While this film deserves both a much higher rating than 4.8 and more viewership, it is not a film for everyone, in fact, I would say this is not a film for most people because of it's subject matter. There is a reason it could not procure a wide-release. It is a very difficult film, I felt the trailer represents the film quite well and what to expect. I wasn't able to watch this film until about 4yrs after I watched the trailer the first time, and I loved it so much I immediately watched it again, and seeing it a second time was just as good, especially in light of what you learn the first time you watch the film. This film definitely begs to be watched multiple times.This is absolutely not a science fiction film, but a film about confronting your past, and finding the truth, it is definitely a time travel film for women. The script is very well-written, it is beautifully filmed, the acting is superb. I am surprised this was ever made because of it's difficult subject matter revolving around a very troubled women in her early 30's who witnesses an elderly woman jumping out of her apartment building and killing herself, and ends up in a time warp going all the way back to when she was in the womb. To say anymore would ruin the film.If you are a fan of well-made movies that explore topics such as rape, incest, suicide, and adultery, without condoning the acts (a true rarity these days), but while somewhat objectively observing them, you will like this film. It is a tense at times, and somewhat difficult to watch. There are many mysteries revealed, some things we know at the beginning, and as the film progresses, we see them in full. It is a shame this film didn't get wider distribution, because in the end this film is about confronting the past and the possibility of redemption, it is both heartbreaking and hopeful. It is a lot more than I get from the dreck coming out of Hollywood. God Bless ~Amy
... View MoreSPOILER warning. Not a fan of a drama that's none too happy, but this one veers into fantasy and surreal film noir. The Ghost of Christmas Past, Present and Future are transformed into the non-threatening, vaguely endearing, elevator man. This time our time traveler is not a villain, but an innocent woman who's been terribly wronged, and only by seeing the whole picture can she ever make things right. The elevator man hopes she succeeds, but naturally, explains nothing. Our lead is not a hero; she is as confused as everyone else is shown to be - an accurate reflection of most people's skewed perceptions of reality. In contrast to Dickensian "Little Boxes" society, this world is dysfunctional reality. And indeed, her lack of self awareness is akin to Scrooge's. Yet the task set her by the elevator man is to defeat the antihero, and evolve along the way - and not INTO a hero either, but rather, merely a survivor with a dash of hope. All of the performances are wonderful and the entire film evokes nostalgia with perfectly classic characters and settings. The charm of the antihero, played by the ever lovable Dougray Scott, is only matched by his utter lack of scruples, which is why his character and the story which revolves around him is so believable. As a piece of fluid art, it slowly comes back around and coagulates as one solid whole, despite the disruptive leaps back in time, through showmanship in writing and directing - and the return to the constant controlled variable, the elevator.
... View MoreIn case you're wondering, yes, "A Thousand Kisses Deep" takes its name as well as its somber mood from the 2001 Leonard Cohen song "A Thousand Kisses Deep". But for Cohen fans, I don't remember hearing the song in the film, only the lyrics spoken at the beginning and end. So, much like the movie "Starman" which does not have the Bowie song, it's a bit of a bummer.If you can get past that, no problem.The film itself is like a blend of "The Lake House", "The Time Traveler's Wife" and "Sleeping with the Enemy" with maybe a dash of "Angel Heart" with its sexuality and diabolical symbolism. It takes a deliberately fragmented, psueudo-supernatural approach, challenging the viewer like in "The Lake House". It features a character traveling through time like in "The Time Traveler's Wife", and it revolves around a quietly abusive relationship between a man & a woman like in "Sleeping with the Enemy". Throw them all together and mix vigorously with a dash of very nice jazz trumpet music, and there you have "A Thousand Kisses Deep".It is NOT a "science fiction" as I've read in some places (why do people see "time travel" and immediately think HG Welles and Star Trek??). And it's definitely not a "romance", unless your idea of romance includes borderline rape, borderline paedophilia and something even worse which I won't ruin for you. It's not a straightforward thriller because there's not really any terror. So this film is pretty hard to classify except to say that it's the story of a woman who is trying to fix her past, present and future before it ends in disaster.By the way, although I just threw a bunch of spooky themes at you (rape, paedophilia, etc), don't worry because the film is not explicit or graphic in any way. It implies a lot of things, but I don't think there's any nudity other than Jodie Whittaker's backside shown through a closet door. This subtle style of filmmaking is prevalent in the whole movie, which means there aren't a lot of melodramatic clichés or people shouting & breaking things. What's funny is that the *lack* of action/violence makes the film even more sinister to me.Another interesting spin is the way the story is very dreamlike--symbolic and metaphoric rather than realistic--so you don't get caught up analyzing plot details. For example, the time traveler is never recognized by any of the other characters even though you'd think they would. Also, settings don't change either, and although some characters age expectedly, others stay the same. It sets an interesting tone, as if telling us (like a dream) that certain appearances are not as important as their meaning.This is director Dana Lustig's latest film credit (as of 2014), and I hope there are many more to come. It is one of the rare thrillers with a female perspective which I (a guy) find so much more provocative than the standard Hollywood thrillers about some dude who's steamrolling through the story trying to be cool. "A Thousand Kisses Deep" has just enough enough pauses for reflection while maintaining its momentum. Definitely give this a whirl if you're looking for a movie that's pensive yet provocative and certainly different from all the rest.
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