Rating: 
Summary: compelling breed of movie voyeurism
Review: I had a great deal of fun with this video. I rented in on VHS, and am now buying it (DVD for the soundtrack control). I watched the film twice over, and caught so many more things the second time than the first. The first part of the viewing you spend trying to figure out how all these characters connect to each other, and then you relax into the flow of them popping in and out of various corners of the screen. Amazing timing ...just Amazing timing for one-take. Julian Sands' entire purpose in the film seems to be to distract the other actors and see if they get lost. This makes his background-character entertaining. I found myself backing the film up several times in certain places because as I was paying attension one thing, I suddenly realized the scene was slowly changing in another corner and I was like "wait a minute...what's happening over _there_..?". Over-all, the four simultanious corners of action are not that hard to follow. Mike Figgis uses sound to take you every place you need to go to figure out what is happening. I found the performances of Jeanne Tripplehorn and Saffron Burrows particulary well done. Both are on screen through most of the film and keep up character perfectly. Not a film for people who do not like to use their mind while watching. Mike Figgis does not spoon-feed his viewers (thank you). All in all very inventive and well done !
Rating: 
Summary: TIMECODE One of a kind...
Review: Four intertwining stories are told simultaneously during Timecode. Each 98 minute story was shot in one take using a digital camera, with all four of these done simultaneously possibly creating the most logistically challenging film ever shot. And this in itself is a tremendous achievement, both by the filmmakers and the improvisational cast. But, the technical aspect of putting all four stories on at once IS the story. If each element were taken individually, you'd be left with a quite boring, very naturalistic piece exploring one dimensional characters, Hollywood folk. So, if its a good story you are looking for... this ain't it. Something that may surprise you about this experiment is the human brain's ability to take in more than one story at a time. TIMECODE is a truly one-of-a-kind film that is fun for students of cinema. The DVD includes an interesting documentary, full commentary and the FIRST TAKE (All 98 minutes of it!). Because it was digitally filmed and did not go through any 'film look" filters, the digital medium takes some getting used to ... the cast includes Stellan Skarsgard, Selma Hayek, Saffron Burrows, Kyle MacLachlan, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Holly Hunter and Steven Weber.
Rating:
Summary: Watch it four times, and it might make sense
Review: Timecode is a behind-the-scenes look at Hollywood life - the business, the politics, the jealously, and even the drugs, sex, and rock 'n' roll. Salma Hayek plays Rose, an aspiring actress who will do anything to get an audition - even if it means cheating on her jealous lover (Jeanne Tripplehorn) with a male film exec (Stellan Skarsgard). But I said that Timecode is unique, right? Well, it is. It had no script - just a story, four digital videocams, and a bunch of actors who could improvise their way through 90 minutes of filming. The four cameras shot non-stop - no cuts, just one take. The entire film was shot 15 times - and the final one was released. No editing was required because viewers see the footage from all four cameras - simultaneously. The screen is divided into four quarters, and it's up to the viewer to decide which one to watch. Believe me - it's not exactly an easy task. Though you're often given audio hints (the sound of one quarter will dominate for a while), you'll still keep jumping from quarter to quarter, trying to figure out what's going on - and what you've missed. It's definitely not a movie to watch if you're not completely alert. It is, however, very interesting. And while I wouldn't say that this is one of my favorite movies, it's still an interesting experience. If you're looking for something out of the ordinary, it's worth checking out. If you happen to pick up a copy of the DVD, you'll find all kinds of goodies. The special features include the entire Version 1 of the film (and yes, it really is different) and an audio option that allows you to choose which dialogue you want to listen to. Perhaps, then, if you watch the entire movie four times, you'll be able to make sense of it all...
