https://youtube.com/watch?v=PI7bjxyNf-8
@newt
I've always assumed this movie to be overrated, then I've read actual reviews and those weren't so good — then I had to see it myself… And I have to admit that it's neither bad nor THAT good: it's an interesting concept that was carried out in a way that it's not boring to watch — nothing more, nothing less…
And yeah, some scenes do look spectacular! AFAIK the director's background is just that scene — music videos.
@newt
Oh, man, come on, it's not about the main character! There was so much to explore given proper funding — side characters, they could've given his "wife" a proper arc that would make you literally crave her (which would've still been fake), all of the supporting cast could've been given their own arcs — but the only one we see that has been worked on is his sidekick, and I agree with those reviews: this just wasn't enough!
The movie didn't seem rushed to me in any way. It is just what it is, a experimental piece of spectacle, a music or a gaming video stretched into a feature-length movie with a completely nonsensical plot and one real character (Jimmy) serving as an anchor.
@newt
Some of this could've been done outside the FPS thing, and I think that the director did take those hints when he was making his next movie — the one with Bob Odenkirk, and that was a good and successful one!
This one? No — it feels rushed! It even has high-profile Russian actors, so I don't think it was solely due to lack of funding — the concept was just rushed with no obvious competition. Then again — it wasn't a bad movie, did exceed my expectations.