Day Zero

[mole_caz]

Thanks to the lovely Yeux, I have at last been able to watch Day Zero! She kindly sent me a copy which after a minor glitch [no sound so had to download a missing file] I was able to sit back and see for myself this much talked about film. So - what did I think? Answers below the cut in case some of my flist still haven’t been able see the film.

Comments

[primula_baggins]

The director said that the guys had a friendship because they had gone to a private high school together and had become friends. That seems reasonable to me. I just don't get why that hangs people up so much.

I assume that Aaron was either trained in writing or had a gift for it. People write because they have an urge to write. Aaron wanted to write, and most likely could write, but he was so honest that even if he had plagirized a little, it bothered him, where a less thoughtful person wouldn't have even cared. I think the fact that he had emotional and developmental issues goes right along with being a writer! : ) Many writers are mentally tortured, I think.

I read another interview with the writer and director who said that one thing he was showing was how friends can drift apart, and these guys did as the stress of being drafted caused them to rethink everything in their lives. Remember how when Aaron went to them at the end and they just blew him off that he got angry and left? Then the others had a distance between them too. I hadn't noticed that when I watched it, but I could see that point later when I read that interview.

This movie was definitely thought provoking.

Did you like the lighting? I thought it was yucky. I suppose they did it that way on purpose to give it an eerie feel.

You know, I had forgotten Pam was in this! I guess I need to watch it again to see if I can spot her.

I'm glad you liked it. I liked it a lot. It had such dismal reviews that I was afraid it was going to suck big time, but it didn't.

[mole_caz]

The friendship doesn't really work for me I'm afraid. I can see that Dixon and Rifkin may have made friends at high school but I still can't see why Aaron was one of the trio. He just doesn't fit in and they have little time for him. He just seems to be hanging out with them like a shadow. I suppose though that this is not really important when the theme of the film is taken into account. The writer was trying to show how three different personalties reacted to and came to terms with the moral issues of fighting and possible death.

I know that if I was in Aaron's shoes, I couldn't point a gun in someone's face and pull the trigger in cold blood.

[primula_baggins]

Yeah, me neither.

It seems that the writer of the story was trying to portray 3 "everymen" and the various viewpoints they might have. There's the "wimp" who just doesn't have it in him to fight (Aaron), the "patroit" who thinks it's his duty and doesn't question it beyond that (Dixon), and the "OMG this is going to ruin my career and I'm too important to fight in a war!" (Rifkin, is it?). Of course, having a view doesn't mean the view can't change once reality begins to set in.

I've enjoyed this conversation, Mole. So,thanks!

[mole_caz]

You're welcome Prim. I'm so glad I have been able to have it at all and thanks to Yeux it has been possible.

[ourdramaqueen]

The director said that the guys had a friendship because they had gone to a private high school together and had become friends.

It might have helped if there had been a hint about this in the film... I don't remember there being one.

[primula_baggins]

Yes, I agree. There was a bit of background that would have been useful. It could have been handled with only a few lines, most likely.

It's too bad they didn't have a preview audience and take their comments to tighten the film up a bit. I've seen the same objections over and over, so a preview audience could have pointed out the same flaws.

One thing that always bothered me about the production company, Indalgo, is that its website brags about how inexpensively they can make films. Well yeah, inexpensive is nice, but doing a movie on the cheap doesn't necessarily make for a good film. And if you're going to pick cheap over good, then why bother?

I'm so full of wisdom today! lol!