The problem with current cinema in a nutshell: it is considered cool and edgy for movie characters to be constantly irritated, annoyed, offensive and swearing. The problem with this movie in particular: people who engage in live role-playing do so because it's fun. They don't go around constantly using f-words and c-words and taking things too seriously and not seriously enough at the same time, as shown in this movie (I am not a live role-player, but I have friends who are). "Artistic license" it may be, but that doesn't stop it from also being a betrayal of what live role-playing is really like. Yes, a betrayal: some audiences, not knowing how distant this portrayal of it is from the real thing, will be scared away from live role-playing by this movie. It's all but saying that role-playing will lead to uncontrollable violence - a repetition of ignorant, conservative, long out-of-date fears about young people's love for comics, video games and role-playing.
I realize the story is trying to take things to a different level; speculating about minor conflicts getting out of hand and turning into deadly serious major ones, and that's fine. There are many good ideas here and very nice directing, but in my view it should have been handled very differently. It just never feels like something that could happen, or like a good representation of live role-playing. Many plot developments seem contrived (like Lyn suddenly getting sick, and the car that won't start), and the way most of the characters hate each other is completely contrary to real live role-playing situations, even though the latter certainly has its share of intrigues and internal politics. But in this movie the characters (esp. Shaman Murtagh) are just not believable. They range from too angry and obnoxious to nastily self-ridiculing. The story itself goes into such extremes that we are asked to suspend our disbelief beyond any bounds of credibility. I wonder which audience this is made for. Is it an attempt to thematize the danger of fantasy being confused with reality? Or is it just an excuse to escalate the pretend-violence into real violence? I, for one, don't think it works.
Of course, I'm judging this from how similar it is to real live role-playing. Maybe the writer and director didn't care about that, but wanted to do something different. All right. But people involved in live role-playing are the ones who will mainly and mostly want to see this movie, and therefore one might argue that it ought to be truer to their experience. If the writer and director achieved what they set out to do, good for them. For me, however, this was a disappointment and in bad taste. It should either have been more tasteful (some may not be aware of it, but great drama *is* possible without copious profanity, as any student of literature will know) or much more like a comedy. After all, live role-playing is about fun. This movie undermines and takes away that fun. Maybe it would be an interesting and innovative movie if there already existed twenty movies done in the proper spirit, but since there doesn't, this is not what people who understand live role-playing is looking for.
For those like me who may have been disappointed with this movie, I recommend watching All's Faire In Love instead. A similar idea, but done as a comedy, and a very effectively entertaining one.
5 out of 10.
I realize the story is trying to take things to a different level; speculating about minor conflicts getting out of hand and turning into deadly serious major ones, and that's fine. There are many good ideas here and very nice directing, but in my view it should have been handled very differently. It just never feels like something that could happen, or like a good representation of live role-playing. Many plot developments seem contrived (like Lyn suddenly getting sick, and the car that won't start), and the way most of the characters hate each other is completely contrary to real live role-playing situations, even though the latter certainly has its share of intrigues and internal politics. But in this movie the characters (esp. Shaman Murtagh) are just not believable. They range from too angry and obnoxious to nastily self-ridiculing. The story itself goes into such extremes that we are asked to suspend our disbelief beyond any bounds of credibility. I wonder which audience this is made for. Is it an attempt to thematize the danger of fantasy being confused with reality? Or is it just an excuse to escalate the pretend-violence into real violence? I, for one, don't think it works.
Of course, I'm judging this from how similar it is to real live role-playing. Maybe the writer and director didn't care about that, but wanted to do something different. All right. But people involved in live role-playing are the ones who will mainly and mostly want to see this movie, and therefore one might argue that it ought to be truer to their experience. If the writer and director achieved what they set out to do, good for them. For me, however, this was a disappointment and in bad taste. It should either have been more tasteful (some may not be aware of it, but great drama *is* possible without copious profanity, as any student of literature will know) or much more like a comedy. After all, live role-playing is about fun. This movie undermines and takes away that fun. Maybe it would be an interesting and innovative movie if there already existed twenty movies done in the proper spirit, but since there doesn't, this is not what people who understand live role-playing is looking for.
For those like me who may have been disappointed with this movie, I recommend watching All's Faire In Love instead. A similar idea, but done as a comedy, and a very effectively entertaining one.
5 out of 10.