film. We first meet Buster or Jonah as he was, looking like a wild hermit, the local cops inform us he's been on the run for 5 years, breaking into places for sustenance and evading capture. What plays out is essentially what's lead Buster to this place, but it's not a smooth ride. He works hard. Works the night shift. Has a young family, goes to Church. There's niggles though. His wife's parents that they live with don't approve of him. He's a free thinker, motivated, ambitious, there's a lot of energy in him and Malek taps into it well. I've often thought about how hard working nights must be. For Jonah here, well it's the catalyst for his break with society and reality. Working in the hotel as concierge when there's little to do but tidy up, he's on the edge of sleep deprivation with his mind time to wander. An encounter with The Last Free Man (DJ Qualls) brings some excitement. Qualls does paranoid crazy well. He's a torrent of conspiracy theories, Y2K, CIA Hitlists, the Inversion. This becomes Buster's new centre, The Inversion, his obsession, the idea of an impending event, one that will deliver him and others that he tries to warn by ranting on local talk radio. Taking refuge in vacant summer homes, his life on the lam is not unpleasant. Hot baths, some personal hygiene care, mixed with what I'm sure he'd denote as warnings of The Inversion, turning family photos upside down. It's all a bit like The Shining without the focus. This isn't a great film, but Jonah's desire to live his life free, away from the system of renting a home, working for the man, that's interesting and his struggle to make that work for his family, well there's real substance. There's a lot going on in Jonah's head and we only really see things from his perspective, meaning things can get a little fuzzy as he becomes more and more disconnected. It's intentional though, allowing the viewer to decide what's real, what's psychosis, what's important, what's the minds way of coping with horrible events. It would be better if it left some things left unsaid, but instead it feels the need to explain and simplify. This is a bit frustrating, but with so many possible interpretations, I guess Sarah Adina Smith who wrote and directed this wanted to throw us a bone. It's a twister, it's good, a little confusing, not overly satisfying, somewhat maddening, but highly engaging and the sort of film I could watch a few times, digging further into various theories. At the same time, it can be interpreted as being quite simple. The story of a bloke losing it, breaking down and healing to perhaps only relive the cycle over and over. It's not for everyone.

There are definitely different ways to approach this film. It can be darkly comic, but at its core, it's a tragedy with one actor at the center of it who is ready to give it his all. Malek has become a star due to his TV series, Mr. Robot, and here he gets an opportunity to shine even further. The lead character is a tricky one, balancing different story lines and timelines and personality traits while still having to be consistent in characterization. It's not hard to see why Malek was cast here. He has such a bubbling intensity and forceful acting style that comes across natural while leaving a lasting impression, and that's exactly what he does here.