For Charles, video-games are a much needed escape from reality. But when virtual vixen Sophia leads him on a mysterious quest through the lovelorn lives of six New Yorkers, they will all learn that in the game of life...every heart is a moving target.
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The most original aspect of this film is the inclusion of animation which adds a fourth set of relationships to the three relationships in the live action part of the film. This fourth couple revolves around trust and leads one of the characters who is following the animated story, to change his own attitude to life. That's original. For all the characters, the world is ruled by their subconscious,something that is missed by most filmmakers today. This film is closer to something by Bunuel or Bergman. All the characters think they know what is happening to them, but they don't. Beautifully filmed in New York, this movie was a joy to watch and think about.
This film will challenge you. It has a totally innovative structure, more like a song, with verse-chorus-verse then a regular, boring Hollywood film structure.It delves into the lives of 6 interconnected New Yorkers. And it creates a bit of a rubick's cube game that it is up to the viewer to figure out. Music is AMAZING. Performances, especially Trieste Kelly Dunn and Macenzie Davis are off the charts. The video game story line is creepy and weird. It's almost like a David Lynch film. You hear the character as he is playing the game too. That is another way the director is playing with the audience's perspective.But again, you have to use your brain with this one. Its a romantic comedy, essentially, but its not Failure to Launch or 10 Things I Hate about You. It asks the viewer to participate in the creative act. It asks the viewer to make connections and be open to a different kind of structure. A lot of people won't be up for this, they would rather have corny jokes and recycled plot lines. Easy laughs and obvious plot twists. Then go watch Operation Dumbo Drop.It's a lyrical piece, haunting, but a brain is required to enjoy!
Plato's Reality Machine takes an innovative non-linear approach to this tale of the messy love lives of a group of young New Yorkers who relate better to technology than they do to one another. The visuals are impressive, the virtual reality of the game space impressive (on a $35,000 budget for the entire film) and the narrative is challenging. This isn't the kind of film to hold your hand. The director, Myles Sorensen, challenges the audience to come to their own conclusions and the film is all the more rewarding for it. The young cast is also impressive and the New York setting is well captured. This is the kind of film that will appeal to anyone who has ever had their heart broken and felt unable to trust again. It also explores our culture's increasing dependence on digital lives that take the place of our physical ones. The main character has retreated into a world of gaming and violence after ruining his last relationship. Plato's Reality Machine provides an interesting micro-budget counterpart to Spike Jonze's HER, exploring many of the same themes.
Plato's Reality Machine is a film about gamers and the game of life. It is about young singles, living in New York, trying to define themselves and connect with each other, but also about their avatars, their ideal selves, fighting for survival, forming alliances and deciding whether to betray their allies before they are betrayed. It is at one moment dark and intense, and at next, light, funny and sexy. At several places, as in the stylish sequence in the strip club, it is all these things at once. At first the game world appears to be typically dark and futuristic, but even there real human emotion and humor shine through. The real world locations are clearly New York, but not the same tired ones you've seen over and over. The performances are spot on. The soundtrack is cutting edge. Do yourself a favor and log in!