I gave this movie an extra star simply for having the guts to avoid any simple explanation of why (or if) a camcorder can stop time. As some other reviewers have pointed out, the camcorder is not really critical to the plot, except in the way that it reflects the yearning and distress of the lead character. My own guess is...no, it didn't stop time. It wouldn't make a substantial difference if it actually did.
Unlike some reviewers, I did not find this film to be at all boring, or even slow-paced. It progresses with its own rhythm based on the process of grieving.
I also found a lot of reasons to be sympathetic to the two survivors. (I'm about the same age as the main character and I lost my wife two years ago.) The portrayal of the depth of his loss, and the loss of a sense of direction and purpose is accurate. (I simply had to move out of our house after my wife died. I didn't move to an abandoned hospital, but I do understand how that could make perfect sense to someone.)
The FX are quite good, though not anything groundbreaking. A couple scenes, particularly ones with the tennis balls, are not very good, but they are acceptable in an indie flick like this.
Overall, I enjoyed it. The filmmakers exhibited a lot of restraint and left much unsaid.
Unlike some reviewers, I did not find this film to be at all boring, or even slow-paced. It progresses with its own rhythm based on the process of grieving.
I also found a lot of reasons to be sympathetic to the two survivors. (I'm about the same age as the main character and I lost my wife two years ago.) The portrayal of the depth of his loss, and the loss of a sense of direction and purpose is accurate. (I simply had to move out of our house after my wife died. I didn't move to an abandoned hospital, but I do understand how that could make perfect sense to someone.)
The FX are quite good, though not anything groundbreaking. A couple scenes, particularly ones with the tennis balls, are not very good, but they are acceptable in an indie flick like this.
Overall, I enjoyed it. The filmmakers exhibited a lot of restraint and left much unsaid.