BootDigest
Such a frustrating disappointment
PiraBit
if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.
Seraherrera
The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity
secondtake
360 (2011)In many ways this is a fabulous movie--complex, warm, chilling, even poignant. It's meant to be an almost serious look at contemporary relationships, including sexual ones with prostitutes, affairs with fellow workers, quickies with someone new, and long term loves between married husband and wife. It works overall, sometimes really well.Because of its seriousness you might notice a few scenes where things are pushed a little hard. The main one of these is when a Brazilian girl comes on hard to a recently released sex offender in an airport after moments before being put off by him and having plans to meet someone else for a polite drink. At first it's improbable, then the writers decide to push the encounter harder and harder until it becomes extreme and sensationalist. Too bad, because in other parts of the movie the extremes--such as a prostitute getting started through sleazy photographer listing her on the web, even though she has zero experience--get pulled off with conviction. Not that most of us know the ins and outs of that world.There are too many characters to make things clear here, but it's worth saying that Anthony Hopkins again shows how he can command a scene like no one else in the film. His monologue at an AA meeting is a short masterpiece, and his performance in general is almost enough to justify seeing the film all by itself.Other characters are excellent, including Jude Law in a restrained part as a married businessman looking for some action on the road. (His wife has her own affair in full swing.) Yeah, come to think of it, there is a lot of infidelity going on here. The one sincere relationship is another unlikely moment, with a sweet girl going off with a somewhat mixed up Russian in a Mercedes (and she leaves her bag on her park bench for no good reason, she's not in a hurry). But hey, all of these things are happening so rapidly and with so much overlap, who knows? It even includes many cases of split screens reaching three or four simultaneous panels at times.You start to see how the world works for some people in a contemporary way. It's sordid on some level, filled with deceit and sadness. But it's also believable, at least for this certain urban, footloose set. I assume the title means that it all comes around full circle somehow, that we're all in the same big boat. Watch with attention. The characters are all distinctive but there are a lot of them. The director, Fernando Meirelles, is ambitious, for sure, but he made of the most highly regarded films of recent years, "City of God," so this is worth watching even just for that connection. "360" is limited and flawed by comparison, but it's better (I think) than its rating might let on.
BrianLlywd
I gotta say I really, really liked this picture. Now appreciate - I'm an iconoclast and whenever I smell studio BS promo I stay clear away. But this picture has none of this smell (cause it's an indie) but had plenty of pleasant aroma. It had a number of story lines, a number of twists and surprises, a very attractive cast and they all acted well. The plot... could it have been tighter? I suppose. But the apparent joy of the performers lead this picture into high level territory. Hopkins, in his AA soliloquy, was as brilliant as an actor can be. Absolutely authentic and believable. Maria Flor is stunning as a young lost waif looking for love in all the wrong places and Ben Foster as a sex offender trying to control his urges is exceptional. There are more moments of unanticipated joy in this picture than there are expected times of sadness. I recommend this film and will watch it again.
Gordon-11
This film is about a married couple, and the people linked to them through their respective infidelity."360" is an artistic film that tells the live stories of may different individuals, loosely linked with Jude Law and Rachel Weisz. Despite the plethora of characters, the story is easy to follow. However, the story itself is not that interesting. Basically, it's A meets B, B meets C, C meets D, D meets E, then A sees F walking past and then F does the same thing B was doing earlier. It is a nice circle, but I am unsure if it is entertaining or interesting to watch. One thing I would like the film to expand on is Blanca's fate after she found the suitcase. That would have been interesting. Overall, "360" is an OK film to watch, but don't expect much from it.
jotix100
It is easy to see the appeal of a classic work, like "La Ronde" by Arthur Schnitzler, to be the basis of a film project. The fact that we, as humans, are more interconnected than we realize, is a theme that appeals to filmmakers all over the world. Unfortunately, this film was done better before by Max Ophuls in France.This new retelling of the play was the work of the ambitious team of Fernando Mirelles, its director, and Peter Morgan, the screenwriter. For lack of imagination, the production goes all over the world in order to make its point. The action takes the viewer from Vienna, to Paris, to London, to Denver, and Phoenix, and back again. The film kept reminding this viewer of Robert Altman, a genius, in comparison, who could combine a lot of styles and situations into an end that, at least, made sense and was more palatable to audiences.That is the basic problem with "360". Most of the stories do not connect, or get resolution, in most cases. There is a lot of talent in the film, poorly depicted on the screen. Take the cases of Jude Law's businessman prevented from having sex with an aspiring prostitute, or the grieving Anthony Hopkins coming to identify the body of who can be his runaway daughter.The large cast is easy on the eyes, but in the final analysis, there is no substance to most of the vignettes. One can only recommend a viewing of the Max Ophuls' masterpiece "La Ronde".
