BootDigest
Such a frustrating disappointment
Helloturia
I have absolutely never seen anything like this movie before. You have to see this movie.
Robert Joyner
The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one
suffer_well
This is how you made a documentary. At times I felt like I was watching a Kubrick's movie. This movie was not just beautiful, but also very meaningful. It wasn't just about photography, but for humanity in general. And it was not just a documentary, but a very distinguished piece of art. I felt so happy and I smiled a lot during its screening at Sofia Film Fest. I was impressed by the way life, time and people were presented in this movie.
a-59721
Pure genius. A psychedelic cinema masterwork.
On the surface there is polaroid, future and past revelations meshed into an arty documentary which at times feels like an 70's sci-fi movie. The director certainly is not shy in showing his visual influences; Koyaaniquatsi, A Space Odyssey and other 70's cinema nuggets are on display loud and proud. But if you look closer there is a deeper message about the way we interact with each other through images. Who would have thought a simple polaroid picture would be at the technological and philosophical center of our current ever-connected way of living.
The movie is presented as a trip but that doesn't mean it's all spectacle. There's a kooky artist in the desert who is like the Oracle in the Matrix, a scientist who is struggling with the ingredients of polaroid-material, and a writer about polaroids who tries to find back his mojo. Especially his quirky kid is the cutest thing ever. I would say the inventor of Polaroid has the biggest story-arc, even though he has limited screen time. The stories presented are engaging but weird in a cool way. There are even some touching and truly funny moments. I won't spoil them.
It's light-years ahead of that Year Zero documentary of a couple of years ago; a straight up no frills documentary about the Impossible team starting up the old Polaroid factory. The Impossible team is also featured here but in a different capacity and at a different time. I would say this movie is just a different kind of animal. Closer to something Werner Herzog might have dreamt up in his during his early career. Klaus Kinski would have been right at home here. (Another German cult actor has a surprising cameo)
The movie does have some flaws but nothing major. At certain points the slow pace dragged a bit and there was a certain brief part of the movie that didn't interest me so much. Nothing distracting. There is a lot to like and it instantly (pun intended) has become one my fav documentaries. An acquired taste maybe, but I welcomed it wholeheartedly. Saying this is a documentary just about polaroid would be doing it a big disservice. I found it ironic how a movie reflecting on the analog experience captured that genuine retro feel more then let's say the latest Blade Runner installment. (Which I also loved btw)
El Tata
A documentary is an article (visual, written or sound) explaining a situation, an object, a person or a combination of those. At that explanation is possible to alternate the time or space of the story in order to be attractive to the audience. Instant Dreams was an awful ride. I learned absolutely nothing about the chemical process of the Polaroid Camera, or how was truly the discovery of that type of photography. This movie is visually amazing, but does the public really think that those visuals are the real chemical process behind every Polaroid Photo!? The characters! Man, I'm truly sad for the documentarist who found these people. I'm sorry but they are not even that much interesting. Couldn't you find some other artists?...Well, the only thing that I learned from this movie is that it is possible to get into festivals and get prices tricking the people, and that makes me sad.
jungerhanson
I managed to catch a screening at the documentary festival in Amsterdam. I was intrigued by the trailer, which I found heavy-handed but wildly intriguing. I was interested in learning more about Polaroid. I did, but got more then expected. Tbh I was blown away by it. What was brought to the screen was beyond anything I was expecting. Space Odyssey in a Herzog - Malick kind of way, if that makes any sense. A visually striking retro ride for sure. There is no plot outline written yet. It's hard to describe, without spoiling anything I would say the movie leans towards being a visual poem. The characters have surreal connections to Polaroid film. The story is layered with fascinating quotes, a reoccurring theme of Christmas, a search for a chemical formula, an artist in a pink bathrobe and her funny chickens. I found it hard to wrap my head around all the details. There's one part of the movie involving the inventor of Polaroid, which totally blew my mind. I enjoyed it immensely and made me want to dig up that old Polaroid camera.
