Predestination – Movie Review

Carol Bowditch checks out the latest film written/directed by the Spierig Brothers:

In an effort to keep my talents (ha) as a writer a mystery to my fellow preview screening journalists I make it a rule to never mention anything film-related in the packed lift, post-screening. I would NEVER question the film or utter something conversational like ‘so, how’d you like that, huh?’ (hypothetical Carol can’t speak real English), to the likes of David Stratton or the slew of newspaper writers that I’m often pressed against in the steel declining awkward cubicle.

After the complete mess-pile of a film that was Predestination, in order to write this review, I felt as though asking one of these senior film critics for advice would have been the only way I’d ever understand why a main male character had breasts and was trying to kill himself in an alternate body two decades in the past? Thankfully, another quizzical reviewer beat me to it and the lift patrons agreed that the picture was confusing as hell and a pretty unenjoyable watch while traveling from the 19th floor to level G.

Despite the creative costumes that assist in reminding the reviewer that the Temporal Agent (???) can travel through time when touching a pretty unextravagant violin case, and a gnarly faceburning scene, the picture was really difficult to follow and a complete shambles on reflection post-screening.  Another irk was casting Sarah Snook (the incredible actor with a Porcelin Doll likeness from the film Sleeping Beauty) as both Jane/John. A plainer looking female actor would have suited the role of the transgender character far more suitably.

Predestination is released on 28 August 2014

Review by Carol Bowditch.