Sleepwalker: Perry’s First Take: No Spoilers

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And not much discussion. The film left me with so many questions and I’m not certain I understand it completely. I have my own first view of what I think the facts are ( as opposed to the plot), but I don’t think I’l ever be sure, at least not until I can parse out what’s real and what isn’t.

There’s a big spoiler in the first 3 minutes. Maybe not everyone will notice it, but it colored how I watched the film from there on in.

I was distracted by the costuming for Ahna O’Reilly throughout the film. Whether the choices were symbolic or not, I’m not sure, but I was frequently thinking, ” who dresses like that?” Yet, what she’s wearing when, seems critical to following what may be happening or not happening. There’s an ethereal, almost “fairy tale princess” look to much of her wardrobe, and the rest is just awful.

It’s a brain teaser for sure.  Twists and turns that keep the viewer guessing, but never, at least for me, a certainty as to what’s what.

Some delectable shots of Richard Armitage,  and a well done sex scene.

I don’t think this is among his best performances, but once again, I’m willing to blame it on the script and what his character’s purpose was most of the time.

For another quick assessment of the film, see here at Me and Richard

 

 

 

14 thoughts on “Sleepwalker: Perry’s First Take: No Spoilers”

  1. I haven’t seen it yet. Only trailer-shots. More Sex standing against a wall. Like in Berlin Station. HOLY cow. Does nobody use a bed anymore? I must be getting old

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  2. Interesting. Not having seen the film, I am piecing together what you and others are saying. Sounds as if the film is suspenseful yet not without flaws. I’ve heard someone else comment on the costume choices, too. Thanks for sharing your first impressions!

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      • Reading that review now after so long — I agree it’s definitely an arthouse film, but I think the reviewer was looking for the film to do something that it wasn’t intending to do. It’s not a mystery with a solution in the conventional sense. (Although I agree that is what it is being sold as, in terms of the limited selling that is going on.) If I had thought that it is what it was, I agree that it doesn’t work and would not have liked it either. (Maybe it should have been that — in which case it would also have had broader appeal.)

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        • Yes, but I think the reviewer was also constrained by not wanting to give away too many spoilers. It’s impossible to have a discussion of this without spoiling it, on the one hand. On the other, I also feel one can give a factual run down of the plot about 75% through and not spoil it. I know I have to see it again and focus on a few more things, but I don’t know whether that will change my mind about what I think happens. I know what it’s about, just not sure what happens. I agree that it’s being sold as a psychological mystery and viewers expect a clear explanation.

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          • I agree it’s impossible to discuss in detail w/o spoiling. Also the straight plot summary isn’t that interesting (so to speak).

            re: psychological mystery w/expectation of solution — I found myself thinking a couple of times of “Brain on Fire” (which is that). I think that expectation is one of the things that ruined Brain on Fire (although of course there were reasons for that). You know there’s going to be an answer at the end of the film, and the film is indeed *about* the answer. (Well, also Moretz’s acting was horrid and I thought O’Reilly had a much better sense about how to appear as if you think you’re losing your mind.) And I think if the film is put in the horror or the thriller genre, that expectation trumps everything else in evaluating it. Which is why it’s really not a mass market film. I could totally have seen it on HBO, like Nightingale apparently was, though.

            re: costumes — I think they’re supposed to tell you something about how the main character sees herself in the context that she’s in (again trying not to spoil).

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  3. SPOILERS maybe – about halfway, I thought the clothes she wore didn’t fit her. The skirts and etc. were too big, and she had to tie them with a belt. When I noticed it, and maybe I’m the only one that thinks so, I thought it was also a hint of some kind. They may have picked her clothes and style for a reason. I wasn’t bothered by it actually, but maybe I know more people that dress in unconventional ways 🙂

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