Joseph Gordon-Levitt is easily one of the most interesting and engaging young actors in Hollywood. Doing mostly independent movies (while occasionally throwing in blockbusters like GI Joe and Chris Nolan’s eagerly anticipated summer movie Inception), Levitt has established himself as an actor worth watching. Uncertainty is certainly no classic, but it’s an entertaining piece of fate vs reality cinema that will appeal to fans of Run Lola Run and is a fun exercise in choice vs consequences.
The flip of a coin takes two young lovers in opposite directions for a wild ride. In one direction is a visit to Brooklyn where Bobby (Levitt) and his girlfriend Kate (Lynn Collins of Wolverine) visit Kate’s family while the other side is a trip through Manhattan where Bobby finds a mysterious cell phone that plunges the duo into a violent tale of murder, greed, and ultimately redemption. Even when the screenplay becomes more contrived than clever (viewers will roll their eyes a few times), the actors never fail the material. A special mention must go out to cinematographer Rain Li, his cityscapes are vivid and alive with feeling and menace. The movie looks incredible and not low budget in any way. The two sections of the movie are titled “yellow” and “green” and the filmmakers do a nice job making sure the color schemes match each segment so viewers are never lost. The picture quality is solid but there are only a few extras including a TV spot, trailer and some audition footage that do not add much to the film.
Criss-crossing wildly between murder mystery and family drama, Uncertainty is held up through rough patches by its game cast and especially Joseph Gordon Levitt. This is a nice little sleeper movie definitely worth seeking out. Uncertainty also has a nice little moral to it. The next time you’re invited to a family get together, don’t flip a coin, just go, the other option isn’t worth the gunfire.
Grade: B
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