It is hard to write a review about this movie without giving spoilers. Infact, rather than being a review this is more of an account on what I took away from the film which may differ to others.
So, as mentioned, the start of the film is along the lines of a game. The protagonist, a nice man, with a nice family and generally a 'nice' life. He certainly feels that he is doing alright in the game of life.
But an old friend comes into his office and offers him a present, a weekend away. The main guy is not too keen at first, but eventually decides to go ahead. He has no idea of what to expect on his weekend away. But after a couple of intriguing clues he ends up blindfolded on a bus travelling to his hosts for the weekend.
Upon reaching the place, there is welcoming party where it becomes obvious that most others had been before and he is almost immediately outed as being 'a foetus', to be taken as both a newbie and somebody yet to be born.
There are only a few rules, one being he can leave whenever he wants, another that there are no leaders (although it is obvious throughout the film that there are leaders), mobile phones handed in at the door, and the fact they are not a cult. Sorry, I can't remember the last one but it's of no importance.
On the one hand, he is made to feel very welcome. On the other there is a mysterious woman who tells him she does not think its ready. This is a ploy in which to confuse him I believe.
Unfortunately, this part of the film isn't satisfying enough and full of holes. But you can get past these, it's just the film could have been an hour longer with the detail as in 'the game'. For example, the mysterious woman asks him what he wants, why he is here, and practically insinuates he can have anything (including her) if only he asks. He closes not to ask so is taken to a room she believes he may like.
This room, and the other two rooms he visits, are a bit like group counselling sessions, all with the aim of destroying his taught and preconceived ideas of the world. However, despite being anxious throughout, he only really begins to lose it when he is physically assaulted. At this point he wants to leave, but is offered another room which someone says would be more to his taste. This starts off friendly enough, but quickly develops sexual undertones, which would possibly have ended up in an organisation if he did not repeatedly here screaming in the background.
I'm not going to carry on with the story line here as it all leads to the ending of the film.
But in my opinion, the film is actually trying to be quite spiritual, in a Zen Buddhism type of way, where the Zen masters job is to break down your perceived ego to see who or what is underneath.
The problem at the end is that he is blackmailed into helping defraud the bank he works for. He does this within a state of shock from previous events and his friend tells him that within five years he will thank him.
The rest of the film is a future video manifesto about 'Reborn' and stars the protagonist who has turned into a hippy like character, has purchased his wife to attend and become part of 'rebirth', even the daughter who is about 8.
The problem is that it does not show how this wreck of a man who had to be blackmailed changed, let alone his family. If anything, he would more likely end up in a mental asylum or at least prison.
But putting this aside, yes it was a cult/ pyramid scheme. His role now is to encourage his friends and colleagues to attend, which apparently they all had and their lives had changed so much for the better.
I've actually been into what I will describe as 'the spiritual scene' for 30 years now and there is a lot of this film which makes sense in that way, but due to the shortcuts, there are too many holes, so the spiritual message will get lost on most who watch it. Infact, the ego in me, despite having no filming experience wishes I could have helped make it and possibly fill in the holes. But instead, like everyone else, we get to fill the holes in ourselves, and when you do that, you realise it doesn't work. But why should it, its only a film.
So, as mentioned, the start of the film is along the lines of a game. The protagonist, a nice man, with a nice family and generally a 'nice' life. He certainly feels that he is doing alright in the game of life.
But an old friend comes into his office and offers him a present, a weekend away. The main guy is not too keen at first, but eventually decides to go ahead. He has no idea of what to expect on his weekend away. But after a couple of intriguing clues he ends up blindfolded on a bus travelling to his hosts for the weekend.
Upon reaching the place, there is welcoming party where it becomes obvious that most others had been before and he is almost immediately outed as being 'a foetus', to be taken as both a newbie and somebody yet to be born.
There are only a few rules, one being he can leave whenever he wants, another that there are no leaders (although it is obvious throughout the film that there are leaders), mobile phones handed in at the door, and the fact they are not a cult. Sorry, I can't remember the last one but it's of no importance.
On the one hand, he is made to feel very welcome. On the other there is a mysterious woman who tells him she does not think its ready. This is a ploy in which to confuse him I believe.
Unfortunately, this part of the film isn't satisfying enough and full of holes. But you can get past these, it's just the film could have been an hour longer with the detail as in 'the game'. For example, the mysterious woman asks him what he wants, why he is here, and practically insinuates he can have anything (including her) if only he asks. He closes not to ask so is taken to a room she believes he may like.
This room, and the other two rooms he visits, are a bit like group counselling sessions, all with the aim of destroying his taught and preconceived ideas of the world. However, despite being anxious throughout, he only really begins to lose it when he is physically assaulted. At this point he wants to leave, but is offered another room which someone says would be more to his taste. This starts off friendly enough, but quickly develops sexual undertones, which would possibly have ended up in an organisation if he did not repeatedly here screaming in the background.
I'm not going to carry on with the story line here as it all leads to the ending of the film.
But in my opinion, the film is actually trying to be quite spiritual, in a Zen Buddhism type of way, where the Zen masters job is to break down your perceived ego to see who or what is underneath.
The problem at the end is that he is blackmailed into helping defraud the bank he works for. He does this within a state of shock from previous events and his friend tells him that within five years he will thank him.
The rest of the film is a future video manifesto about 'Reborn' and stars the protagonist who has turned into a hippy like character, has purchased his wife to attend and become part of 'rebirth', even the daughter who is about 8.
The problem is that it does not show how this wreck of a man who had to be blackmailed changed, let alone his family. If anything, he would more likely end up in a mental asylum or at least prison.
But putting this aside, yes it was a cult/ pyramid scheme. His role now is to encourage his friends and colleagues to attend, which apparently they all had and their lives had changed so much for the better.
I've actually been into what I will describe as 'the spiritual scene' for 30 years now and there is a lot of this film which makes sense in that way, but due to the shortcuts, there are too many holes, so the spiritual message will get lost on most who watch it. Infact, the ego in me, despite having no filming experience wishes I could have helped make it and possibly fill in the holes. But instead, like everyone else, we get to fill the holes in ourselves, and when you do that, you realise it doesn't work. But why should it, its only a film.