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DVD Liars All
 Run time: 92 min Rating: 4.2 Genres: Thriller Director: Brian Brightly Writers: Brian Brightly Stars: Sara Paxton, Matt Lanter, Alice Evans |
| Storyline On New Year’s eve in London, a provocative game spins out of control and ends in murder, the true killer elusive amidst conflicting testimony and hidden motives. |
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| Plot Keywords: murder, new year’s eve, pistol, new year’s eve party, london england | |
| Details: Country: USA Release Date: 6 August 2013 (USA) |
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DVD Liars All
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This is one of the most tedious of movies I have ever watched. There was some tension in solving the "who-dunnit" (hence 2 stars rather than 1) but really not worth the effort in watching the movie. Fortunately the movie was on Sky so it wasn't something I had forked out hard earned cash for.
If you've something better to go and do…like wash your hair then it would be time better spent than watching this.
Characters are very one dimensional the script contains a lot of clichés and the acting is poor…On a positive note..the version I watched was only 88 minutes long!
A game reaches tragic consequences when a group of friends decide to commit a crime and make it appear a suicide. What was supposed to be a simple fright now brings those involved in the interrogation room and each tells his opinion about what happened. Missy, the game organizer seeks revenge on Dennis who she had a relationship in witch she became pregnant and wants to tell this to his current girl friend,Casey. After the sentence is chosen they must fulfill it, namely to break into an apartment and steal something from there. Now Missy can put her plan into work but doesn't go as she wanted and she becomes a victim of the alliance between Mike and Dennis.
The film tries to show several views from many perspectives of those involved in a murder and in the end using the video recording that were hidden in the bottom of the framework where the plates with the punishment were and who has been left there for Katie, another girl involved, we find out what really happened. However I would not recommend this film because everything in it is amateur, script, plot, actors, performance, even the singer from the beginning.
An American film set in London, UK. The film starts at a police station where a pregnant detective reviews what went bad at a party. During the interrogations there are many flashbacks.
On New Year's Eve, there's a party at a flat in London after some time at a public house. Attendees are: Dennis (soccer, very successful), Billy (soccer, team mate of Dennis, not as successful), Tanya (a waitress), Mike and Katie (American students), Kim and Brenda (friends traveling together), and Missy Dembree (an American studying in London).
Early on, we see that Missy did not survive the New Year's Eve game, which was a variation on Truth or Dare. They start with ritual bloodletting (a drop or two), followed by a second ritual of smoking recreational illegal drugs.
At this stage, the director has advised me of context, but my probability of liking the film is about 10%. Idiots on drugs and booze, doing Truth or Dare, a version with no prizes, but only penalties? Hm…how can this turn out well? Which characters should I find engaging?
Next stop, breaking and entering plus burglary; they film it for the sake of the party. Hardly worth the downside risk. That is where Missy gets shot. More flashbacks.
Mike knew Missy in LA, then Missy became attached to Dennis. More of the Truth or Dare. Still more flash backs, with a touch more clarity. Mike loves Missy, Missy loves Dennis, Dennis has left Missy and is engaged to Casey. Missy cannot take this. Mike is discouraged. The Detective has all sorts of motivations for someone causing Missy's death, and different accounts of how it happened.
The interrogation-flashback-interrogation cycles continue. The detective finds more nooks and crannies of motivation and fact.
How many go to jail? Does anyone get away without charges?
——Scores——
Cinematography: 7/10 Terrible in the introductory music video; hand-held nonsense. Otherwise competent.
Sound: 7/10 OK, though the incidental music seems to just fill time when nothing is happening on screen.
Acting: 5/10 No one was particularly good or bad. All of them portray knee-jerk followers of modern conventions for wastrels with money. If you are looking for a study in drug-using herd animals, here it is. Matt Lanter had the most screen time and the greatest number of lines; fortunately, he was almost competent.
Screenplay: 5/10 There are zero characters to root for, zero to despise, zero to embrace. The level of choppiness is too high. Linear exposition would have been more effective.
Would i like to go down the pub with these people?
Id rather stay at home with the cats & mainline Ovaltine all night watching repeats of "Oh Dr Beeching" on channel Gold.
The kind of empty self serving "selfies" i like to avoid.
Its packed full of cliques. "Hey lets set the film in London. How about some American "actors", so we can flog this flick to Hollywood" etc, etc.
"I know we can have a "maverick" cop with "atitude".
Just to remind the audience where its filmed, lets show lots of close ups of Big Ben, St Pauls Cathedral etc…just in case the audience think its filmed in Manchester or Birmingham.
Oh and lets drown out the dialogue with some modern day lift muzak (R&B).
Not my bag, but probably someone out there will like it.