Live!

Although I found the message of the movie somewhat cliché (as I'm sure many, including the writer(s), will agree) and I thought I spotted a plot hole here or there, it had a decent script, effective directing and decent acting from the entire cast. That's decent twice, because although I definitely feel that this production deserved the time, money and energy invested, I am more looking forward to seeing the director's future, hopefully more refined work.

However, as someone said in a discussion thread below, the climax really made you feel as if you were transported into the semi-fictional world of the film, despite being aware of what your own reality is like. That's a tough thing to accomplish, and that, combined with several other moments of effective self-reference by the movie, can only cause me to conclude that it's a solid piece of work by all involved, and it shows definite promise of To sum up: overall worth watching at least once.

Actually everything you write about this movie is too much... This is a movie you have to know nothing about when you see it. I saw it at the Sneak Preview at my local cinema. I never heard anything about it before I saw it, never saw trailers, posters or whatever.

The movie starts of a bit slow... you will think: 'Is this it?' But really, after a while this movie gets so incredible... Even if it is only in the last half hour of the movie. That is just what you want to see it for. The last half hour.

I have nothing more to say, I do not wish to spoil the movie for you. Just go see it, you won't be disappointed.

The greedy ABN television network executive Katy Coubert (Eva Mendes) is seeking a way to increase the audience of her network. She recalls the arenas, police car chases and several other examples through history to demonstrate that people enjoy watching blood and she has the idea of producing a controversial reality show of Russian Roulette with six contestants and five-million dollars for each winner. Katy has to convince the network Powers That Be that the show will be well successful and will increase the TV ratings while the network lawyer Don (Andre Braugher) convinces the authorities to allow the late night show.

Then she selects the six contestants: the aspirant actress Jewel (Katie Cassidy); the Mexican gay cook Pablo (Jay Hernandez); the aspirant writer Byron (Rob Brown); the performer Abalone (Monet Mazur); the just graduated student and surfer Brad (Eric Lively); and Rick (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). Will the show be well-succeeded?

"Live!" is a drama with a great storyline that shows how far a TV might dare to go to increase the audience that loves to see tragedies and other bloody event. Unfortunately the idea of making of a documentary is unoriginal and serves only to make a cheaper movie, with a terrible camera work. The conclusion is not a surprise for a society that worships weapons. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Ao Vivo!" ("Live!")

If you can suspend your disbelief enough to accept a reality TV show featuring Russian roulette, then you might enjoy this movie. If it bothers you that they're even insinuating that this is possible, then you should probably just skip it.

Unfortunately, there really isn't much more to this movie than the initial concept of an offensive reality TV show. The first half of the movie is downright boring at parts. People argue back and forth about whether the concept is moral or not. Then they argue back and forth about whether it's legal. Then they argue about budget, advertisers, and other crap. Maybe all this setup is necessary, but it's not very interesting. Some of the actors were pretty good, but I found most of the writing, direction, and acting to be of TV quality. In fact, when I was watching this, I assumed it was a made-for-TV movie, and I was somewhat surprised to find out that it wasn't.

Of course, one could look at this as yet another commentary -- satire layered on top of satire -- but I'm simply not interested in analyzing whether poor camera work was some part of an overarching statement on TV, media, and film. The movie was not compelling enough for that.

This fictional movie titled Live stars a really cute Eva Mendes for writer/director Bill Guttentag. It follows a mockumentary style feauturing Mendes as an ambitious network executive deciding to produce a show where contestants will play Russian roulette LIVE (that's where the title comes from) and for real. She thinks (rightly) it will be the most watched television program ever. The movie is social jab at all those reality programs based upon real life human emotions and drama to win audience figures (X-Factor and Big Brother for instance but in general all the programs that are now too many). Eva Mendes is impressive in her cynical role, but what also impresses is certainly the fact that everyone ends up being even more cynical than her, the network Counsel as well. Don't know whether this kind of show will take place sooner or later, that is mainly the massage of the story, but certainly this flick delivers a strong and effective message/warning for everyone. The movie is also somehow funny (another paradox) when showing audience's and TV staff's feelings immediately turning from desperation to a "the show must go on" mood after the two deaths.