2081 (2009)
2081 depicts a dystopian future in which, thanks to the 212th Amendment to the Constitution and the unceasing vigilance of the United States Handicapper General, everyone is "finally equal...." The strong wear weights, the beautiful wear masks and the intelligent wear earpieces that fire off loud noises to keep them from taking unfair advantage.
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It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.
The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.
It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.
There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes
This was an excellently written and executed piece that brings light to the absurdity of the battle for equality. Pure equality, which I believe, can never truly be reached. James Cosmo as the father is a picture of strength, pride, and hope even in his ultimately restricted state. Julie Hagerty as the mother gives the piece a feeling of home and serenity and even peace with living underneath the governmental thumb. Armie Hammer's role as the rebellion and one whose drive it is to enlighten others of the injustice of it all was powerful and engaging. The entire film is given a somber, yet beautiful tone through the eery sounds of the cello. This film leaves a person to think about our equality and how far we should reach for it. I loved every second and highly recommend this short film.
Sometimes in an effort to stretch a film out to 90 minutes plus or to show off or to pander to their audience or I don't even know what else, film makers lose sight of what film is - it is ART. Art should, at its essence, be a concretization of abstracts (themes, emotions, virtues). When the film is an adaptation of a work of literature, this common fault can become even more glaring. Harrison Bergeron is a short story with a single, universal theme. As a story, it is no longer than it needs to be to concretize that theme and it does it well. As a film, I can say the same of 2081. Combine the flawless simplicity with excellent casting, a moving score and good directorial choices and cinematography, and the result is a short film that I consider about as good as film gets.This is not for the faint of heart, however. I am still shaking. Knowing the story before hand, I knew I would be moved, and I was. This film, this theme, is oh so relevant today. It's nice to see that some people understood this well enough to make this perfect work of art. To them, I say thank you.
While this film stuck closely to Vonnegut's story (which is why I give it five stars instead of one), I couldn't help but find it lacking. I'm not sure exactly what was missing, but I did not find it as moving as the original story of Harrison Bergeron. Most of the acting was flat and unemotional. The whole thing was overly dry and serious, yet somehow managed to seem overdone. It was like a delicious recipe for chocolate brownies that was baked until all the flavor was gone. Overall, I have to say that something important was lost in this translation. There just wasn't enough feeling. This film just sucked all the emotion and humor right out of the story.
As an avid reader of much of Kurt Vonnegut's work, I found myself thrilled to hear the news of a short film adaptation of one of my favorite works of his being made. I watched the website for ages wondering when I can get my hands on a copy of this gem. After waiting for many months, the website changed and the "buy it on amazon.com" button appeared. Within five minutes, a copy was on the way to my house.If you have never read the story, or seen this yet, I will reveal nothing!I say, buy this as soon as possible. It was very accurate and didn't disappoint. The CGI really hit it and gave the story a great look off the page.Writing: 5/5 Cinematography: 5/5 Audio/Music: 5/5 Acting: 5/5 Overall: Get this movie.