Genres

Visitors Review

kjarrett-1 2012-05-21 00:21:16

Brazil on a smaller budget!

I just saw this at SIFF tonight, and I must say that I'm veryimpressed. For a first time director, this film is very well done. It'sboth funny and original, which is rare to find. I'm a big fan ofdystopic future stories, and to see something like this executed sowell on a (relatively) small budget is very inspiring. The themes ofthe movie, such as unhappiness, stress, and the death of dreams are allvery relatable. Zach Galifianakis does quite well. I love him as astand up comedian and goofy comedy actor, but was admittedly skepticalabout his role in this. However, he did an amazing job, playing thecharacter, rather than playing his comedy persona. The movie does havequirky and odd elements that may turn some people off, but for manyothers, those things make it all the better. I highly recommend thismovie. Please go see and support it so that we can get more movies likethis in the future!

bcppacker 2012-05-20 14:01:36

Galafianakis is brilliant!

This film deserves to be distributed across the states. It is aremarkable work, fusing quirky humor with subtle, and deep questionsconcerning society. The film relies on the cast to truly manifest thefilm's purpose, and the cast is great! Perhaps the most moving, andhilarious moments of the film are those that take place in perfectsilence. As this film is Galifianakis' first main role in a film heprovides an amazing performance, and each one liner he utters willcause you to burst out laughing. The genius of this movie exists in thesimplicity of the script and the duality of each phrase uttered. Thuswhile the film is indeed incredibly humorous, it is also incrediblythought provoking. Excellent movie!

LiaS 2012-05-12 13:42:58

I regret renting this.

I love Zach Galifianakis, but this is the worst movie I have ever seen. I love Zach Galifianakis, but this is the worst movie I have ever seen.I love Zach Galifianakis, but this is the worst movie I have ever seen.

chapsmack 2012-05-11 20:56:47

The future of us office folk

I guess my review is kind of biased - if I had never seen the Hangover,I would have probably not enjoyed the movie as much as I did. SomehowZG seems to be exuding the right kind of vibes for this year orsomething. Visoneers reminded me of a plethora of American movies -Hudsucker, Brazil, 1984 - all mixed into one in a somewhat subdued,indie approach. If you haven't seen any of those movies this moviewould strike you odd as it is one to convey a meaning much similar tothe J-horror of Kurosawa. Considering the strangeness of the movie Iexpected the end to be somewhat living up to it, but this is where itkind of veers back to normality which I think may have been done for aproper distribution. If you want to watch it for ZG or have a penchantfor movies that make you think go ahead full steam, otherwise just waitfor the next ZG one, now that he's almost famous. For attempting tomake a movie like this and picking ZG before he was famous, this moviegets my 7/10.

2012-05-11 03:07:18

Our Brave New World

Ever wonder what a nuclearized, undereducated, unsatisfying cubicle culture looks like?Then go to work.Or, you can watch Visioneers, a funhouse reflection of an unfunny reality. There's a new writer/director family duo on the block, the Drake Brothers, and Visioneers is a promising beginning for them, possibly joining the Coens, the Wachowskis, Wes Anderson and Richard Kelly as cinematic prophets of doom. Visioneers comes stickered with a reference to "the Hangover", a clever way to sucker buyers and renters into thinking this might be a better than average lowbrow romp. Consequently, there's going to be more than a few negative reviews of this from dunderheads who won't be getting what they want, in that case. Score one for cynical marketing that will make a few bucks for the cast and creators-finance the smart on the backs of the dumb, a toxic process in many cases, but not here. It's healthy to get off on Visioneers.

2012-05-10 11:13:25

Brutal

This review is from: Visioneers (DVD) Visioneers is another boring propoganda film. The easiest way to control somebody is just tell them they are capable of independent thought. It works too well in this idiot culture and if I have to watch one more movie champion this ignorance I will puke. Especially one that over achieves at boring me to death. The only way to avoid manipulation is to understand manipulation. Anyone that thinks they think for themselves because they were reinforced for thinking differently then others is a sheep. Every human brain evolved to behave according to the contingencies of reinforcement. This independent thought illusion plays right in the hands of this culture and causes every problem this film embodies. We have to learn to replace aversive controls with positive controls and learn everyone is a completely unique individual and we have to adapt for each person to have them feel good. Not everyone likes chocolate, some have eaten too much chocolate, some get tired of chocolate and some people never want to feel like they are controlled. I certainly don't want to feel controlled and I therefore despise propoganda movies like this one and recommend we observe what works and then do what works and adapt when necessary. I recommend you avoid movies like this or laugh AT them. You certainly can't laugh with them. BTW Zach Galafainakis is a damn funny comic.

