Uncertainty (2012)
Directed by: David Siegel, Scott McGehee
Written by: David Siegel, Scott McGehee
Starring: Assumpta Serna, Giana Luca, Jenn Colella, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lynn Collins, Manoel Felciano, Marin Gazzaniga, Nelson Landrieu, Sara Chase, Sofia Luca
RATING: 15
RUNNING TIME: 101m
Out Now To Rent and Buy
What is it all about?
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8hQnM7S-Io[/youtube]
The Hughes Verdict!
Sliding Doors was not really my cup of tea of film even though I sat and watched it and even now I must confess and say that despite it being a love story, the overall concept was a brilliant idea.
There is an old belief that all of us will reach a crossroads in our lives where our choices will lead us to a different path. Its an interesting theory that was once played to brilliant comedy effect in a Red Dwarf episode and of course made famous in that Gwyneth Paltrow love film that saw her in one life find her boyfriend cheating on her and in the other didn’t. The interesting concept of Uncertainty is played on the young couple of Bobby (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Kate (Lynn Collins) who stand on the Brooklyn Bridge and after a brief discussion of “what to do now?” they spin a coin and then spilt up in two directions. Just when you think that they have separated, you realise that this was a trick of imagery and a sign of two different stories all set to take place. We the viewer will see the two versions of the decision they could have took, one an adventure leading to murder and chase , while the other the more sombre effort of a family party and where love is a strong current theme. Its an odd mix and one of the reasons why this has become a bit of a cult film, but did the great concept pay off?
Sadly no…in fact the entire film is a waste and its thanks to the one story that should have given the film the dark edge that was required. Its hard to believe that the one path that leads to adventure, death and chase scenes is so mundane and dull that it makes you want to knock off the film. In this path, the couple stumble upon a lost cell phone and soon they are receiving threatening phone calls who want their phone back otherwise their life will be in danger. And that is it! Some pointless chase scenes and no clear directive into where this story is heading makes the whole plot limp and dull and it clearly lacks the drive that a good thriller needs. The trouble is the story does not go anywhere. The couple have a few phone calls, they run a bit, have more phone calls and run a bit more and it becomes so repetitive that it borders on stupid. There is no clear reason into why this phone is so important and you can not help but scream “Why don’t they just chuck the phone away?”
Surprisingly for me anyway is the other path which is more of a gentle affair. All we see here is a get together where normal family issues are the heartbeat of the entire story. Nothing special, but its the sparkling chemistry between the two leads that make this story just about watchable!
Its a shame that this bold movie does not pay off. The action part seems to be interrupted when we switch to “pregnancy talk” and then the pace of a love story seems at odds with high tension that tries to develop. You can see why Uncertainty is being considered a strange and weird piece of cinema but the entire film just went straight over my head. The use of colours green and yellow are one of the highlights of this film and you can not argue and say that its beautifully shot, but because of the oddity of the mix of two genres and problems of pacing, I for one can not see what kind of audience this will be aimed for.
Rating: 
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