Rating: 
Summary: Innovative, but more of an experiment than a movie
Review: "Time Code" was directed by Mike Figgis, best known for "Leaving Las Vegas." I'm not a fan of his work, but was intrigued by the concept of this movie - it was filmed in one 90-minute take and is told via four cameras shown in different quadrants of the screen. The movie was filmed 15 different times over a period of a few weeks, with the 15th take being the theatrical release. The story (such as it is) concerns 20+ people in Los Angeles who are connected in one way or another to a small indie film studio. The soundtrack is emphasized in certain quadrants at any given time to show you where to direct your attention. I was concerned that the movie would be difficult to follow, especially on a TV, but it was actually fairly easy to watch it and understand what was transpiring. The technique is innovative and daring, and one cannot help but admire its audacity. It was also interesting seeing how the different stories overlapped. However, there are simply too many weak points for the movie to ultimately succeed. First, the acting and script was largely improvised, and it shows. Selma Hayek has one of the largest roles, and she is simply not up to the challenge. Holly Hunter also comes off poorly with her tentative stuttering character. Second, the plot (which was loosely structured by Figgis) is not very interesting. If this same script was shot in a conventional manner, it would not be worth the price of admission. Third, the concept of the four quadrants is interesting, but most of the time little is happening in any given quadrant. For example, the upper left quadrant, features mostly Jeanne Tripplehorn and she spends a huge portion of the movie sitting in the backseat of a limo or pacing the sidewalk in front of the studio. It just isn't very entertaining. The DVD includes several interesting features. For example, the full first take of the movie is included. Also, you can remix the soundtrack to hear what is going on in the other quadrants. Overall, I have mixed feelings about "Timecode." I'm glad I saw it and hope that other directors will be inspired by its unusual and daring techniques. However, it was ultimately boring and pretentious.
Rating:
Summary: Ignore the plot to enjoy the film's technique.
Review: In the mind of director Mike Figgis, a vision has been born. That vision is "Time Code," a film that is not one, but four different stories going on at the same time, all seen in an innovative method of filmmaking using handheld cameras and a screen that shows four pictures at once. Never has anything quite like this been done before; it's one of the most impressive movie-making ventures I've seen in a long time. It's only too bad that Figgis pays more attention to his style than to the substance behind the four cameras. The movie is divided into separate storylines, some weaving into the other, though none of it ever has any emotional impact when the last frame rolls. The overall plot begins with Emma (Saffron Burrows), the wife of movie producer Alex Green (Stellan Skarsgard), and while she contemplates leaving him, he is having an affair with aspiring actress Rose (Salma Hayek). Rose is involved in a rocky relationship with wealthy lesbian Lauren (Jeanne Tripplehorn), whose jealousy and suspicion drives her to place a bug in Rose's purse so she can monitor her actions during Rose's audition. As all this goes on, Alex's partners and employees are busying expressing their concerns to one another about his instability. The interaction of each plot line allows for some very unique filmmaking touches, some of which are very impressive. The cameras are constantly rolling, and throughout the course of the film, characters will find themselves in several differing screens, something interesting to see happen. One scene that sticks out in the mind is the scene in which Rose and Alex meet behind the screen in the studio's screening room. Their interaction goes from two different screens to one; it's completely inspired. Yet, any emotional feeling or understanding of the events at hand is diminished due to the constant grappling with trying to watch four screens at once. Some characters walk on screen and off so quickly that there is little knowledge as to why they are there, while our interest in one story tends to take away from all others. Figgis attempts to draw our attention to one story at a time by using the sound as a focal point (one screen will be clear while all others are almost completely muted), but it hardly works. The film is interesting enough to watch it for its splendid four-screen division, though the plot seems to be muddled and misunderstood as we try to concentrate on one thing at a time. Still, "Time Code" is a movie that will go down in history due to its introduction of a dazzling new technique.
Rating:
Summary: Ignore the plot to enjoy the film's technique.
