Friday, August 10, 2012

360 Movie Review

Anthony Hopkins stars in 360

360: Avoid This Fork in the Road

Looks can be deceiving. So too can all-star casts in conspicuously under-the-radar films such as Fernando Meirelles360. One of those dreaded movies with several intertwining stories (a la Love Actually or Paris, Je t'aime,) 360 becomes a disjointed collection of love stories with a common theme... dishonesty. In Meirelles’ warped world, love means betrayal, deceit, prostitution... even violence. About the only thing missing from the equation is actual love; Go figure.

What’s Good: It’s not easy coming up with good things to say about 360. Anthony Hopkins makes almost anything better by default, but even the finest actor alive can’t rescue 360 from cinematic quicksand. In fact, the only thing keeping this movie from a failing grade is a gripping hotel room double-cross that seems out of place, given the mundane boredom that precedes it.

What’s Not: Take your pick. Cheesy musical breaks, lifeless performances, split screens and an overall theme of depression... Is this supposed to be entertaining?

They Said It: Maria Flor’s Laura coolly remarks, ‘364 days of the year, I’m a good, Catholic girl. Right now, I’m just feeding off the situation.’ The recipient of this enticing message? A convicted sex offender who just got out of prison.

What’s the Grade? Here’s what I took away from 360 (in no particular order...) Don’t get married; Your spouse will cheat on you. Don’t yell at your teenage daughter; She’ll run away from home, go missing, wind up dead and relegate you to a life of flying all over the world ID’ing dead bodies. Don’t attend an AA meeting in Phoenix (if you weren’t depressed going in, you soon will be) and last, but not least... Don’t try to have an affair with your boss (You may get fired.) I should probably add, “Don’t waste your time on this movie,” but something tells me you’ve already figured that out by now.

Grade: D