iLife

Author(s): Brian
Location: Arizona

"iLife”

Directed by Terry Gilliam
Written by Jason Reitman and Terry Gilliam
Produced by Charles Roven and Terry Gilliam
Music by Danny Elfman

Principal Cast:

Joan Cusack (Veronica)
Robert Downey Jr. (Charlie)
Bill Murray (Albert)
Alan Arkin (Ron)
Morgan Freeman (James)
Emily Browning (Lisa)
Paul Dano (Truman)
Sandra Oh (Natalie)
Ellen DeGeneres (Phoebe)
Jamie Lee Curtis (Scarlett)
Steve Buscemi (Jeremy)
Queen Latifah (Alice)
Edward Norton (Adam)
Sigourney Weaver (Jennifer)
William H. Macy (Nick)
Jodie Foster (Jill)
Willem Dafoe (Brad)

Tagline: "Live. Love. Recharge"

Synopsis: The year is 2010. America. Technology is still advancing at the same rate as it is now, and it has come to the point of where people have almost forgotten what it means to go outside, to verbally communicate or do something just for “fun”. Fed up with this new and unsatisfying life, a businesswoman named Veronica forces her husband, Charlie, and their teenage son and daughter, Truman and Lisa, to go one week without portable electronics that were made within the last decade. She finds that their lives have become dependant on these goods.

Next are Albert, Ron and James: childhood friends and the head advisors of Search Way, the main provider of all these modern conveniences. They are all wealthy as can be, and are completely oblivious to the real world and how their products are affecting earth. But, when a traditionalist named Natalie to set the record straight, an unforgettable conversation unfolds.

Phoebe, Scarlett, Jeremy and Alice have been poor all their lives, and live in the same homeless shelter. Phoebe has mild mental retardation; Scarlett is her sister, Jeremy was only recently released from prison and Alice is convinced that she’s Queen Latifah. As a “charitable” service, a representative named Adam is giving free 1 week trials of all of Search Way’s products at no charge. As the four start to live off of these things, they decide it is their duty to return people back to normal. But how can you do that with no money, and, for some, mental stability?

The final story concerns Jennifer, a bored and unhappy former housewife. Her husband, Nick, is always preoccupied, and their neighboring couple, Brad and Jill, are involved with an underground project and Jennifer wants in. She finds that they are making cheaper counterfeits of the Search Way products. It is not long until they become obsessed with making these. But what happens when they are caught?

Each of these stories are told in small bits until all the pieces are put together, leading up to an extravaganza of a conclusion. This film keeps audiences thinking and laughing all at the same time.

What the press would say:

Before I write this review, let me just wipe away the tears I made laughing at this film.

This new ensemble satire is astounding on all levels, but what is most entertaining about it is that we have all been technologically dependant like these characters at points in our lives, and it becomes worse every day. This film is a warning label of what can happen when we become addicted to modern appliances, but that doesn’t stop us from laughing out loud at the witty and sophisticated screenplay by Jason Reitman and Terry Gilliam. Speaking of Gilliam, his direction in this piece is what makes it the masterpiece that it is. Even if the film fails to receive a Best Picture nomination, expect Gilliam to receive a Best Director win. Every performance in this film is astounding, but there are three that stand out: Joan Cusack, Queen Latifah, Ellen DeGeneres and Bill Murray. Each of them are perfectly cast (especially Queen Latifah’s hilarious portrayal as an insane fan of herself) and make bold yet subtle steps for their stories. This film could end up being a dark horse Oscar contender with a strong campaign in the following categories…

Best Picture (Charles Roven and Terry Gilliam)
Best Director (Terry Gilliam)
Best Original Screenplay (Terry Gilliam and Jason Reitman)
Best Supporting Actor (Bill Murray)
Best Supporting Actress (Ellen DeGeneres, Queen Latifah & Joan Cusack)
Best Original Score (Danny Elfman)
Best Film Editing
Best Cinematography
Best Sound Mixing