Review: In the mind of director Mike Figgis, a vision has been born. That vision is "Time Code," a film that is not one, but four different stories going on at the same time, all seen in an innovative method of filmmaking using handheld cameras and a screen that shows four pictures at once. Never has anything quite like this been done before; it's one of the most impressive movie-making ventures I've seen in a long time. It's only too bad that Figgis pays more attention to his style than to the substance behind the four cameras. The movie is divided into separate storylines, some weaving into the other, though none of it ever has any emotional impact when the last frame rolls. The overall plot begins with Emma (Saffron Burrows), the wife of movie producer Alex Green (Stellan Skarsgard), and while she contemplates leaving him, he is having an affair with aspiring actress Rose (Salma Hayek). Rose is involved in a rocky relationship with wealthy lesbian Lauren (Jeanne Tripplehorn), whose jealousy and suspicion drives her to place a bug in Rose's purse so she can monitor her actions during Rose's audition. As all this goes on, Alex's partners and employees are busying expressing their concerns to one another about his instability. The interaction of each plot line allows for some very unique filmmaking touches, some of which are very impressive. The cameras are constantly rolling, and throughout the course of the film, characters will find themselves in several differing screens, something interesting to see happen. One scene that sticks out in the mind is the scene in which Rose and Alex meet behind the screen in the studio's screening room. Their interaction goes from two different screens to one; it's completely inspired. Yet, any emotional feeling or understanding of the events at hand is diminished due to the constant grappling with trying to watch four screens at once. Some characters walk on screen and off so quickly that there is little knowledge as to why they are there, while our interest in one story tends to take away from all others. Figgis attempts to draw our attention to one story at a time by using the sound as a focal point (one screen will be clear while all others are almost completely muted), but it hardly works. The film is interesting enough to watch it for its splendid four-screen division, though the plot seems to be muddled and misunderstood as we try to concentrate on one thing at a time. Still, "Time Code" is a movie that will go down in history due to its introduction of a dazzling new technique.
Rating:
Summary: Clever, but also a bit narcissistic
Review: Whatever. I mean, I appreciate the experimental nature of the film -- the screen split into four separate-but-interlocking screens, each shot in a continuously-running tracking shot, filmed on digital video. The "action" shifts from scene to improvised scene, and gradually we figure out how each of the characters know each other. Still... did the story really have to be set in (yawn) Hollywood? Can't modern filmmakers think of something else to make movies about? Couldn't the actors improv their way through somebody else's life, for once? Regardless, this is one of the better uses of DVD technology I've seen -- they kept the audio tracks intact on each camera's footage, so after you soak up the edited version of the film, you can go back and see (hear, actually...) what they had to work with... Rarely do we get such a clear-cut chance to get into the headspace of the director and editor, so that at least was kind of cool.
Rating:
Summary: brilliant execution, lame story
Review: Timecode is quite simply a well-executed but failed experiment.
The concept is brilliant, but it is not supported at all by a good plot. What we have is basically mindless hipster dross; jet-set stereotypes stabbing each other in the back with their cell phones, and not much else. And yet, I was entertained by the film on a technical level. Certainly worth a look, but I would love to see this idea done again, even by Figgis, with a more engrossing story.
Rating:
Summary: Blah
Review: When I rented this, I was under the impression it was a good movie. Well, I was wrong. True, the four-screen idea is innovative and couldn't have been easy to do, so I'll give Mike Figgis credit for that. In addition, the movie was shot in continuous takes, so the actors involved have proved that they have the chops to pull off something like this. And in case you're wondering if you can follow four stories at once, the volume is usually muted for three of the screens, so it's obvious which one you're really supposed to focus on at any given time. On the minus side, any time actors are given the chance to improvise their dialogue, the viewer learns anew that we really do need screenwriters, and this movie is no exception. Most importantly, this movie doesn't have ANY interestng stories or characters. Movies need those things! So, if you're interested in the techniques Figgis used, by all means check this out. But don't expect to be entertained.
Rating: 
Summary: Wow
Review: The best expression that I can utter about this film is Wow! Four seemingly disparate storylines, filmed in real time merge into one compelling movie. This was a bold experiment in cinema, showing 4 films at once, drawing your attention to the frame the director wants you to focus on by audio alone. What results out of initial chaos and confusion is a stunning statement on the convergent reality of our lives. The final release version of this film was the 15th 'mix' - the first of which is available for viewing on the DVD as a contrast. This is an excellent example of thoughtful cinema - heart and mind put into film, as opposed to mindless Hollywood action.
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