Live!

Times Watched: 1
Watched With: Nobody @ GV Cinema Europa (11/07)
Snacks: Peanut M&Ms

Katy Courbet (Eva Mendes) is a no-nonsense (rather ruthless yet oh-so-hot) hotshot TV network now at the ABN and she's come up with the ultimate show to bring the highest ratings ever - a show where people play Russian Roulette. on live TV.

In the age of TV where reality shows rule, Katy really thinks that this is the idea to make history and even though the head-honchos at the network initially shoot it down, even the harshest of critics like the network lawyer Don (Andre Braugher) eventually realize the potential that the idea of the show holds.
Documentary maker Rex (David Krumholtz) follows Katy around as she pieces together the show from scratch and slowly builds what she sees as a dram but others see as a potential nightmare.

So finally 6 contestants are chosen to play for $5 million;

Jewel (Katie Cassidy) - an aspiring young actress
Rick (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) - an honest man who needs the money for a noble cause
Brad (Eric Lively) - a daredevil sportsman
Pablo (Jay Hernandez) - a gay Mexican immigrant
Abalone (Monet Mazur) - a former model turned arts performer
Byron (Rob Brown) - an aspiring writer looking for life experience

so the deal is. you play Russian Roulette.
1 dies on national tv. the remaining 5 survivors win $5 million each no strings.
so how? does it sound like a winner to you?

i was really intrigued when i read about the show. so much so that i booked myself a ticket the minute i read about it on the GV website and made my way down.
and the basic premise - "would you actually take the risk for money?" was quite interesting on its own.

the movie started out pretty slow.
to be honest i expected to be kinda like a gore-fest kinda thing but it turned out to be more of a film that questioned morality and censorship this day in age where reality shows are getting bolder and more extreme.
in the end the actual gameshow was only 15 mins long and the other 1hr 15mins was a slow but necessary build-up.
i was getting a bit bored but when the actually show started boy oh boy there was this feeling of dread / excitement / queasy.
you tend to imagine if it was you up there and whether it'll be your luck that your turn is the one with the bullet in the chamber.

if you're looking for a gore-fest this is not it.
if you're looking for a film where you think a bit. then get excited a bit. then this is it.
but to be honest. just get the DVD or something.

Final Verdict: