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Nemesis Game [2003] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
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Our Price: £5.52 (subject to change)
Original, complex and atmospheric
Review date: 2004-07-11 Rating: 10 out of 10
Every now and then a movie comes along that had little, if any, promotion upon its release and so fell into obscurity - yet turns out to be far better than most Hollywood blockbuster offerings.
I think this is one of them.
The storyline is orginal and very clever - one in which you can play along as you watch the movie: trying to solve the riddles within the story as well as the twists in the plot.
The ending is not just a clever twist, but also a riddle in itself.
Confused?
You should be - that's the point of the movie!
A young women, bored with life, hooks up with an eccentric Adrian Paul who provides her with a little excitement: by posing riddles which she must solve - not just in her head, but for real.
One day, she finds such a riddle left for her to solve but this time it is from a dark and sinister source. The source of the riddle promises that, if one solves enough riddles in time, you will be given answers to life's greatest riddles such as our very existence.
Drawn into the game - the young woman soon starts to question her involvement as people die and the threat closes in on her that she may well be next.
This is one of those movies that's stayed with me - whose storyline was so intriguing that I can't stop trying to unravel it even months after watching it.
I thoroughly enjoyed this - far more than most of the recent Hollywood offerings that got bathed in publicity.
I am pleased to own this one as it's definitely one I will re-watch time and again.
Reviews
been there, done that
Review date: 2004-05-29 Rating: 4 out of 10
When I read the back of the box, I thought: this could be something; promising story, for one, and I think it's good to see Adrian Paul out of the "Highlander context". Unfortunately, it just feels that this movie has been made a dozen times already, and ten times better. I don't think the writers of the story really understood their own story, it just lacks any consistency and logic. Perhaps they just thought: "we'll just make it as fuzzy and foggy as we can, no matter it doesn't make sense, but at least the viewer will say: 'what an interesting movie, make's you think' while actually thinking 'did I miss something?'". You won't miss anything not seeing this movie.
Riddle me this
Review date: 2004-05-14 Rating: 8 out of 10
Question: When is a film about a game a philosophical treatise?
Answer: When the film in question is Nemesis Game. In the first scene he appears in Vern says, "Everything has meaning or nothing has meaning". This is either a profoundy philosophical statement or a deeply meaningless one. Which is it? This riddle is explored throughout the story, a story which is full of unexpected twists and turns that delights in playing with the viewer's preconceptions. As soon as you think the story is heading in one direction it takes another. The film does not provide many or easy answers and the ones it does give are distubing and raise even more questions. It is at times profoundly philosophical and (for me anyway) nvokes the writings about the philosophy of Existentialism of Jean-Paul Sartre. Sartre says that "Existence preceded essence" meaning that people create themselves both as individuals and as a species and therefore have to accept responsibility for their individual and collective acts. For that responsibility to have any meaning there must be a reason why those actions were performed. This concept is explored in a film that is atmospheric to the nth degree and is at time deeply unsettling. It is not possible to give details as almost all the details are essential plot points and spoilers are just that! The cast in this film are all excellent: Ian McShane does a fine job of portraying a man who is both a cop and Sara's father, who tries and fails to understand both his daughter and what is going on. Carly Pope gives a wonderful portrayal of an unsympathetic character who is so tied up in her own grief that she does not really relate to anyone or anything around her, least of all her father's decision to go on with his life after the death of her mother in an accident. Adrian Paul as Vern shows that he is an actor who refuses to be locked into the formal "hero" role. Vern has his peculiarities and allows himself to be sucked into a situation that he knows is potentially very dangerous, he is out of his depth but cannot stop as he has to know the answer as to what the "Game" is all about, what the Design is, and he finds out.
A film I can never get tired of
Review date: 2004-01-03 Rating: 10 out of 10
Usually, whilst watching films, be it in the cinema, video or DVD for the first time, I have them made. I see all the hidden twists and turns, and I can suss out exactly what's going to happen. Nemesis Game took me by surprise. It's a film I really sank my teeth into.
Carly Pope, who has the lead as Sara Novak, pulls off an excellent role. She takes you along her journey as she discovers a dark and twisted path. She's one of my favourite actresses, and when you watch this you'll see why.
I would recommend Nemesis Game to anyone, except those who aren't interested in real movies. It's something that will keep you thinking, and might even make you look at a fair few things differently.
nifty film that tries too hard, but is still interesting
Review date: 2003-12-01 Rating: 8 out of 10
This film has to have one of the most irritating beginning. IT plays a about two minutes and credits break in. Well some films do that. But this KEEPS doing that. Once it finally gets past that, you have a nice small film, but it tries to tell you it's a smart film, no show you. It's well acted with Ian McShane as a police inspector, with a daughter in school named Sara. Sara plays games with a video store owner, Highlander's Adrian Paul. But then someone ups the stakes of their games...
The abrupt ending hurt the film, but all in all a very enjoyable effort - and hey, I would watch anything with McShane in it!!
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Rena Owen
Adrian Paul
Carly Pope
Brendan Fehr
Ian McShane
Creators:
Carly Pope (Primary Contributor)
Ian McShane (Primary Contributor)
Director(s):
Recording label: Lions Gate
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
EAN: 9781588177766
Binding: DVD
ISBN: 1588177769
Number of items: 1
Format: Closed-captioned, Colour, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled,
Release date: 2003-06-10
Universal product code (UPC): 031398832324
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Region code: 1
Running time: 92 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2003-09-16
Language: Spanish (Subtitled)
Language: English (Original Language)