Review: Uncertainty

Sometimes, when I'm mid-way through the festival, I can barely remember what movies I've seen, let alone what movies I have remaining in my queue. I honestly can't remember choosing Uncertainty, which comes from a directing duo I don't recognize (Scott McGehee and David Siegel), a cast containing no one I've heard of (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lynn Collins, Assumpta Serna, and Olivia Thirlby), and a gimmick narrative structure, which I typically avoid like the plague these days. But I had a ticket and this is why I'm here, so I went, even with a bit of trepidation.

Kate and Bobby, a young couple who have been dating for less than a year, stand on a bridge between Manhattan and Brooklyn contemplating their decision. In an act of indecision, they decide instead to decide whether to go to Manhattan or Brooklyn. They flip a coin, and then Bobby runs one way, Kate the other; this is simply a symbolic scene, from what I gather. At that point, the movie carries forth two separate realities. In one, they find a lost dog, and then visit Kate's family. In the other, they find a lost cell phone in a cab and eventually try to extort money from the owner, almost get killed in the process by mysterious bad guys.

Plot #2 was pretty lame, with a bad action/suspense script, unrealistic characters making stupid decisions, plot holes galore, etc. Plot #1 was fairly mundane, with more family drama. In the end, they never made the decision, which was whether or not to keep Kate's baby. I was left to contemplate what my alternate reality would have been, if I had seen a better movie.

After the credits quit rolling, the directors hadn't yet shown up for the Q&A. The audience was left with a decision: wait and see if they showed up, or leave. My decision was pretty easy. And my imdb rating: 5/10.