I set about seeing this flick with no preconceptions about it. I’d not seen a review on Ain’t It Cool, nor had I heard Kermode review it. I hadn’t even seen the trailer. The only thing I knew about it I’d read on the Odeon website when checking out the show times, which was nothing but a brief synopsis at best. Whilst this wasn’t a particularly convoluted or complex movie that benefited from not knowing the plot outline beforehand, it certainly was refreshing to go in to the flick completely oblivious to it. I didn’t know the cast or director, nor how well it had performed at the box office.
As a result, I loved it. Great performances, nicely shot (I suspect directing a found footage movie can be challenging), and great special FX on a relatively modest budget. The development of the relationship between Andrew and his family may have been a touch heavy-handed, but not detrimentally so. The only minor criticism I have is that the final act of city destruction was a bit whizz-bang-flash that wasn’t in keeping with the rest of the movie, but I suspect that was probably intentional. I dunno.
Anyhoo, I enjoyed it. Great performances from the leads, who I’d not come across before, but who I’d think are destined for bigger things. And to answer Matt’s question: yes, I do think it’s worthwhile seeing a movie knowing as little about it as possible. This time, for me, it was by accident rather than through good planning, but it felt good not having my opinion tainted before entering the cinema. Though given my insatiable devouring of gossip on Ain’t It Cool, I suspect this will be the last time for a while that that happens.
What Did You Do, Ray? 