Uncertainty

January 3rd, 2009







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Uncertainty

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Still of Joseph Gordon-Levitt in UncertaintyStill of Lynn Collins in UncertaintyStill of Scott McGehee in UncertaintyStill of Lynn Collins in UncertaintyStill of Joseph Gordon-Levitt in UncertaintyStill of Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Lynn Collins in Uncertainty

Plot
A young couple, in love and facing a life-changing decision, find one seemingly ordinary July 4th cleaved in two by the flip of a coin on the Brooklyn Bridge.

Release Year: 2009

Rating: 5.9/10 (2,677 voted)

Critic's Score: 45/100

Director: Scott McGehee

Stars: Lynn Collins, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Assumpta Serna

Storyline
A young couple, Kate and Bobby, flip a coin on the Brooklyn bridge to determine the paths their lives take that day, the Fourth of July. The green path takes them to Brooklyn where they spend a quiet day with Kate's family, coming to a better understanding of their status as a couple. The yellow path takes them to Manhattan where they are being chased by a gunman and are in the center of a dangerous crime ring involving large amounts of money. What does the future hold for Kate and Bobby?

Writers: Scott McGehee, David Siegel

Cast:
Lynn Collins - Kate
Joseph Gordon-Levitt - Bobby
Assumpta Serna - Sylvia
Nelson Landrieu - Felix
Manoel Felciano - Greg
Jenn Colella - Emily
Giana Luca - Annabelle
Sofia Luca - Adelaide
Fred Berman - Perez / Dmitri 1 (voice)
Sonnie Brown - Bank Employee
Sara Chase - Alex
Angel David - Danny
Saidah Arrika Ekulona - Mary Sherman
Marin Gazzaniga - Nurse
Michaela M Hill - Jackie

Taglines: The choice is theirs.



Details

Official Website: IFC Films [United States] | Official Blog |

Release Date: 3 Jan 2009

Filming Locations: New York City, New York, USA

Opening Weekend: $13,075 (USA) (15 November 2009) (1 Screen)

Gross: $36,230 (USA) (20 December 2009)



Technical Specs

Runtime: USA:  | Canada: (Toronto International Film Festival)



Did You Know?

Trivia:
The script was written without dialogue. The actors developed all the dialogue with the directors during rehearsals.

Quotes:
[first lines]
Bobby: Is today the day?
Kate: I don't know. Maybe.
Bobby: What's your gut tell you?
Kate: That I'm nauseous.
Bobby: How 'bout less literally...
Kate: I'm afraid of deciding.
Bobby: I'm *not* afraid of either scenario, but it's just - I want this to be something we're doing, not something we're not doing.
Kate: What does *this* mean?
Bobby: This, meaning whatever we decide.



User Review

About choices and where they lead

Rating: 6/10

The movie follows two possible outcomes of a single day for Bobby (Gordon-Levitt) and Kate (Lynn Collins). The two stories are almost like parallel universes, featuring the same couple. During the film, we alternate between scenes of both of those "realities". This could have made for a confusing narrative but directors Siegel and McGehee make sure we always know which story we are following with simple devices (primarily, colors and clothing but also good editing choices and writing).

Gordon-Levitt and Collins have amazing chemistry, which is showcased in two very, very different stories. One runs very much like a down-to-earth drama, where they go spend a day with Kate's family. The other story is more akin to an action thriller on a budget, where Bobby finds a cell phone that is valuable to extremely dangerous individuals.

The starting point of the narrative split is a single decision, that is eventually made on a coin toss. The whole film appears to explore the uncertainty (duh) of choices before us and how making a decision will lead us on a path that will, again, lead to more choices. It is good food for thoughts and I could appreciate how the writers went for two radically different stories, to highlight how different the future can be.

Both stories had excellent acting and were well-paced and engaging. Where I had a bit of a problem is with the thriller story, which ended abruptly and was rather unsatisfying in its resolution. Nonetheless, the whole exercise was organic. Lynn Collins was a revelation for me. As for Joseph Gordon-Levitt, this excellent actor keeps on impressing with great performances and solid, off-beat career choices. Many people like to talk about the "curse of child actors" where they disappear as they get older. Gordon-Levitt brilliantly defies this trend and oozes charisma and talent.





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