The Spielberg magic is missing in the film
that humans have sought refuge in a Utopian virtual-reality universe.
The death of the inventor (Mark Rylance, a Spielberg regular lately) of one such mega-tech system,
Oasis, sparks a bizarre treasure hunt where gamers must race across digital worlds in search of a multimillion-dollar prize that will include control of the entire VR kingdom.
The treasure hunters include a pair of geeky teenagers (Tye Sheridan-olivia Cooke) determined to vanquish a rival corporate honcho (Ben Mendelsohn).
It is difficult to get excited about the thrills offered in the ostensible videogame paradise; one’s eyes are confounded rather than dazzled by the swirling chaos. block during the course of a long, hot summer.
The film was co-written and directed by Sean Baker, whose previous film Tangerine was shot entirely on an iphone. Without a trace of sentimentality, it chronicles the carefree innocence of childhood even as the children intuit that there are no easy answers to the problems
The action devolves from time to time into soap operaish scenes between the loveydovey couple.
The film’s unwieldy twoand-a-half-hour runtime is another deterrent.
There is a truly terrific pastiche / homage to Stanley Kubrick’s cult classic, The Shining. But all in all, Spielberg would do well to return to the real world. they face.
Willem Dafoe is outstanding as the motel manager, whether he’s accosting a probable paedophile or shooing a flock of cranes.
The penultimate scene will have you sobbing. Make sure you see this gem of a movie before it makes way for more audience-friendly fare.