Automatic (I) (2005) User Reviews

7.75

[arae12003 · 7/10 · 28 April 2006]

A pretty compelling little story about a kind of day in the life style for six people who really aren't on top of it. They make bad choices, do bad things, cause pain, to themselves and others, are unapologetic about it and move forward, or backward as it is. I thought that I might not care about them but after realizing that I was watching people that I seem to already know in my life I was pretty taken by the movie. It's not perfect, and it's got some rough spots, but considering the seemingly limited number of locations and such I think they,the film makers, did a damn good job. I hope that I can rent it because they don't pull any punches with the nudity, guys and girls alike. I'm serious!

Terrible. Just Terrible.

[reacheb · 1/10 · 20 November 2012]

Are all of you people kidding? Really? This was a god-awful film. The dialog was so bad it reminded me of incredibly poor college improv.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" (Girl twirls from side to side and licks her lips, smiles coyly)

"Why do you think I'm looking at you?" (Guy leers, leans in)

"You tell me...I asked you first." (Girl continues to twirl, reaches for a drink with a straw and starts sucking at it suggestively)

OK. Those aren't real lines from the movie, but they're reminiscent of the tone of the whole thing. I can't remember any of the real lines because they were so bad I blocked them out as soon as the film was over.

The main characters kept laughing (more like cackling) at everything the other people said...in a truly bizarre and forced way...at things that weren't remotely funny or witty. Perhaps it was supposed to be nervous laughter? I don't know...but if it was, it didn't come across. My husband and I were making fun of the laughing in this movie for days.

The dark-haired girl who the porn addict briefly dates breaks up with him via a heartfelt recording (because people still totally have tape players in 2005) where she tearfully exclaims that she doesn't know why she's "this way" and wishes she could be different. She has mastered the art of using a lot of words and not saying anything at all...or, the writer of the film has.

The ex-wife Sarah and her ex-boyfriend's husband just sit around looking sad a lot, and the "half-sister" bites her lip, nods, smiles suggestively, and twirls a lot. Gah...I so hate the "twirling girl" free spirit archetype that's taken the independent film world by storm.

At the end, each character freezes and goes through a series of progressively younger photos...I guess to remind the audience that we were all babies once.

All in all, this movie is spectacularly stupid. One of those peculiarly contemporary independent films that mistakes SITUATION for STORY. There is a difference...and it's important.

I recommend Automatic for its touching sensitivity

[dianapascual · 9/10 · 28 June 2006]

I love this movie, I saw it at the Comedy Film Festival of Peñíscola, Spain, where it won the Best Film Audience Award and it really went through the roof there. People was touched by the sensitive way in which nowadays problems and routines are exposed and by the acid sense of humor that overcomes the whole movie. Even being shown in a different country and culture this movie found success for its makers have found the key to deep and pure feelings in personal relationships,no matter where they are and to what culture they belong to,and that is something about this film which I really think is outstanding. I sincerely recommend to watch this film and to listen carefully to its dialogs and to its music,not only the actors are great, very natural and intense at the same time,but also the script is fluent and moving, just fantastic. Hope you all go and watch it and like it as much as I do.

Thoughtful

[murphiee · 9/10 · 14 April 2006]

Thoughtfully written and well acted, it is an interesting depiction of a group of people, some of whom we come to care about. Eventually we are disappointed that they do not move forward and away from their problems, but, that's real life. Every character seems to suffer from a persistent self involvement and basic disregard for others. We see rare glimpses of compassion. One cannot help but think that if these people really put themselves in the others' shoes, they would do better in life. All in all it is very realistic and natural and the actors leave us wanting to know more. It was shot in Houston, but it feels like it could be anywhere. The music is good, too.

