Review of Uncertainty (2009) by Patrick B — 28 Apr 2010

Usually whenever I go to the video store, I like to play it safe. The way I see it, there are so many great films out there that itâ??s pointless to get something that hasnâ??t been reviewed well or hasnâ??t gathered any positive buzz. But every once in awhile, I like to pick something a little more obscure. Obscure films can be fun to pick up, especially when the film turns out great. Itâ??s like finding a rare valuable in a heap full of junk. Youâ??re happy you found something of value, and at the same time, youâ??re ecstatic that you found it in a place no one thought to look.

I was hoping to find something like that in â??Uncertaintyâ??. It stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt who Iâ??ve always appreciated from â??Brickâ?? and â??(500) Days of Summerâ??, and the preview makes it look like arty chase film. But unfortunately, I was let down by the filmâ??s blatant style and mediocre storytelling.

The movie starts with Kate (Lynn Collins) and Bobby (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) standing on a bridge, talking about their relationship. After the discussion ends, Bobby flips a coin and the couple takes off, sprinting in opposite directions.

Thus begins the gimmicky style where we are introduced to two different scenarios. Events split apart and go in different directions when in one scenario, Kate picks up Bobby in her van as they head to her parentâ??s house, and in the other scenario, the couple gets in a taxi. Once they enter the taxi, Bobby finds a mysterious phone. He calls a few numbers that were recently dialed, and after awhile, two people end up calling him claiming that their name is Demetri, and the phone belongs to them. The first guy who calls agrees to meet them in a restaurant, and as he approaches the place, a well-dressed assassin guns him down. Kate and Bobby take off, and in that scenario, they spend most of the time on the run.

The movie alternates between the two scenarios, and to let you know which one is which, the director puts in a lot of greens (green shrubs, couple wears a green shirt, green deck of cards) for the first scenario, and then a lot of yellows for the second scenario involving the missing phone.

The green/yellow style was a neat idea, but itâ??s a little too blatant. It was like the director wasnâ??t confident enough that the audience would catch on that the movie goes back and forth between the first and second scenario. The greens and yellows just appear everywhere like the director is knocking you over the head shouting, â??Hey, these are different scenarios!â?? It gets to the point of being distracting.

But whatâ??s even worse is the stylistic choice of alternating the events back and forth. It ends up being nothing more than a gimmick. Both storylines are dull, and not particularly interesting. The characters are well written, but writers and directors, Scott McGehee and David Siegel, completely rely on the characters to be the sole source of entertainment, and theyâ??re simply not fascinating enough to get the job done.

On the bright side, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and lesser known Lynn Collins deliver superb performances. You really get a sense they are a real couple, and we clearly see their relationship anxiety. Whether itâ??s running away from hit men, or dealing with demanding parents, the stress this couple faces feels real and immediate thanks to the talented stars.

As a whole, â??Uncertaintyâ?? is an artsy flop. I admired the movieâ??s ambition to be a little different, but it ends up being nothing more than a failed experiment. Donâ??t let the cover of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, or the high-energy trailer fool you. â??Uncertaintyâ?? is certainly a disappointment.