Timecode (2000)

62 out of 85 people found the following review helpful:

PRETENSION GONE MAD

Derek Pearson from SADDLEWORTH, 4th June, 2005

ARTHOUSE PSUEDO STYLE WITH NO SENSE OF IRONY, MIKE FIGGIS AT HIS WORST. THIS FILM HAS NO REDEEMING FEATURES, IT'S PURELY AN EXCERCISE IN DIRECTORIAL 'NAVEL GAZING'. SPLIT-SCREEN USED AS A CRUTCH TO HANG AN ENTIRE PREMISE ON, IMPOSSIBLE TO FOLLOW, IMPOSSIBLE TO LIKE, IMPOSSIBLE TO WATCH. DO YOURSELF A FAVOUR AND AVOID THIS LIKE THE PLAGUE, THIS IS 97 MINUTES OF YOUR LIFE YOU COULD DO WITHOUT WASTING ON CINEMATIC RUBBISH LIKE THIS.

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29 out of 47 people found the following review helpful:

Awful tripe

Michael Sowa from London, 12th December, 2003

This film was absalutely awful. The entire film is split into four differimg screens, and the audio switches between the screens seemingly randomly. There is no plot, no story, its just drivel..avoid this film.

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14 out of 16 people found the following review helpful:

Innovative and unique

Philip Concannon from London, 4th June, 2004

There's an awful lot going on in Mike Figgis' 'Timecode'. Around 28 actors(some well known, some not) appear on a screen quartered and running four simultaneous one-take movies. The fact that Figgis can get anything remotely coherent from this audacious experiment marks this film as a success.

The film essentially is a day in the life of the movers, shakers and back-stabbers of Hollywood. Salma Hayek, Holly Hunter, Stellen Skarsgard and Saffron Burrows are among the cast and most aquit themselves well under what must be unusual and difficult conditions. Figgis sometimes guides us through the film by turning the sound up on one screen but often lets more than one run at once. This is diconcerting and a bit overwhelming at first but it soon becomes manageable and suprisingly compelling.

The nature of the film and it's improvised style makes it something of a mixed bag. Some scenes are very funny(Julian Sands is excellent as a masseur), some carry a dramatic force while a few are mind-numbingly tedious. 'Timecode' is certainly not for all tastes but it's terrific to see a film-maker really try to push the boundaries of the digital video technology. Maddening, compelling, hilarious, confusing and often just plain weird, 'Timecode' is a unique experience.

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6 out of 6 people found the following review helpful:

Make time for this fim.

steven2004 from scotland, 7th February, 2004

The director claims this was originally going to be an art project/ gallery happening. It retains that cool, detached quality that the majority of conceptual art achieves, even though this was given a larger budget and transferred to Hollywood.

The soundtrack is excellent, the concept is very ambitious, and it works.

Quickly you realise that conventional filmmaking is SO unambitious. With this film you feel the boundaries are limitless, vibrant and very exciting. However, on occasions sometimes the technique is more interesting than the outcome. But worthwhile none the less.

Also the director's trumpet playing is excellent.

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0 out of 1 people found the following review helpful:

Why oh why didn't I read the reviews first?

Snufflehound from , 20th January, 2010

Have I missed something here? Did the real final edit end up on the cutting room floor and the outakes end up as the film? Impossible to hear (even with my hearing-aid turned up to full volume); impossible to follow the plot (I'm assuming that there was one in there); and impossible to like on any level. Even the relationship between Bujold and Hayek is impossible to believe - I've seen episodes of Footballers Wives with more integrity. How on earth did they assemble a cast of this many names for such a turgid assembly? This is definitely the worst cinematic outing since About Schmidt - no I take that back, it is far far worse than that. Total and utter c**p. Avoid at all costs.

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Do it!

bunchofsavages from , 19th November, 2009

The fear is that Timecode will leave you riddled, as the movie began (on a Wednesday evening as my eyelids gained downward momentum) I feared that it may turn out to be a cinematic brownie pack on tartrazine, with me as Brown Owl. Thankfully this was not the case. Although demanding on the eyes the story is somewhat unambitious and well played out, leaving the technique to shine. Jeanne Tripplehorn and Salma Hayek camp it up fabulously; Stellan Skaarskard crumbles before our eyes and Holly Hunter / Stephen Weber don't do nearly enough. I loved the use of sound cues and music to drive the viewer between shots and Mike Figgis' ability to mock himself for his own pretentiousness via the character of the film-maker, who drags her nu metal boyfriend along to pitch the concept for the film to the audience. If you can get through the first five minutes of feeling like a movie producer in a room full of coked up drama students it's well worth a go.

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2 out of 2 people found the following review helpful:

unwatchable

Debs2 from , 10th May, 2009

I'm afraid I found the four split screen format just unwatchable

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1 out of 1 people found the following review helpful:

Trully awful

Figureman from from London, 25th February, 2009

No words can describe the pretentious nature of this film. Watched first half an hour and gave up. It sucks big time.

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