Parts Per Billion (2014)

Simply Perfect

Best movie ever!

Blistering performances.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

JohnLeeT already said everything in his funny and poignant review of the movie. This one is just in case you didn't get into a laughing fit when reading it; after all the humor isn't that clear if you haven't watched the movie yet. The only thing that did bother me a bit when watching the movie was that the cinematography was rather ordinary and it wouldn't have hurt to let the nine-year-old suffer through another ten to twenty minutes of character development. So the movie may not accompany me throughout my life, but it contained/was a compilation of the most believable and intimate interactions between loving people on screen that I've seen in a long time. Not only do I not mind the fact that no "actual event" is shown, but I consider that the only viable way of depiction of this kind of event. The eradication of a majority of humanity would not be a spectacle to be gazed at, mesmerizing.Anyways, have fun watching this fine movie!

With the familiar faces of Teresa Palmer, Penn Badgley, Rosario Dawson, Josh Hartnett, as well as Frank Langella, you must admit this seems like an interesting collective for a film. Especially with their stories all to be connected, much less with this possibility of death due to biological weapons hanging in the air. But, the question is, with a limited amount of time before a major portion of the Earth's population being wiped out, will the film lead you to care about three sets of people?Characters & StoryThings begin with us being presented what in any other film would be the introduction to a love story. Young Anna (Teresa Palmer) and Erik (Penn Badgley) live in this cute house together, seem barely into their adult years, and yet are helplessly in love. But, in order to pay for the house, Erik's grandparents, Esther (Gena Rowlands) and Andy (Frank Langella), give him money. Something which increasingly is becoming an issue as he seeks to establish himself as a musician.Though Andy likes giving his grandson money, especially considering his money, which is in millions, was gained through dirty business deals. Which is how his association with Mia (Rosario Dawson) comes about for she is his lawyer trying to protect him from the possible issue of him breaching his contract with his former employer. Then, lastly, when it comes to Len (Josh Hartnett), he seems to be an almost polar opposite to Erik. For while Erik can spend his days with his girlfriend and write songs, Len seems to be someone who may have been big at one point and time, but now is broke, jealous of his wife Mia, and has only his sister Sarah (Alexis Bledel) and friend Rick (Hill Harper) to vent to.And all together we watch these characters deal with a bioweapon attack which happens in western Asia, with its effects spreading, despite wind currents, across Europe and then to the United States.PraiseIf you focus on each of the three sets of stories, you can see a full length movie within itself. Like the story between Anna and Erik could easily be combined with Andy and Esther and make a quality and cohesive film. For the romance between Palmer and Badgley is not only cute, but compelling. As is this huge amount of guilt Andy has over his involvement in creating bio-weaponry, if just because he wanted to give his daughter, Erik's mom, a few more years. And while this may make you think Dawson and Hartnett's roles are just extra fat, if anything they too could be separated and with Dawson being Andy's lawyer, having marital issues with Hartnett, and then with the bioweapon outbreak, again you can see a full fledge and quality story come about.CriticismHowever, instead what is given is a story which has too many cooks in the kitchen, sort of speak. I say this because, like most films which try to spread its focus this thin, you never feel like you can truly get into the characters for your attention quickly gets snatched away as they move the focus to develop another set of characters. Then, to add onto the films problems, it doesn't go in chronological order. Which bugged me because not only was it not in order, but there was no notification so that you knew what the time-line is for when certain events happen. Such as whether the event took place 2 months before the bioweapon, during the bioweapon attack, or 2 days after the attack, and so on. And while details like that may not seem major to most, but when you are switching between sets of characters with the time period shifting, it does have the potential to confuse you. Also, considering the significant moments which Palmer, Badgley, Langella and Rowlands have, not presenting a chronological order, or at least informing you of the time period, does slightly weaken the overall story, as well as make it a bit more difficult to get the emotions from the actors and take it in.Overall: TV ViewingTo me, this film is the prime example why splitting the focus between 3, or more, sets of characters should be avoided whenever possible. It leaves you wanting more when you really shouldn't have to, and you can always find one set, or one character's story, which is weak enough that you wished it was simply cut to accommodate the more focused on characters. And because of this slightly disjointed storytelling, and the inability to really get into the characters, I'm labeling this as "TV Viewing."

This was a waste of an hour and a half of my life that I will never get back. I never write reviews on movies, but I just had to for this, to prevent anyone else watching this pile of garbage and going through the torture and torment I did.This is one of the, if not thee worst movie I have ever seen. Even with a decent cast and good acting it still couldn't help this movie . I can not believe that I kept watching this after the first 30 mins?? I guess I thought the next 60 mins just couldn't be as bad as the previous 30. It was almost like someone shot all the scenes of a movie, shuffled them and linked them altogether. I spent most of the movie confused and I was so relieved when it finished. It wasn't that I didn't get the story line, I did. I was just so confused as to why the actors agreed to such a shambles of a movie.PLEASE DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME WITH THIS MOVIE. Find something ANYTHING else to watch.

Parts Per Billion follows the intertwined stories of three couples at different stages in their lives who are dealing with their relationships during a time of global crisis. Each couple is dealing with their own issues within the context of larger events. Those seeking scenes of mass hysteria and destruction will be disappointed. This is a relationship movie, through and through.It's no surprise that the cast is terrific, and do the best with what they have to work with. Whatever faults may exist, the writers and cast create believable and interesting characters. The non-linear nature of the story -- the scenes jump from couple to couple and from time to time -- can be a tad confusing at times, but it was probably necessary to provide a feeling that something is happening. This is important, because nothing actually is happening. To use a cliché, it's like the characters are rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic without even acknowledging that its sinking. There is an unreal feel to how the looming external crisis is ignored by pretty much everyone until it is on top of them. For this reason, the film wastes the whole concept of impending doom and leaves us dealing with normal couples dealing with normal issues.Perhaps it was the director's intent to show how we get so swept up in our own personal affairs that we can't see the big picture, but it just seems to me to be a waste of a good premise. I can't help but compare Parts Per Billion to Another Earth. Both are small-budget films that deal with tragic relationships in the shadow of bigger events, but the later film was able to tie the two things together. This, too, could have been a poignant film, but it comes up short.