Sublime (2007)

Powerful

Beautiful, moving film.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

I would agree with several of the other messages for this film.Throughout the movie, you might find yourself confused or searching for answers but trust me just sit back and enjoy the ride the end makes this movie sing. So often directors leave movies too open or end them to quick making me feel that I've wasted what could have been 2 epic hours of my life but 6 years after watching this movie I am still excited and still have discussions about possibilities and meanings. I can't promise you that you will love this movie but you should be intrigued. Hope you enjoy!

I would just like to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It scared me the whole time and even had me laughing while in fear at the same time... awesome! The "ride" down the East Wing where viewing some of the oddities/horrors of medicine and some of his own insecurities from his subconscious reminded me of the "ride" through the park "highway to hell" scene in the Machinist with Christian Bale. Of course Jacob's Ladder was the earliest film I can recall using this kind of imagery.This film was not however just like Jacob's Ladder which is about someone who finds redemption before his death. This is more about someone being "brain dead" and what that could mean... It could mean you are trapped in your own private hell created by subconscious. This hell could be created by the brains ability to still draw from the outside world if this is possible in someone who is considered brain dead would they want to be free... which means to die or continue living on in this state. That's the question it raises.

By reading through the various comments I see that people watched this movie with extremely misguided expectations. Some expected it to be some sort of medical drama (ER style maybe). Others expected some slasher horror.This is simply bad marketing, probably the studio didn't know how to market it so they planted a "horror cover" on it and tried to sucker horror fans into it. (Bad move, and the ratings show it) Otherwise, if you are going to see this movie don't expect either ER nor horror, expect a deep psychological journey through the human mind! Now for those who saw it but didn't get much out of it read on...(Warning, slight spoilers below!!!) The premise is just an artistic gimmick... how do you get to show on picture what goes on in the unconscious mind, that people aren't even aware of ? How do you get that on film ? This is one way (one way that has been done before in other forms, for example in games like Sanitarium or Silent Hill).The way the film conveys the message is through symbols (the nurses tattoo that's supposed to be the tree of life but also looks like a neuron, the roommate's speech about having no control, and about ignoring reality on a regular basis, the scene from the opening dream as a painting on the wall). To understand them you have to pay close attention to them, they are not "in your face" even if they are very visible. No narrator is there to explain what they mean and if you don't use those higher brain functions you'll miss their meaning entirely! The point of every symbol is to act as a guide, as a clue, both for the character and for you the viewer. The film is slow paced and confusing because the character is confused, in a dream-sort-of state. (think about how you feel in your dreams and compare them to the feeling of the movie... that's the point of the pacing and the point of the symbols!).I've seen some inflammatory comments about the political messages in the movie. While those are certainly there, why is it that people feel threatened by them ? Feel offended by them ? May there be some underlying unconscious fears that trigger these emotional reactions ? There certainly is, but the movie is not aimed at those in denial, at those who have no clue what their "middle class liberal fears" consist of. They will viciously hate the movie and find any numbers of flaws in it, it's normal... it's part of denial. The same denial also guides the character, from believing that nothing is wrong, to something might be wrong, to something is terribly wrong, to life-threatening. As he gets more and more out of denial and starts to realize the truth of his situation he comes closer and closer to fear, fear being symbolized by the character of Mandingo. All his fears in one shape (and Mandingo's speech at the end should have made this abundantly clear to anyone who hadn't left their IQ in the other DVD-player). It doesn't even matter if you share any fears with the character, the point is to understand how and why he symbolizes them like that.Fear is the main driver of the movie and most symbols deal with it, the other symbols deal with repressed sexuality, with repressed anger, with the immaturity of the "average Joe" who looks for authority everywhere to keep him/her safe.Conclusion: If you want a deeply thought provoking movie, this is for you! If you want a scary horror movie go visit those 3d world nations in Africa or Asia and see it for yourself, live! If you want adrenaline action, jump off a cliff (and don't worry about the parachute, you'll wake up before you hit the ground ;) ) And if you want ER drama, visit a hospital and offer to help out, or some social welfare institution as a volunteer, and you'll get all the drama you can get.Sadly this movie is far too complicated for the level of shallow thinking that most people are used to today... but for those who still chose to think it's a breath of fresh air, a little underrated masterpiece!

I have to give kudos to director Tony Krantz and the company Raw Feed for being able to create such an interesting work at under $2,000,000.The atmosphere is eerie, creepy, dreamy... so much so, that several people have compared Sublime to Jacob's Ladder. For me, it never came close to hitting such high marks. Other good comparisons might be Carnival of Souls, Stay and the much reviled Soul Survivor. Much like the latter, Sublime doesn't pull us seamlessly in its different universes and timelines and that does hurt the movie slightly.The actor, for such a cheap B-movie, are more than adequate. Thomas Cavanagh does really well with a challenging, multi-dimensional lead role as George Grieves. We're not talking about Oscar performance here, at all. But considering the limitations that must have taken place on this shoot, he does a great job.The most noticeable performance for me was certainly that of David Clayton Rogers, who has an unfortunately small role as George's brother, Billy. Every scene with Clayton Rogers in it is considerably more interesting than the rest, as he is a natural, very comfortable in his role and creates chemistry with whoever he trades lines with. Director Krantz would have done well to give more screen time to this actor.Another special mention must go to Katherine Cunningham-Eves as the beautiful nurse, Zoe. You'd think she would be hired just for her looks but Cunningham-Eves is actually pretty good. In fact, much better than the weak links, which to me were the wife and the unidimensional and uninspired performance of Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs as the nightmarish Mandingo.The movie has a basic plot but is spiced by interesting concepts and a good music score to support decent camera work.Recommended for a rental if you like some of the movies referenced above.