Reminds me of "Sex, Lies and Video Tape"

[scottsch-1 · 8/10 · 4 May 2006]

Saw this film at the Denver International Film Festival thought it was cool. It's a character driven story, no crazy action or gimmicks, thought the actors did a great job and the story presented a interesting view of life's up and downs. Reminds me a little of "Sex, Lies, and Video Tape." What I liked about it was that each character had this ideal idea of themselves that had disappeared and they'd lost track of. It's like their youth is fading and they can't/won't accept it. They really haven't grown as people but they are adults so they have to deal with adult situations. It reminds me of indie films in the early 90's, pre-Sept. 11, when people were focusing on themselves and not anything else but after that tragic event we have this desperation for those days long lost when we didn't have to care about anything but ourselves. That's what makes me think of "Sex, Lies, and Video Tape" because those characters longed for something they had lost too.

Automatic or free

[elcuadrupani · 10/10 · 31 May 2006]

Automatic, We are much more automatic and much less free than we think we are. I enjoyed the film so much because I personally do think about this quite often. It is hard to be conscious of your automacity so you can break it and really chose how you want to react to get to who you want to be. Eventually in our lives something happens that take us out of our routine and our way to react to things and suddenly you feel free or lost and you have the opportunity of reinventing yourself again and learn something. Sometimes we do, sometimes we don't. I like very much the way this subject is treated in the film. I think the acting is great, very realistic. The characters have lots of faces as we do in real life, they are not flat at at all and that makes the movie really interesting. It's a movie made with actors, no special effects. Hearts, tears, love, laughs,...I really recommend it

originality in a challenging genre

[rshaddix · 10/10 · 17 April 2006]

wow. this movie is as unpredictable and original as its characters are quirky. it packs many disturbing twists but keeps the connection with each character just enough that you can relate to them. we all have a little bit of them in us or in our friends. definitely not for kids but a fantastically written, well acted film for young adults who struggle with some of the same confusion and decisions about life. and i'm pretty sure that's most of us . . . other young adults seemed to share our enthusiasm at the screening in Dallas. older adults seemed open to it but a little surprised by a few scenes. anyone who approaches the film with an open mind will feel challenged, provoked, disturbed, and a little surprised by the familiarity and empathy the characters evoke.

Portland loves it

[terryliddels · 8/10 · 19 June 2006]

Saw it in Portland then when I got back home I couldn't find this sucker anywhere. Who decides what movies I get to see is a mystery to me. I thought the story was a little convoluted and the stuff that these people put themselves through was painful, but dammit did it get to me. Especially that blonde lady in the end. Whoo! She was hot. She was naked. I loved it, except for the guy she was with. He didn't deserve her and I felt like if she wouldn't have had the past that she had she wouldn't have even thought twice about what she did for that slob. I wanted to punch him in the face. I guess the brother wanted to too, but he didn't get a chance. It was the other way around. I knew what was going on and I could see where it was going but the way it played out afterward surprised the you know what out of me. It was a real crowd pleaser in Portland, although I didn't know a soul in the movie. I give it an 8.

Gritty depiction of real people behaving badly

[scottkassel-1 · 8/10 · 14 April 2006]

Well written and directed with nice performances, Automatic peels away the surface of American suburbia, demonstrating the destructive and "automatic" patterns real folks fall into. Not for all tastes, this ambitious indy forces the audience to face the darker side of human nature. These characters want to do the right thing, but they seem to have a hard time getting out of their own way. And I believe that's the point of the film. To truly effect growth and change, one must avoid acting on autopilot. Look out for a fine and humorous performance from writer/actor Jay Thames, and a train wreck of a relationship you (and the characters) see coming, but can't seem to avoid. Other nice touches: some well placed laughs, a hot sex scene, and a good score. If this is playing in your area, definitely worth a look.

whats going on?

[elizabeth-19 · 9/10 · 11 May 2006]

i don't understand whats going on with this film? i loved it as almost everyone else in the audience did. and portland is not a big film town. but they applauded at the end. i was one of them. and then i see if its playing anywhere else and i cant find it anywhere. i would definitely recommend it to people. the oregonian review called it better than crash. high praise. i would agree. and then i websearch and see it on this site and the voting score is so low. why does it have such a low score when everyone seems to like it? i thought it was a real visionary piece. got to give props to the director. unreal. i guess the guy can do it all.

An American movie In Spain!

