This movie, in my opinion, fails from the start because it's built upon a false premise; that a scientist would lie about odd results in an unexplored field. His training tells him that every piece of data is important until proved otherwise. Far all he knows, what he thinks 'might be his imagination' could be the answer to what they're looking for! It's his job to collect the data NOT cherry-pick what he thinks is significant.
If this was a test-subject off the street, it might have been believable, but as a team member, with grants and Pulitzer prizes on the line.. I don't think so.
Certainly plenty of successful movie plots have had a scientist break- ranks. Those movies though, get you to suspend your disbelief, by always clearly justifying motivations. In this movie they don't do this, and that's where IMHO this movie fails.
In conclusion: The surrealism of this movie, as with many like it, is hard to get used to. Add in the weak premise, sparse dialog, flat emotional tones, and it was tiresome, hard to feel connected to the characters. I actually had to force-feed myself the middle of the movie, waiting for it to develop. IT does a bit, but not with any shattering payoff...
'Altered States' (1980) and 'What Dreams May Come' (1998) did a much better job with surrealism.
I give it a 6.0 for imagery, and 5.5 for story development = 5.8
If this was a test-subject off the street, it might have been believable, but as a team member, with grants and Pulitzer prizes on the line.. I don't think so.
Certainly plenty of successful movie plots have had a scientist break- ranks. Those movies though, get you to suspend your disbelief, by always clearly justifying motivations. In this movie they don't do this, and that's where IMHO this movie fails.
In conclusion: The surrealism of this movie, as with many like it, is hard to get used to. Add in the weak premise, sparse dialog, flat emotional tones, and it was tiresome, hard to feel connected to the characters. I actually had to force-feed myself the middle of the movie, waiting for it to develop. IT does a bit, but not with any shattering payoff...
'Altered States' (1980) and 'What Dreams May Come' (1998) did a much better job with surrealism.
I give it a 6.0 for imagery, and 5.5 for story development = 5.8