Ok, I have watched this film twice now, and so feel qualified to write a review.
The film was very obviously made on a budget, but it didn't suffer in the least from this. The cinematography and editing were superb. The film is shot in a dark dreamlike style, and the comparisons in this department to Dark City are warranted. It doesnt contain the same noir-like quality present in Dark City, however; instead falling more towards the surreal. The acting was not the best I have ever seen, but was very workable. I felt like the Pathfinder was slightly out of place within the atmosphere of the film, but understand the character juxtaposition attempted here. The idea was good, but there was something lacking in the execution. The portrayal of Ink and Liev particularly stood out among the acting in this film. The writing falls in the same category as the acting. Though not the best I have ever seen, it was still solid. Witty mixed with intellectual, with a slight unfortunate mix of the cliche and poorly conceived dialogue. Overall, the good here transcended making it above average. Where the film really excelled in my eyes was the story telling. The pacing was perfect, and the filmmakers did an outstanding job mixing some complex elements into a smoothly flowing plot. Altogether, the closest film I can compare this to is the Hungarian gem Kontroll. But since many of you have probably not seen this, think Nightwatch, but with a much slicker overall feel. In conclusion, this was absolutely one of the best films of 2009, and is undoubtedly destined for cult status. I am kind of shocked this was not picked up by some of the larger film festivals and a major studio. See this film!
