User Reviews

"Plurality" is an American English-language short film by Asian-American filmmaker Dennis A. Liu, his more known effort by two career works only. The more known name here is certainly writer Ryan Condal and if you look at his body of work you will find some pretty prestigious blockbuster projects, especially the stuff he did with Dwayne Johnson. But now lets take a loo at these 14 minutes here. I may say that I am possibly a bit biased as Sci-Fi never did too much for me, but I was positively surprised by the outcome here. It is a fast interesting futuristic little movie with a fairly decent plot at the core of it all. And the title is quite fitting too. You will know what I mean when you watch it. And I think you should. Acting's fine, script is decent too and I think Liu should return to making films as this one from five years ago is a success overall. I can see why it managed to get somewhat popular on Youtube, even if it is not one that stacked millions and millions of views. Go check it out. I'd maybe even watch a full feature based on this one and this means quite something in my very case. 90%, maybe more, of Sci-Fi short films are inferior.

New York of the future has driven crime to an all-time low due to the introduction of a DNA-based network where any transaction, any interaction and any surface will log and track the DNA of that individual to start their car, enter their home, grant access to their workplace, buy a Coke, anything. However, something strange is happening – duplicates (or pluralities) of some people are start to show up in NYC. Under the guidance of the surveillance network of Director Pollard, Agent Jacob Foucault is out to hunt down the most recent example – journalist Anna Winston.

As many a Hollywood blockbuster can testify, you can get away with a lot if you hit the ground running and don't let up – many a thriller is full of plot holes and nonsense but the viewer never really has time to sit and question them because the film is carrying them along at a great pace and not giving them time. Plurality is at its best when it plays this card and for the first half of the film it does it extremely well. The world of the DNA grid is introduced with great effects and pace, so much so you never really stop to think that actually, while our DNA is unique for individuals, it isn't something that is impossible to get and actually we shed it everywhere we go. This is a flaw in the logic but it doesn't matter because we are in this world so therefore it must work and we are moving fast. Although we have no idea what it means, suddenly we have a plurality and supercool agent Foucault is off and literally running in a chase sequence that is not quite Bourne levels but still works as such.

It is when this is over that the film starts to wobble; the interview sequence requires a lot of dialogue and now suddenly the lack of a working bigger picture is a weakness and the lack of understanding of the "plurality" effect is also an issue. It is a shame because this section points to a bigger story to tell and I guess the hope is that someone with money would feel this way too and help make it happen, but the aims and methods of the time-travellers is not really introduced well. That said the film ends on another high – the new plurality and you know by the way it ends that the very next scene will be thrilling just like the opening ones. The delivery may ape Hollywood thrillers but it is effective and well done – it is a little limited perhaps but mostly when it is moving it is really good. In the performances it is the same – Nissani is great in the lead role, strong presence, cool delivery, but his dialogue not also so and his narration doesn't always work. Strelitz is more or less the same, best when moving, not so much when talking. Di Domenico's big gruff American director is a caricature but his delivery of his lines is part of the "thriller" delivery that works well.

Plurality is a mixed bag; it has weaknesses in the plot and particularly in the dialogue, but yet when it is moving it is working above its level with good effects and motion which is engaging and thrilling. The second half is weaker for sure but it ends on a promise and if this was a start of a Minority Report thriller with Nissani's Foucault in the lead, I'd be watching it.

From the director of Super friends(2019), Welcome to BIONA. Hope you Survive the Experience(2018), Denis A. Liu, we saw an interesting Sci Fi short: Plurality (2012), this short as some of the recent films pictures a close future some might even call dystopian. In this future the city of New York is controlled by a new security system that tracks the people everywhere: from the streets to the public transport even the stores, they are tracked down by their fingerprints. Which are used from paying items to open doors, as well as tracking down criminals and fugitives, but something weird happens as people start showing at two places at the same time. In this work we can see the influences of other Sci Fi films on the director's style but also the interest on fictional and action elements that are going to be present in later works, with a great focus on city landscapes and use of the grey and blue colors to make the audience feel in the future an interesting film winner of the Gold Coast international film festival of 2013.

Detailed Summary: New York is under permanent inspection by the government. The master software has detected a plurality through the sensor grid: Two blonde women with the same DNA. The government employees have started a persecution following the DNA alerts that the system has capture from the woman's interaction with every object in NYC. Both have been captured and interrogated to identify which Alana is in the current time and which one is the plurality.

The inspector, Jacob Foucault, has detected differences on the woman's answers. One of them have specific time references than the other one. That allows to the government inspectors identify that the woman that have vague idea of the time references is the actually plurality. To keep the order of the world every plurality should be eliminated.

· Scenario

There are some air landscapes of NY Island while the voice in off sets up the context. Several scenes of skyscrapers and streets.

The pursuit takes place mostly in outdoors. We can see places like the subway stairs, the street and a public park that give variety to the scenarios.

· Directing

The plot seems to have some influences of sci-fi movies such as blade runner and total recall.

The action develops progressive and coherently. As the movie goes on, the background is being explained to the watcher as a tactical way to take the most of every minute.

· Acting

The dramatical weight on this film relies on characters of Inspector Jacob Foucault (Jefrey Nissani) and Alana Winston (Samantha Strelitz).

Jacob's smoke habit is used to emphasize his role as a conspicuous inspector in the story.

Samantha plays the role of two Alanas, with some slight differences, she gives lots of drama to the sequence.

The full team of investigation take it seriously, when it comes to follow Alana along the city, given cameras and DNA detection devices-

· Musical elements

The music appropriately supports the enigma and drama being developed.

Music is dramatical during action and tensely calmed during the questionaries.

· Visual elements

The whole sequence develops in dark places.

In the pursuit, there is a camera to the level of the floor, following Alana's steps. This gives a sense of urgency, speed.

There are simple yet powerful elements to simulate hi-tech gadgets, such as the images on the widescreen of the investigation team.

Clothes are ordinary, using neutral colors, rather than designing full outfits for every actor.

The film is an interesting trip to a dystopian future of the New York city including exciting elements as time differences, detectives, persecutions and action sequences that can make the viewers get really excited and interested on the short's plot and will be eager to know more about this world and its rules.

This movie affords in a new, unexpected way, the dominant futuristic technology over world population, with a brilliant ending.

This short shows the early expectations and interests of the director on the Sci-Fi genre, exceeding expectations and making the audience interested on the director's work, with a futuristic and mystery aura, this 13 minutes only film its worth every second and a good recommendation in case you have some spare time!