If ever you wanted to see what it would be like if Vonnegut
became an independent film director, Somebody
Up There Likes Me would be it. The jury's still out on whether it is a good
film or not as I am still torn as to my overall affection towards the final
piece.
I enjoyed the narrative structure
and simple time shifts; however, as neat as it is, the overall puzzle is still
a bit confusing as the actors don't appear to age throughout the constant year
change. Our protagonist ages 25
years throughout the film yet doesn't alter in appearance. I found it difficult to take much of
the story serious when a subtle thing like physical attributes don't reflect
the events being told. But that
wasn't my greatest concern. That
lies in the visual appeal of the film itself. Granted, I fully understand that Somebody Up There Likes Me was made with a limited budget and
easily fits into the "˜indie' genre, but director Bob Byington seems to settle
on several occasions, making the film appear low on its finances. Just because there isn't a lot of money
doesn't mean you can't create something that looks like a million bucks!
The
story itself focuses on Max, a character that is quite possible the one you are
least inclined to root for. He
brings his girlfriend flowers that he takes from a roadside gravesite, and he
never seems to make any real effort in any of his endeavors. I found it nearly impossible to
empathize with him when things begin to turn south, and his actions made it
extremely difficult to enjoy the film.
In a way, Somebody Up There Likes
Me was ruined from the onset.
