Title: Answers to Nothing

Directed by: Matthew Leutwyler

Starring: Dane Cook, Elizabeth Mitchell and Julie Benz

Answers to Nothing wants to be a lot, but it falters in a big way. First, it seems like Crash-lite–which is the biggest problem. Second, it’s an ensemble piece. Ensemble pieces are hard enough to create, and here we have a director working with amateurish storytelling and directing. It might sound harsh, but sadly, it’s true. Writer/ director Matthew Leutwyler wanted to infuse the film with feelings of redemption and guilt, and it ultimately comes off as contrived. All of that together is the recipe for a poor movie — and an even worse one if not handled delicately. Thankfully, two actresses, Julie Benz and Elizabeth Mitchell keep it watchable, and away from being an utter disaster. Answers to Nothing lacks energy and any sense of narrative or directorial vision.

As soon as I mentioned Crash, I’m sure many of you already had an idea of what you’ll be expecting if you choose to check it out. Leutwyler is not trying anything really new, but intertwining lives in storytelling is a hard feat in itself. Contagion was a film this year that, I felt, successfully pulled it off. But many other directors have not been so lucky. Leutwyler is not alone in making a film that feels contrived – Iñaritu is another that comes to mind. This film feels very much like a television production with known actors and a bigger budget. Like every ensemble piece, Answers to Nothing is centered around one basic theme. In this particular film, Leutwyler has taken various aspects of his personality and formed characters around them. The danger in this is there’s always a risk of your protagonists becoming one-dimensional and planted—and this is what happens here.

The backdrop is probably the most interesting part of the film. There’s a girl who has gone missing, and theres one chief suspect. Frankie (Julie Benz) is the protagonist and detective, and she suspects a man named Beckworth (Greg Germann). Another one of the protagonists is named Ryan, who is played (surprisingly enough), by Dane Cook. Ryan is a psychologist who also happens to be cheating on his wife with a singer of a band. This might be the first biggest “why?” I heard myself mutter under my breath. Dane Cook doesn’t seem to fit the role of a psychologist at all; in fact, he seems entirely the opposite. Ryan seems to be struggling a great deal with his life, though his wife, Kate (played by Elizabeth Mitchell) seems to be going through just as much. She’s trying to get pregnant by way of artificial insemination.

One of Ryan’s patients is the self-loathing African-American, Allegra (played by Kali Hawk), who’s in search of love. Kali is easily one of the weakest links in the film, though it may be in due part to the writing. Erik Palladino plays Jerry, a cop who patrols the neighborhood. His story caps off with a rather bizarre twist that really doesn’t make any sense–it’s more of a plot hole than anything else. And perhaps one of the most over-the- top gloomiest stories is Marilyn (Barbara Hershey), whose brother is completely paralyzed. She’s a struggling alcoholic who blames herself for the accident–whose story, in the end, feels like it should have been a lot less Rocky-ish. Lastly is a high school teacher/gamer, Carter (Mark Kelly) is obsessed with the missing girl case, and ultimately decides to act on it. Yes, it seems a little farfetched–I thought so, too.

In the end, it’s a little difficult to not find yourself a little bit bothered by some of the theatrical gloom and “hero” dynamics. That’s not to say I dislike regular people acting in heroic way, but in this particular film, it feels incredibly forced and contrived. Leutwyler has good intentions, and there’s a good film in there somewhere, but better writing and a solid directorial vision would help it substantially. As for the acting, unfortunately, it’s easily the weakest aspect of the film; perhaps it’s the product of weak writing, who can say. We can only hope in his next outing, it’ll prove to be a much better film, both in terms of writing and directing.

Technical: C

Acting: D

Story: D

Overall: D

Read more: http://www.shockya.com/news/2011/12/05/young-adult-movie-review/#ixzz1fwHXEAzf