Because most of the critics slammed this movie, I went to see it expecting a lot less than I got. I thought the movie was fine: rich plot, good pacing, intense drama, and solid performances by all of the actors. Ashton Kutcher, who has a great screen presence (I've never seen him before; don't watch much TV) played the role with just the right degrees of intensity, bewiderment, and desperation. Amy Smart's performance fluctuated convincingly from loyal lover, to air-headed ingenue, to hardened prostitute, etc. And I loved the way the other supporting characters changed personalities with time shifts.The kid actors looked very much like their adult counterparts, especially in Kutcher's case, so that the constant transitions between pre-teen, teen, and adult versions of the characters were very smooth... this was important to keep the audience suspending its disbelief.
The screenplay delved into taboo subjects fearlessly, which I think added to its richness and made it all the more riveting.
Most of the critics didn't like this film, and I suspect a lot of that has to do with their personal disdain of Kutcher. That's neither relevant nor fair. Roger Ebert tried to be fair in his review and did say some good things about the movie, but he was bothered a lot by the inexplicably artistic quality of the drawing and the note-lettering penned by the Kutcher character. I agree that this high quality this was kind of odd, since the character was never portrayed as an artist, but I think that's a minor detail that detracted only slightly from one's enjoyment of the movie. Overall, Butterfly Effect was a handsomely-filmed, "sci-fi" movie that didn't rely on special effects to hold my interest and entertain me. It was a great ride. What more could the critics want?
Evan had terrible blackouts when he was little, very much like his father. He would blackout during terrible situations and not remember anything. That's when it was suggested to him that he keep a journal to see if he could remember what happened during those blackouts. When Evan is all grown up, still haunted by his terrible past that had blanketed him and his friends, he discovers that he can relive those memories when he reads his entries. He can view it like a movie and finally see what had happened during his blackouts. Not only that, but he has the power to even alter those moments. Determined to fix the pasts of him and his friends, he relives those memories and tries to fix them so they will all have a better future. However, when he tries to change one thing, it leads to devastating results that he could have never foreseen. As the cover says, "Change one thing... change EVERYTHING."
I found this film to be very interesting and complex, even though I felt that the film itself was not perfect. The movie is very hard to watch at times, so it's not recommended for those who don't like being disturbed or who are extremely sensitive to such matters. I think it has a smart storyline and great acting. Believe it or not, Ashton Kutcher is able to act in a serious role. I didn't even recognize him at first, but he really pulled it off. He was able to convince me that he was in fact "Evan," as he played the role with determination and force.
As I said in the beginning, my major problem with the movie had always been the ending. While it was happy and nice to see that things worked out considering the absolute hell this movie can put you through, I still found the ending to be contradictive and a "cop-out." Now, all of that's changed as you are given the choice to either watch the theatrical version, OR the director's cut. The director's cut offers a few more extra minutes that adds more substance to the story (including an interesting find) and a more appropriate ending. If you were to ask me which version is better, I'd say that the director's cut is without any hesitation The new ending does a better job of fitting in with the theme of the movie and doesn't contradict the film as the theatrical ending does. The DVD also offers "infinifilm" features that give you a deeper insight to the movie itself. Extras included are commentary, documentaries, storyboard galleries and much more. I must say that the film looks great, and also sounds fantastic as well.
"The Butterfly Effect" proves to be an even stronger film with the director's cut version, even if it's still not a perfect movie. If you're looking for something a little more darker and sinister than your regular picks, then this is something to consider. Just remember that this movie does not let you off easy. It's brutal and extremely disturbing. If you're daring and think you can handle it, then pick this up and prepare for one unforgettable and chilling ride. -Michael Crane
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I saw a screening of this movie and as much as I expected to be non-plussed at best, it was amazing. Like a cross between Memento and a dark It's A Wonderful Life, the movie plays with time, reality, and the greatest "What if?" that there's ever been.Ashton Kutcher plays Evan, a college student who can relive gnarly past events and in doing so, change the present. The outcome is always a surprising set of consequences. I don't want to say too much about the movie because I sincerely believe this is one of those few movies where you shouldn't know too much. While a number of movies have played with time travel (Terminator, Back to the Future, Etc...) this one does it with a gritty slickness that is truly different and very unpredictable.
People will definately be surprised at Kutcher's performance and this movie is an inarguable breakthrough for him as a dramatic actor. Amy Smart shows her dramatic chops as well, after doing comedic roles in Rat Race and Road Trip. It's kind of a dream role, in that she gets to play four characters in one movie, each one multi-dimensional and vastly diverse from the previous ones. I read that Eldon Henson, dropped and gained 30 pounds for his various roles as well. I think it demonstrates the dedication that the actors put into the project and it certainly pays off on screen.
It's an incredibly thought provoking concept with all these cool set ups and payoffs along the way. I was surprised by how violent it was at times, but it worked for the story and I'm not turned off by that kinda thing. By far one of the best movies I've seen this year and deserves some sort of critical acclaim even though it comes out at a time of year when movies are for the most part forgotten.
See this movie and you'll get your money's worth. I'm probably going to have to see it again because, like films like The Sixth Sense, it should be even cooler the second time around when you know the secrets.