tmac9311 2012-05-10 09:31:09

Fantastic Film

I'm not surprised not a lot of people liked this movie, most peoplecan't get past low budget. I did find it humorous that you found theplot difficult to understand, it is pretty straight forward aboutdepression from living the average no excitement life. ZachGalifianankis was fantastic in this film. It was not what I wasexpecting, but good none the less. I'm very happy that The Hangover wassuch a Success, because I could not get a hold of this film until thatmovie came out. The DVD cover even says "With Zach Galifianankis fromthe Hangover". No it is not exciting, nor a movie that sparks yourinterest. It is a movie you have to sit down and watch by yourself or afew friends. It would be very difficult to watch at a screening ortheater. You have to give the movie it's respect and time to get it,and not a lot of people are willing to do that. I have not watchedBrazil or read 1984, so I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt itis similar; but it's not like every movie released in theaters hasn'tbeen done in one way shape or form. I appreciate the story this movietold, and I was very touched at the end. If you're not willing to spend105 minutes with it, then you probably shouldn't bother, although thefirst half hour has it's funny moments that may be worth watching.

bryan-steenerson 2012-05-09 20:24:11

Genius.

I thought this movie was brilliant. It captured the mundane monotony ofeveryday life, while keeping us from getting to depress with a bit ofdark humor thrown in. I liked how this movie dove down deeper into thehuman psyche and the human idea of a dream/goal/purpose. You can notethat a majority of people in the movie who stop/prevent exploding, suchas the pole vaulting brother, found their happiness and their releasein throwing off the chains of modern day life and plunging head firstinto chasing their dream regardless of how ridiculous it may be.Meanwhile the rest of humanity continues to look fordistractions/purpose/meaning in a world that seems meaningless. Thismovie reminded me quite a bit of "Brazil" and I can easily see thismovie becoming a classic much like "Brazil" has become. Once again, agreat film!

slateofmind 2012-05-09 22:21:16

Misunderstood & Underrated Masterpiece

A Jeffers salute to all of you! Visioneers opens with a stale, lifelessoffice environment on the 3rd level of the Jeffers corporation, whichis the "friendliest and most profitable corporation" ever. The storyfollow George Washington Winsterhammerman (Zach G.) as he floatsthrough his day-to-day life without any real passion, all the whiletrying to avoid "exploding," which the world around him continuallyclaims to be able to prevent by following various self-help books,buying the latest gadget or toy, and staying productive; basically, nottruly living in any real sense. None of this stuff truly works forGeorge; he has dreams, but he is afraid to follow them, because he islead to believe that if he does he will definitely explode.The almost-too-subtle tone and style of the film can be hard tointerpret at times, especially if you're trying too hard to understandit, but I believe it suits the film well and allows for a trulycontemplative cinematic experience. I don't believe the film carriesany one particular agenda, although it takes several shots at Americaand capitalism in general, there are also a couple of scenes that showthe "hippie" response to that way of life and how it is also flawed inmany ways. There are so many underlying themes and messages about lifeat the heart of this film that it is impossible to list them all here,and I don't know if I even could, because I probably missed a few ofthem the first couple of times I watched it. Turn the negative, cynicaland egotistical part of your brain off before you sit down to watchVisioneers and you will truly appreciate the message of the film. Yes,it has a few flaws here and there, and may also seem preachy andpretentious at times, but that could very well have been intentional;meant to convey the message of the film in a different way.It wrestles with what it truly means to be alive! I won't spoil theconclusion for anyone, because if you truly grasp it while watching it,there is so much more to be had from it. Go ahead and make somepopcorn, grab a soda and your loved one (or a buddy) and really diveinto this film. It may just change your life.

