by Shane Conto
Who doesn’t love a cheesy opening line for a movie review? This film provides plenty of ambition, but falls short on the bliss. How was that? I tried. But in all seriousness, Bliss is the latest offering from Amazon and tries to deliver quite the mind-bending experience. Owen Wilson is down on his luck… to say the least. He is recently divorced and starts the film getting canned at work. But Wilson’s character Greg spends most of his time daydreaming a woman and expresses these dreams through drawing. Then a twist of fate brings the mysterious Isabel (Salma Hayek) into his life and turns it upside down. During a time where many large budget films are being endlessly pushed back, a strange little film like this gets the opportunity to shine. Bliss is trying to grab the spotlight and make the most of it.
Does up-and-coming writer/director Mike Cahill deliver on this bold reality-bending tale for the streaming giant?
Cahill can never be accused of playing things safe. The tone of this film is frantic to say the least. There is a fever dream quality to the experiences of the film and a high energy that drives the film (just not always moving forward). But is a breakneck pace worthwhile if it is swinging wild and a bit aimlessly? When a film has a story that is wild like this one, it is quite challenging to find an appropriate pace and tone. Cahill seems to lose his grip as the film goes on and the great potential and mystery posed at the beginning disappears as time progresses. That is not to say the film lacks impressive filmmaking technique. The opening sequence of Greg struggling in his office setting delivers impressive tension in the anxiety that builds. The camera movements and inspired framing of the camera bring a uniqueness to the film. That is probably the best thing about this film…it is unique.
As I sit here continuing to write this review, I still wonder…what is the heck is this movie about?
What really happened? The film feels like a drug trip and honestly may have been too good at portraying that. The film develops some strong sympathy for Greg from the start as he definitely struggles with his lot in life. We root for Greg as he meets this enigmatic woman who can inject life into him. But what exactly is he putting in his body? The adventure that Isabel takes Greg on is… messy. The narrative can get quite confusing as at times it feels so obvious this is about drugs yet it can be so confusing at the same time. There is a subplot involving Greg’s kids and they never feel like they are developed enough to truly care about their plight. Even by the end, they did not feel of much consequence. Greg feels like a believable addict so his arc feels like it provides a strong anchor for the story. Wilson delivers a vulnerable and solid performance while displaying effective chemistry with his fellow lead. Isabel never really feels like a person so it is hard to connect, but she is entertaining. Hayek does a great job of encapsulating the chaos that makes up Isabel’s presence.
When the dust settles down on this crazed roller coaster of a film, was it worth the ride?
Bliss can be pretty entertaining and trippy, but it never really comes together in a completely satisfying way. The solid performances and shines of technical prowess never quite elevate this muddled reality-questioning tale. Can it be a disposable 100-minute streaming on Prime? Certainly. Will it really capture your attention and imagination? Not quite.
Grade: C-