[susietressie · 9/10 · 12 June 2006]

Automatic... Where to begin. First of all I saw this movie in Spain at the Peniscola Film Festival. My family took our annual vacation to Spain this year and we went North of Valencia to Peniscola. There were a ton of old people there and it was real touristy but there was a film festival in town and I saw about 12 movies.

I saw Mutual Appreciation and The Puffy Chair and a bunch of Spanish films. The film that impressed me most was, by far and away, Automatic. It's like watching a realized version of what I have to go through on a day to day basis with my freaky friends and crazy family.

The acting was unbelievably good. Every character was convoluted and messy and real. And the actors were really good. The dialogue was right on and each character had different motivations and ideals, all combined within each others lives.

I loved the photography as well. The images were beautiful and there was a quality to the camera motion and the images were strung together in a way that I had never seen before. There was a sort of "tangible-ness" or whatever that really played. I got the moments. I felt the scenes when things were coming apart. All based on the photography and the way the camera moved. It was cool.

And to top it all of the film won the festival. The audience really loved it. I can see why. The movie is American, but not really. There are no heroes. The crowd applauded through the credits at the end (there were no credits in the beginning which I didn't like). I looked on Netflix to recommend it to my friends but didn't find it. I'll keep looking until I find it as I want my friends, and desperately my family, to see this movie as soon as they can.

hearkens back to indie film making of the 90's

[cindydanvers · 8/10 · 4 May 2006]

there's no such thing as a low budget film anymore, so to see an actual independent film (without big names or fancy special effects) that doesn't look like it was shot on a camcorder in someone's basement is pretty refreshing. the acting is, at times, uncomfortably intimate (in a good way) and at times somewhat forced, but either way, you get the idea that you're watching actors who know what they're doing and who've actually thought their way through the process. most notably, travis schuldt, jay thames, and brandi howard. there was a sense of ease with them, that makes one feel as if they were totally unaware of the camera, which doesn't always happen when dealing with guerrilla style film making. watching this film made me long for the days of 'sex, lies, and videotape' and all the eric stoltz films of the 90's -- back when there was still such a thing as an art house film.

Wow. Heavy.

[rebeccahowarren · 8/10 · 11 May 2006]

Say hello to dysfunction. I was almost relieved when this film ended because I went to the theater with a group of friends that were so similar to the people on screen it made me feel uncomfortable. Needless to say the dinner discussion consisted of which character we identified with the most, and each of my friends painfully avoiding their obvious duplicates on the screen. Surprisingly funny at times, it's real life and it's REAL COMPLICATED. I was hoping some relationship elements were not going to happen, but sure enough...they happened. I can't remember the last time I heard someone talk to the screen in a clear moment of identification. Jarred me. I guess it jarred him too. I would see this one at home, alone. If you go with someone on a date, you might not see them again. A very strong introduction to Mr. Walls and the filmmakers that were involved. Whew.

I would pay to see this one

[thehitchcocker · 9/10 · 5 June 2007]

where in the hell did this one com from. i would have paid to see this one. my friend loaned it to me, he bought it on line. i waited for a while to see the women do their thingy thing and the film delivered in the end. i wanted to see more. he told me to be patient so i thought i was just gonna do a mr. skin on thos one but actually was into the people and how jacked up they were. i mean, cmon. if my life were like this, id jump. wheres the next one? and bring back all the chicks because they were so good they were great. booze to. oh wait, comment not ready. to more lines. okay. i noticed the one dude was on scrubs on this website. that show kicks. but where are all the girls at on TV. id pay to see them flaunting it like they do int he movie. okay. thats it.

automatic weirdness

[jeffyh1234 · 9/10 · 13 December 2005]

if your into weirdness then this is a movie for you. i saw it in dallas and it was weird from beginning to the end. it happens to be a very sexy film, but the sexiness is weird (no spoiler). the crowd seemed to really like the film, and i did too, but i wouldn;t recommend it for kids or anything. this is not a film children should go see. i thought that the acting was great. the people were really good. the music was awesome to. there were some bands in the soundtrack that i thought only me and my friends knew about but apparently they know about them in California as well. the filmmakers were there and i thought they were very nice. if you want to go on a twisted date movie, this is the one. that is what i did.