2012-05-09 09:53:51

Blind in One Eye, Can't See Out of the Other

It's rare that a film turns me off within its first few seconds. In fact, I don't ever remember it happening before. In 'Visioneers', the protagonist, George Washington Winsterhammerman, a descendent of the first president, is a level three visioneer in the mammoth Jeffers Corporation. In the opening shot, he is entering his workspace - he pauses in front of the Jeffers company logo, greets the sign, and flips it the bird.This single action - no matter what its context - seems so sophomoric and puerile that it put the entire film into a hole out of which it was never able to climb. That the hand gesture, in this minutes-into-the-future world, has lost its old meaning and is now a sign of camaraderie in the Jeffers workplace only makes it worse - by showcasing this ironic contrivance in the opening seconds of the film, the fraternal writer/director team of Jared and Brandon Drake reveal more about themselves than the setting of the film. I know they are trying to be ironic - if, from my summary, it sounds witty, or clever, or edgy, then this may be a film for you.In the soulless world of 'Visioneers', the problem is unsatisfactory life amidst luxurious plenty. The vast conglomerate of the Jeffers Corporation is working to eradicate all unhappiness, but without an unhappy yin to hang a happy yang on, people are little more than productive automatons. The stress builds, and they respond by exploding - literally. George Washington Winsterhammerman is beginning to show symptoms of exploding himself, which propels him on quest to recover his humanity. 'Visioneers' is a satire of the modern corporate world, along with our consumer culture and society's tendency to avoid pain at all costs. These are bona fide targets - but it seems to me that a successful satire should be a wake up call, an exposé of bloviating pretensions and hidden mechanics at work in a society. I thought the idea of people exploding under stress was a good premise to wrap such a satire around, but the Drakes don't dig deep enough. The result is a parade of routine observations - that the cubicle culture can be a stifling, creativity-killing environment; that corporations don't really have our best interests at heart; that personality cults are rather shallow and unfulfilling - the list goes on, but there are no insights or eye-opening revelations here that aren't already apparent to anyone paying attention. Even so, it could still work as straight parody, except I found little to laugh at.Midway through the film, George's older brother, Julieen - a man who had at one time been even higher in the Jeffers Corporation's hierarchy than George had - throws away all his advantages and moves into George's pool house. And takes up pole vaulting. The sub-text is that the only way to keep from exploding in this world is to follow your dream. Julieen becomes a cultish figure, and attracts a following that over time turns into a perpetual carnival - but he points out to George that even his followers don't get it. They're doing the same as the cubicle crowd, except instead of sacrificing their dreams on the alter of commercial goods and slavish devotion to corporate America, they've laid theirs at the feet of hedonism. Fair enough, and by far the most astute perception in the film. Except pursuing a dream implies hard work toward personal fulfillment - three quarters through the film, it becomes increasingly clear that George's dream is to abandon his family and track down a fantasy woman he constructed out of a voice on the phone. The idea that true love conquers all has its place, I suppose, but George's course of action is nothing more than a selfish pursuit of another thing or person to make him feel better about himself, thereby skipping painful self-examination - which is exactly what the director has spent most of the film setting up for ridicule. Bed hopping must be one of the worst ways to avoid growth pains, and I can only assume lack of real world experience on the part of the filmmakers would make them think otherwise. Unfortunately, in the artificial world of film, the drawbacks to this behavior are concealed behind swelling heart music and a fade-to-black before anyone has to suffer the consequences of their actions. Of course, storytelling like this is common - it's comforting - but it seems as though the writer missed the point of his own story. Chasing after our dreams may very well keep us from exploding, but dreaming of passion is a poor substitute for being passionate about a dream.

2012-05-05 08:28:29

Not great, not good.

This is not a comedy. I guess it could be a dark comedy, but it's not very good. Which is is sort of a shame because it tries very hard, not to be a comedy...to be good.

XanderXVI 2012-05-04 20:07:38

Excellent Movie

Visioneers is a fantastic dark comedy about the monotony of the day today. It shows how absurd society has become by taking the things thatare wrong with it and super sizing them. The humor is very subtle attimes, but very good. This is not your average slap stick, one linercomedy. It requires a bit of attention to fully grasp everything thatis going on and what this film is trying to say. The cast does aremarkable job of bringing each character to life, so that you canempathize and feel what the characters are feeling. If you take thetime to watch this movie, you will not walk away disappointed.Visioneers will leave you pondering deep thoughts and reminiscing aboutall of the great moments in this masterpiece. A definite must see.

2012-05-02 14:57:54

Zach couldn't be better for this role

This review is from: Visioneers (DVD) Zach is a comedy genius! This movie really shows that Zach can act and still be hilarious! Visioneers is a great movie that has depth, filled with emotion and still makes you laugh out loud! A perfect pick if you want a really funny black comedy.

Steven Humphries 2012-05-02 03:45:54

Poor

This movie is very poor. The plot and the acting makes you feelincredibly bored, and after a while, I really felt like I had to stopwatching. The woman on the intercom reporting on how many minutes areleft until the weekend was not even slightly funny the first time, letalone the 20th time. Same with the middle finger greeting.I really wish I hadn't watched the trailer as that told me absolutelyeverything that happened in the first half of the movie, nothing was asurprise.I just want to note that I loved The Hangover, and I do believe thatZach is a great actor, but this is his worst role ever. It doesn't suithim, and is just plain boring.Steer clear of this movie is you don't want to be disappointed.There where a few attempts at trying to be funny but by and largenothing happened for the majority of the movie.

