A cinematic experience worth visiting? Hmm, well let’s first start off with the nuts and bolts and move straight into whether this machine works and is highly functioning. Did it make the grade, or not?
Brief Synopsis:
This isn’t your typical movie. By this, I mean, it doesn’t include “actors” or professional cameramen, nor even a script for that matter. This is raw footage of one man’s adventure and quest for truth.
The story begins with Yaniv (Nev) Schulman, and his crew (brother- Ariel Schulman; and friend- Henry Joost). As the movie starts, wee see Nev enter into an online friendship with a family whom the young daughter of which (Abby) is a supposed 7-year-old protege painter and creator of a particular painting based on one of Nev’s published photographs. Abby’s mother, Angela, sends the painting to Nev, and wah-lah… a correspondence is born. Nev adds the whole fam to his Facebook account. And soon finds himself in a virtual romantic connection with Abby’s 19-year-old sister Megan.
After sometime, though, the movie takes a subtle distinct shift where things begin to unravel, and the pieces that made some sort of sense, no longer do. Nev questions this new-found friendship with the family and relationship with Megan. To understand it more clearly, and bring light to the confusion, Nev and his crew decide to take a trip and go visit Megan and the family. In search of answers- of truth.
Overall Thoughts:
Ok. So, the first ten minutes, I’m sure everyone who watches will have a preconceived idea of where this ship is sailing, but I’m fairly convinced that most people would be wrong, to their own surprise.
Since this isn’t a ‘typical’ film, I cannot comment on the acting, writing, and so forth. What I can say is that it is raw, honest, and emotional. You feel something when you watch it. The emotions are fully exposed on-screen, and you see laughter and smiles; tears and frustration; heartache; and above all, this movie is truly great because it teaches us as people to just be a ‘listener’ and to reserve judgment for a moment’s time. To see someone else’s perspective beyond your own scope of reality.
Since everything I’m saying is probably awfully confusing, it is best that I just tell you “hey, if what I’ve said has in the smallest way interested you, then I’ve succeeded in casting the bait into the pond of intrigue enough for you to bite at the hook and go check out this flick.
Grade: (+)
(+) recommend the watch
(^) worth a visit, though wait for rental (if movie) or paperback (if book)
(-) not so much
Write, Wrong, and Everything InBetween Reviews 
Good review. You captured what the movie was like well in your writing. Also unique and interesting rating system. I go by the tried and tested 5 point rating system myself, although I’ll be first to admit it doesn’t seem to suit every review I write.