The story follows John "Kable" Tillman who is being controlled by Simon, a 17-year-old gamer. It’s set in a future where people are able to control other human beings through videogames. The film received poor reception.
In the opening sequence, there are no opening credits to speak of but we do learn who produced/distributed the movie – Lionsgate and Lakeshore entertainment.
We are also shown things about the location and various things about the main character. We can gather from the opening that the movie is set in a relatively similar time period, and in the city.
As for the character, we are mislead very early on. Kable starts out looking like a normal soldier but it becomes obvious quickly that this isn’t quite true. As far as the audience is concerned, Kable is in a warzone. He is carrying a gun and is seemingly shooting at “the enemy”, but the clever editing makes us question this. The screen flickers and experiences static, and the framerate is messed around with so that some parts appear jerky.
At the very beginning of the movie, we see multiple long shots of buildings and cities, each having the word “Kable” on it as well as advertisements for something. One of the buildings has “Four battles to Freedom” written on it. All of this makes us question the plot of the movie, which hasn’t yet been revealed.
Non-diegetic sound is used at the beginning of the film in the form of a metal song, which helps to create the gritty, real tone of the movie and sets the atmosphere.
The moment the long shots of the buildings end and the main action begins, the music stops.
There is also lots of diegetic sound – mainly gunfire and explosions which help to set the location and make everything seem more real, but also the amplified sound of the breathing which could show the emotion state of the character and their physical exertion. There are also sci-fi sounds that may or may not be diegetic.
Mise en scene is definitely key in the movie. In terms of costumes, all of the characters are dressed in military/solider type cloths (grunge coloured tops and trousers, boots, ect.), carrying weapons. This instantly gives the audience the idea of war and killing which is a main point of the movie.
The set also shows the atmosphere of the movie. They are in some kind of abandoned/broken warehouse, with a lot of scrap metal and broken things lying around – some of which is on fire.
Dead bodies are also scattered across the floor, showing the audience how much danger the main character is in, and again showing the theme/atmosphere of war/killing.
The opening sequence is first edited as a montage, before becoming continuative. Editing is largely short, fast pace shots, showing the quickness of the battle and how much is going on at once. There are also some interesting graphical effects that have been added. For example, the first person shot of when the save point is being targeted.
The cinematography is interesting. Apart from the opening long shots of the cities, the rest of the shots are hand held shots, which makes the movie feel jerky, fast pace and real. There are also several point of view shots that which make the audience feel as if they are playing the “game” as well.
Kable is mostly filmed from a low angle, making him seem powerful and dominant through out the sequence.
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