Upside Down

At first it seemed as if this movie was just trying to make me hate it. The long narration in the beginning was pretty off-putting. But later on I realized that it was all kind of necessary in order for the audience to be able to get it's bearings; to understand the rules of the universe so that you might understand why things behave the way they do. Understand, this is not a world where our own laws of physics apply, but it is (if you pay close enough attention to the narration and the opening scene) a world where the rules are (mostly) consistent as long as you don't overthink it or look too closely at it. Understanding those rules is kind of important, because without that understanding, some of the behavior will, I suspect, seem completely incomprehensible. (In other words if you skipped through the opening credits, you're going to have a tough time understanding much of anything.) Having said all that, ultimately, all this physicsing is not really crucial to the story itself which is primarily a love story, but is also a story of the haves abusing the have-nots. Think "Elysium" (in my opinion a better movie) with less detail and more love story. Full disclosure, my rating may be slightly biased, because I'm crazy about Kirsten Dunst. (Pfft, who isn't, am I right!)The good:1) Once you get the physical rules so that you can follow along, it's a pretty interesting story.2) The background mattes are kind of spectacular, although they maybe could have been a little more detailed. But I'm not an expert - they looked pretty nice to me.3) Kirsten Dunst is in it.4) The acting in general was mostly very good.5) A nice love story line.The bad:1) If you don't have the patience to listen attentively to the narration, and the willingness to learn the rules as you go along a little bit, some of the scenes are probably going to be pretty incomprehensible. They do a fairly decent job explaining it, but man, that's a lot of narration to wade through.2) The end of the movie, while it has a good conclusion, skips a few decades and probably another thirty minutes of run time to explain how any of it happened. You just get left with kind of a "and everyone lived happily ever after" which is what I wanted, but I also kind of wanted to know how it happened. This one in particular is why I dropped it to four stars even as much as I enjoyed it.3) While the rules are mostly consistent, there were some inconsistencies as well. [MILD SPOILERS] Two scenes that were particularly glaring were two of the falling scenes. In one, Adam falls from the upside to the downside ocean. That fall would very obviously have killed him way, way dead! The second rather glaring inconsistency was the final chase scene, where it seems like, for the sake of convenience the gravity rules just kind of go away, and again another fall that would have been fatal, I don't care if he had landed on a huge pile of pillows!This movie is one you REALLY have to pay attention to. There are several places where reasons for doing things and reasons for things being the way they are are only hinted at. I think to be more explicit would have required about a three and a half hour run time. To be honest, I would give the movie about a 3.5, but I would also recommend watching it especially if you have Amazon Prime and can watch it for free. It's definitely at least worth your time.

A beautifully filmed and sweet romance wrapped in one of the more intriguing and unique stories to come out in a while. Like Safety Not Guaranteed, this film asks you to make a leap of faith, though in this case that is made literal and is not left in question.This is Dunst 's second foray into a unique genre film in as many releases. Her previous, Oscar nodded performance in Melancholia challenged audiences as well, though in very different ways. She brings just the right level of sweet naivete to support this story. Sturgess (Across the Universe) likewise brings a beautifully child-like, heroic drive and desire to the challenges that endears you to his cause. This sense of innocence and joy is important to the style and in no way weakens the movie.Innocence is important because the script and logic only work if you take it as a fable. Certainly the opening implies you should. Whether that was a fix or an intent, I'm unsure and there was no commentary to fill me in. But be warned, if you are going for a solid science fiction piece, you're going to gnash your teeth at the incomplete logic and plot holes. On the other hand, if you watch as a fantasy or, better yet as I indicated, as a fable, you won't be disappointed. It is a glorious fable of love, life, romance, power, politics, and creativity.Writer/director Solanas made bold choices and had a great time conceiving both the flow and the setting of the story. He has you fall into his world and plays with your perception without apology. It is a rich tapestry with a great deal of fun and thinking that went into it.As a first major release for Solanas, it is magical and shows immense promise. I will definitely be watching for his next project. And, in the meantime, we have this incredible piece of magical romance to feed upon, and it isn't a meal you should miss.

I wish I could have seen this movie in 3d, but it was still great to watch.

"Upside-Down" was apparently panned by critics and ignored by viewers, criticized for its abstract, physics-related concepts of physical gravity, looking for scientific exactness rather than just accepting that the setting is a small part of the film. To enjoy this, it's essential to forego analysis and view it as the story of young lovers who, due to the worlds in which they live, can never physically be together unless they can pull off a virtual miracle. The message is clearly that love is a greater power than gravity, with a subtext that a single soul can split in the Great Void and become two separate people who unknowingly will devote their entire lives to being reunited. You have to believe in at least some of this philosophy; it's well worth the effort. It's a dark film with a golden heart, visually beautiful and romantically believable. Jim Burgess (a terrific young British actor here using an American accent) lives on the impoverished world below, looking up at the world above, where Kristen Dunst lives. They connected as children, were separated by circumstance, and discover each other through coincidences which necessitate scientist Burgess finding a way for them to be together despite physical and political boundaries that seem insurmountable. This leads to a slightly awkward action theme of the upper earth bad guys trying to rip off Burgess' discoveries. But how could a 3-D movie not involve action? I strongly recommend this film although I realize neither its theme nor its backdrop will appeal to everybody. It's worth watching just for the visuals - but there's deeper beauty on so many more levels if you just sit back and enjoy the ride.

Very interesting and different, marvellous acting and brilliant story, It has you going from the very beginning to the end. About a man who lives down the bottom wanting to go up in life, so with a bit of experimenting finds he can climb the ladder to up above than meets a girl and falls in love. Now there you go, see not that bad is it, only thing is there is more to meets the eye and you'll want to know how he manages to stay there, I'm not a tittle tat so we all know that's impossible but the show doesn't. Entertaining all the same if you are looking for something odd for a change or different to watch. I rated this an A grade plus for been strange and cleverly done with that bit of suspense that is added as well, Ready for the show with some munchies near by your hand relaxing with your feet up now it's time for the movie to start just by pressing the remote control on your DVD Get ready for a full on movie that will have you thinking. Enjoy!

This had a great concept and has great visuals but it is let down in a number of ways. The narration at the beginning comes across as a little pretentious. There are a number of scenes that seem to come across as the director deciding that he needs to introduce a dramatic moment when there is no need for it. It also lacks subtlety when talking about the two worlds. Overall if you want to see it you should rent it.

3D does not work.

Fantastic film, well worth watching if you like a romantic sci-fi film. highly recommended. Kirsten Dunst fans will enjoy. I don't think this will be showing in the UK.

It's a romantic love story movie placed in alternative universe of twinned worlds with gravities that pull in opposite directions.Very good movie for everybody who loves somebody.