The I Inside

source: The I Inside

Evidently The I Inside is not due for release in the UK until 2005, but Frightfest in London screened this on 28 August 2004. This starts off very promising, with Ryan Phillippe's character Simon Cable regaining consciousness in the year 2002 and again in 2000, not entirely sure what he has been doing with his life during the two intervening years. The first couple of "switches" between time-lines succeeded at dis-orientating and jolting the audience admirably, but after some meandering, the "switches" become relatively tedious and gratuitous, and I felt that they did little to further the plot. The periphery characters all do a sterling job at providing a sense of unease (Piper Perabo is pretty outstanding), but after Simon has "switched" years several times, I found it difficult to retain my attention. By the final denouement, I was past caring, and noticed only with a passing interest that the ending was incredibly similar to another memory-loss psychological thriller from the mid-nineties. Perhaps I just watched too many films of this sort for my own good? If only I had suffered my own personal memory loss and forget The Butterfly Effect and Jacob's Ladder, then perhaps I would have enjoyed this more.

This movie is in no way good. The music in the movie, although sometimes too much, was often used to good effect. Many of the scenes were shot in average to above average ways. The acting by some of the secondary characters was believable. And that's the best I can say about this movie. The protagonist, Simon, wakes up from a car-crash induced coma in a hospital into which he was admitted two years earlier. The 'plot' quickly, if ungainly, unfolds. I would outline this but for two reasons: I don't want to 'spoil' the movie experience for those of you who are looking forward to the movie and I don't think that the plot is worth outlining. My biggest complaint about the movie is the plot - as there is little to no chartacter development, the storyline has to be that which holds our interest. While I will admit that the plot held my interest for a while, it was largely due to the poorly handled time travel logistics (which are ultimately explained/explained away). Even the ending refused to yield a satisfying conclusion - yes, I can imagine what the ending was SUPPOSED to convey, but if it's left ENTIRELY up to my imagination (which it most certainly was) then why not just dream up scenarios myself? In fact, you'd probably be more entertained if you just sat at home by yourself and thought about movie plots that you'd like. Stay away from this movie.

I was thrilled to see Ryans performance in this movie and i must say I wasn't disappointed by it. The movie is about letting go and how every choice you make shapes your future. I was disappointed by length and the ending of this movie. This movie isn't a must see but it sure is nice for the eyes and thinking material. If you like movies about destiny you'll probably be thrilled but not impressed. This movie isn't a classsic but it deserves to be watched. Rent this if you're in the mood to be creeped up and entertained. There's not much more i can say without revealing contents of the movie. If you are delaighted with uncertain movies that clear up in the end this is the choice for you. Hop you aren't disappointed

Please! I implore you: don't waste your time watching this movie! If you disregard my advice, you'll wish you were dead! This is one of those alleged "mystery" movies where, when the answer finally is sprung on you, you'll say "where did *THAT* come from???". You know, it's like when you find out that "the butler did it" only there has never been a butler present at any previous time in the movie. In fact, the main characters spent the entire movie living in a cardboard box and have no idea what the word "butler" even means! This movie might make nice background noise, but it should never have any larger purpose in your life. 1 out of 10, and if IMDb offered an option for 0, I'd have chosen that instead.

I've never liked the idea of test screenings. The changes they make just end up neutering a movie and making it "safe" for the general masses. But if ever a movie needed feedback to prompt a rewrite and alternate ending, this is it. The first half of this movie is spectacular. It's atmospheric, tense, and confusing (in a good way). It kept you guessing the whole way. Much like Memento, it's an intelligent film that makes you watch closely and think. The story could have gone a number of directions. ...but the last half, it all falls apart. They start changing the "rules", the suspense gives way to straight storytelling, and the ending goes a completely different direction than it could have, and SHOULD have. It's not just that I didn't like the ending or that it didn't match my predictions. The problem is the truth is still unclear and viewers are left confused. Too much is left unexplained. As it is, the film is wasted potential. A good story and a good movie, but one that could have been so much better with a different ending.

The first two-thirds of "The I Inside" are fantastic: very intriguing and engaging, recalls "The Butterfly Effect", "Jacob's Ladder" and "identity", just to mention three similar movies. The situation of Simon Cable resuscitated without memory in the hospital in two different years is disclosed like a puzzle, and I was mesmerized with this film. Unfortunately, it seems that the screenplay writer raised so many weird situations that he was not able to conciliate all of them in a satisfactory ending, and indeed the plot has a very disappointing conclusion. I regret and feel sorry, since this movie could have been a masterpiece of the genre. My vote is eight. Title (Brazil): "O Terceiro Olho" ("The Third Eye")

If you understand it you'll love it! Not a film for those wanting to be spoon fed. At first look it's "Egads not that kind of stuff again!" But it's much more than Mememto, Butterfly Effect, Dead End, Sixth Sense or other great movie of (similar?) "paranormal" genre. This is truly original and is probably closer to only one of the above mentioned movies. But to say which one would spoil it. I really didn't want to write a review and certainly it's hard to get in ten lines, but the low reviews given previously may have been from those who did-not understand the movie. You "gotta" have brains to enjoy this movie!

There should be another category to describe films that don't exactly fit the accepted genres of horror, supernatural or psychological thriller. I call it the "Puzzle-Box" genre. Puzzle-Box films challenge you to think and discover the answers, rather than spoon-feeding them to you. Not everyone enjoys that when going to the movies. Classifying a film as a Puzzle-Box would make it easier for that film to find its audience. THE I INSIDE is one of those films. Others are MULHOLLAND DRIVE, IDENTITY (same writer as THE I INSIDE), JACOB'S LADDER, and many modern Korean films, such as OLDBOY, HYPNOTIZED, TALE OF TWO SISTERS, and the brilliant but obscure SPIDER FOREST. And to a lesser extent, MEMENTO, which is fun on the first watch, but bored me on the second, since no new clues are revealed. THE I INSIDE give more answers at the end than OLDBOY or MULHOLLAND DRIVE, but it is still a fascinating film. This is is Ryan Phillippe's most challenging role, and he does an excellent job, but the standout for me was Piper Perabo-- she went through some tricky personality quirks (I'm purposely leaving things vague) which added to the mystery.

A man (Ryan Phillipe) awakens from a coma, not remembering any events from the past two years. He doesn't recognize his evil wife (played deliciously by Piper Perabo), or his alleged mistress (the lovely but miscast Sarah Polley). He soon suspects that someone in the hospital is trying to kill him--and then finds himself in the same hospital two years earlier, with the ability to bounce back and forth between the two time periods. Although it sounds like something that has been done many times recently, the first half of this movie is actually suspenseful and engaging. Unfortunately, with a plot twist, the movie goes downhill about halfway through. While the movie will keep you thinking for a while afterwards, it is ultimately forgettable because it is way too typical of the current crop of sci-fi "memory" thrillers. Perabo is great here--she gets to play a shy mousy nurse in 2000 and then a malicious blackmailing wealthy woman in 2002. Sarah Polley is one of the best actresses of her generation, and I'm not sure why she's in this movie. Phillipe delivers the expected humdrum performance. My Rating: 6/10