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***1/2 Have you ever wondered how differently your life might have turned out had you taken a left turn instead of a right on the day of that fateful accident, or chosen a different college or career path, or not gone to that dance the night you met your one true love? All of us have played this "what if" game at some point in our lives, speculating about where we might be, whom we might know and what we might be doing now if even a single event in our past had played out differently. And how many of us would be willing to return to a key moment in our past if we knew that, by doing something different, we could forever alter the path our life ended up taking? And what if we discovered that by undoing that event we ended up altering our lives and the lives of those around us in ways we never expected? Would we still want to do it?This is the premise for "The Butterfly Effect," an effectively creepy supernatural thriller that boasts a star-making performance by Ashton Kutcher. Kutcher plays Evan Treborn, a young man in college who, since his childhood, has been suffering inexplicable blackouts at key traumatic moments in his life. And traumatic his life has been! His father is consigned to a mental institution, suffering from an ailment that may have been passed on to his son. In addition, Evan is friends with a young girl, Kayley, whose father sexually abuses not only her but Evan as well. Kayley also has a sadistic little brother named Lenny, who inspires Evan, Kayley and a neighbor friend of theirs to perform malicious pranks and even sets Evan's dog on fire. Now that he's in college, Evan discovers he has the power to transport himself back in time to many of these key moments in his life in an attempt to rewrite history and undo the mental and psychological damage they've caused. The trouble is that Evan finds out that changing the course of history often brings a whole host of other unforeseen and unanticipated problems right along with it.
Directors Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber have fashioned a complex, intricate screenplay filled with plot twists that continually alter the plane of the film's reality. The story hurtles us back and forth in time, showing us what was, what is and then what might have been without a moment's confusion, all the while making us question whether Evan isn't simply insane after all. There are a few, perhaps inevitable, plot holes, the most glaring of which is why Evan is unable to find out how a prank he and his friends committed in their childhood turned tragically wrong (Evan blacked out during the event). Considering the fact that the tragedy was one that became common knowledge in the small town in which Evan lived, it is highly implausible that he would have to wait till his early `20's before he finally found out what had happened. In addition, one might question the propriety of using a topic as sensitive as pedophilia for a supernatural thriller. Still, those are minor quibbles for a story that works remarkably well at keeping itself credible and focused despite the inherent absurdity at its core.
Kutcher does an effective job carrying the film. By not being too handsome or too heroic, Kutcher keeps Evan life-sized and interesting. We're willing to follow him through this elaborate labyrinth because we can identify with the truths of his character. He's a young man who genuinely wants to make things better for the people he cares for, yet the mental anguish he is going through as he attempts to piece together some semblance of comprehensible reality from the jumbled fragments of his life comes through loud and clear.
"The Butterfly Effect" is not your usual mind-numbing, schlock thriller. It has intelligence and style and a very intriguing storyline. It will probably get you rewinding some of those key events in your own life, wondering might have been.
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Before I go on to describe why I liked this movie, I should explain right away that this is mostly a rebuttal of what the critics say. I think that this movie has received an unfair amount of criticism and I want to rebut some of the main points people have brought up.Firstly, if you go into the movie expecting Kutcher to suck in his role, then he probably will as far as you are concerned. It is tough to accept him as a dramatic lead, I admit, but if you try to not let his past interfere with your judgement, then it will free you to focus on the movie itself (something that very few mainstream critics seem to have done seriously).
Secondly, if you watch this with the wrong group of people, then its mood changes drastically. I saw it in a crowded theater full of people who either came in expecting a comedy or were just planning to trash it. What happened was that I really enjoyed the movie, but many others complained constantly. Because this opened up the floor for criticism, many others joined in--this is an effect you can see frequently in any event where there are a lot of people. If everybody's laughing, then you are tempted to laugh. So, I reccommend that you try to see this only with an audience that you know will take it seriously, because otherwise it will ruin your enjoyment of the film.
"The Butterfly Effect" is a lot like other major science-fiction movies from the past in that it tries out a lot of new things and worries only about the elements it was created to serve. A good comparison brings to my mind the movie "Dark City," which received very little praise or attention during its initial release. Both movies expect you to care for the characters without spending a great deal of time building them up. Both movies are more focused on answering the question, "What if?" and then trying to create a world where strange possibilities can be discovered.
The movie has been criticized for being overly violent and too melodramatic. Too violent? Not so. Melodramatic? Not really, although I'll grant you that one or two points are a bit heavy-handed. Extremely disturbing? Yes.
The violent content within is not exploitative in anyway--what it does is provides extreme environments for the "butterfly effect" theme to work with. The concept of the film is based on how much would change if you fixed one mistake in the past. To make these changes more interesting, the filmmakers have come up with some extreme material. For example, early in the film two of the main characters are sexually abused as children. By changing this event, the characters lives become drastically different. If Kutcher's character had instead went back in time and changed an event such as, say, his first hair cut, then there would probably not be a huge change in his life. So, the movie wouldn't be very interesting, nor would it explore the "What if" question very well.
In the end, this movie is about ideas and exploration. It is a great movie because it heavily explores the concept of time travel and its effects on the future. It is not a movie for everyone, but I have a feeling that many people who would like it are going to be scared away (probably by the presence of Kutcher, who does a respectable job).
I found it very clever, exciting, and thoroughly enjoyable. The acting is great all around and it is the first true thinking-man's (or -woman's) film I've seen for several years. Ultimately, though, I think it will find its audience on DVD and video. I can only hope, because it's a gem from our era.
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