equazcion 2012-04-25 05:27:21

Not "funny" to me, but good, and slightly original

People can be divided into two categories: Those who like Wes Andersonmovies, and those who don't. I know this is not an actual Wes Andersonmovie, for the record.There are people who laugh at situations, and people who laugh at linesand actions. This movie will only seem a comedy to the former: the WesAnderson/Coen Brothers crowd. I'm not one of these people. I didn'tcrack a smile throughout the vast majority of this. I think the onlytime I laughed was when the scene suddenly cut to Zach Galifianakisbench-pressing with his face in the trainer's crotch.This movie depicts a funny situation, but the lines and actions aren'tfunny when taken individually. It takes a mind unlike my own toappreciate this type of humor. Watching a funny situation unfold slowlyon the screen like this is just not recognizable as funny to me in themoment. Perhaps this denotes some lack of sophistication on my part.Judge me, if you must.It's still a good movie. It's a good representative commentary oncorporate- and consumer-America. This has been done many times before,but that's not to say it wasn't done well this time, too.A major problem for me was the slowness; which I try to forgive sinceit was intentional, probably to evoke the uneventfulness of modernlife. But still, it made the movie slightly tedious to sit through.

2012-04-24 10:39:49

Nice re-imagining of Fahrenheit 451 - until the 2nd half

This starts out as a quirky, interesting, slow attack on corporate and suburban life, which is ruined by the 2nd half. The movie has no idea where to go, flops around like a fish out of water for far too long, and the ending is predictable, abrupt, and unsatisfying.

m-downhour 2012-04-24 10:07:41

Disappointed

I feel bad about giving this film such a bad grade. The cinematographywas decent, as was the acting, the set design, and the dialogue. thething is, I was really excited to see this film. As a sci-fi fan, adark comedy about a corporation-country is right up my alley. I love tosee a film exposing the dangers of today's society and possiblygranting guidance as to how to avoid the seemingly inevitable. That'sthe kind of movie I love. Therefore, "Visioneers" was disappointing.Jared Drake's debut, though entertaining, failed to delve fully intothe corporation-country and to deliver a satisfactory resolution to theissues that were brought up in the film. I wanted to see a film inwhich a country was completely controlled be a corporation, where thepresident of the corp. was the president of the land, where peoplepledged their allegiance to a corporation's flag, where media blastedincessant propaganda. Instead, Drake presents the audience with anin-between world. The nation and corporation are entwined butsemi-separate as well, with a relationship similar to that of thechurch and the state old Europe. The media is in the beginning stagesof total censorship, but shocking footage revealing the shortcomings ofthe nation are still shown, revolutionary groups are shut down withcaution, and the radio is available during most of the film. This mid-state in itself would not have discouraged me. In fact, I washoping this film would be a new take on the corporate dystopia: how tostop it before it starts...but alas. Instead, "Visioneers" ends with about of love-fueled adultery that sparks a dreamy hallucination,sending a vague message about the need to maintain one's passions, to"feel something", and (most cliché) to keep dreaming. Nevertheless, themessage is at least a positive one, the dialogue is often witty, andthe acting isn't bad. Galifianakis holds his own as a leading man andJudy Greer is superb as his floundering, depressed wife. "Visioneers"is worth a viewing; just don't go in expecting "Brazil".

2012-04-23 20:22:50

Like a Harold Pinter play got into a fist fight with Office Space, tripped over Lynch and fell into a puddle of Farenheit 451

If that title isn't enough to make you watch, then you are a fool.This movie rocked in many ways, none of which I will describe to you because the less you know the better in this case.Get it. Watch it. Love it. Show it to your friends. Rinse. Repeat.

2012-04-22 00:36:35

Great Galifianakis Movie!

This is one of those odd funny gems that shows Zach Galifianakis is the real deal. Don't miss this movie. You'll want to see it at least twice!

mononuke 2012-04-21 08:38:06

Not a dystopian society. Possibly entropic.

I put in the spoiler alert just because I talk about some major themes,though not necessarily the entire plot. I don't really give anythingaway though.I've read some reviews of this film that call say it presents a"dystopian" society. I don't think that's accurate. Here's aredefinitions of the two words so you can decide for yourselves...http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/dystopianhttp://dictionary.reference.com/browse/entropicIn fact, I think the directors go to great lengths to achieve a senseof open space throughout the film. It is only when they do a scene inthe offices of the corporation that things get crowded. I think theword that better describes the world in this film is entropic. It's asociety that has reached a state of entropy. There is no bettercorporation, and emotions have all sort of leveled out. The sameness ofeverything really allows Galifianakis to have amazingly strong andeffective reactions to "chaos" when it starts to enter his life. I'vealso read that some describe this as a black comedy. I think that'scloser to the mark, but it's not exactly that either. I think thismovie is a really unique experience that will be particularly poignantto anyone that works, or has worked for a major corporation. Especiallyif they were ever in a management position. (I was.) Towards the end ofthe film things start blowing up, so to speak, and this is whereGalifianakis really shines. I highly recommend this film to everyone,but I think there's only a certain group of people that are going toappreciate it. A must see for Zach Galifianakis fans.