Review: 'We have to go back'....The Infinite Man @LIFF 2014
I caught a screening of The Infinite Man at Leiden International Film Festival this week and it was a gem. Deemed as a time-travel comedy-romance, it delivers on many levels. But then again,being familiar with this type of time-travel film, I thought it less strange and confusing than many of the other spectators in the auditorium. Primer is one of my favorite films (If you haven’t seen Primer, do yourself a favor and go see it!Time travel is scary!) and this was quite similar but with the added comedy.
The story revolves around a couple, Dean and Lana. They arrive at a deserted hotel in the Australian countryside for their perfect anniversary. Dean is somewhat of a control freak and incidentally a scientist. He is working on a helmet device that can capture the present /past and relive it. And so, the layering of levels begins. Dean wants them to relive their perfect anniversary, once it goes wrong, he tries to go back and fix it. Dean and Lana soon are joined by Terry, Lana’s ex-lover who just does not get it that it is over between him and Lana. A surreal character, Terry is a chain-smoking ex-olympic javelin thrower who considers himself a Greek god and more of a man than Dean.
The whole narrative and its layers are actually motivated by Dean’s insecurities and wish to capture the perfect moment. Not only that, but also to please Lana in every possible way. He cooks her the perfect meal, he plays her music from her Dutch ancestors, he prepares intensively for their love-making. But will they manage to fix the past? Make things perfect? Is there such a thing as absolute hapiness and perfection?
The film is light-hearted, funny, at times confusing, however not in an annoying way. It is extremely refreshing to watch a film like this in the cinema! I tip my hat to the Leiden Film Festival and its organizers, I wish more film like these would find their way to our big screens.
Photos from The Infinite Man FB page
