Z for Zachariah

Decent film, but unspectacular. It's actually rather generic when I come to think of it, but I did grow to like it at times, especially when Caleb (Chris Pine) enters the film, which is about 45 minutes into its 90-minute runtime. There are some good moments of mystery and/or competitiveness between John and Caleb, jealousy from John, and awkwardness between all three, but it wasn't taken advantage of. I wanted more. And while the final scene (and the music for it which then continues through the end credits) is absolutely terrific, it did end the film rather abruptly. Performance wise, Chris Pine and Chiwetel Ejiofor are right on the mark, with Margot Robbie feeling a little flimsy. Her appearance is different, and she has a slight accent, but her acting just doesn't hit the mark. One scene at the beginning highlights my point perfectly; when she is scrubbing herself after having been into a radioactive zone (which she must have done hundreds of times), Robbie performs it as though it's her first time (which of course it is, but that's where her acting ability is limited). The film's slow pace isn't such a bad thing, as it does have some nice cinematography at times, but overall I feel the film just doesn't exploit any of the tension it begins to build - doubt over Caleb's backstory, the communication between the three, the mystery of Caleb's disappearance etc., which ultimately is its downfall. I mean, sure, we can speculate, and that is fun in some films, but here I felt it would have helped the lethargy to have some thrills.

B

Algren before me, sums it up pretty well. It's good, but never gets deep. I enjoyed it, and I can't pinpoint anything bad about it. The actors are good, and cinematography is nice, while I especially like the moments when some music kicks in and brings some live into the film. For the rest it's mostly somber, it's fine for the tone of the film, but it just never gets me emotionally involved in it. There simply doesn't seem any grand plan involved with the film, it just involves 3 characters for a short period of time coping with being the only humans alive. Solid, but not very compelling.

B

Fine to a point. Then once it becomes about the triangle the film goes off a cliff.

A quiet and very modestly scaled post-apocalyptic yarn, this film represents, I thought, an interesting idea executed well: even at the end of the world, a certain red-state/blue-state, mind-versus-muscle dynamic can erupt and destabilize people who have otherwise found an improbable idyll. Every performance is strong. There is a potent mood of perpetual gloom flirting with revived hope. And the ending is creepily, provocatively ambiguous.

B+

Nice to see Robbie play a character who is not an over-the-top, always-on-display sex kitten.