Garbage! If anyone tells you otherwise, they are foolish! Zach Galifianakis is not at his finest hour!
Jefferson N. from BLAIRSVILLE, GA Reviewed on 10/31/2012...
I would start out by saying how Visioneers is such a great movie and Zach Galifianakis goes above anything he has prviously done and given us a well-rounded character that we can actually feel for...and that would be true. And I guess I did start it that way. But instead of just another boring review, I'm going to say a few things on my mind.
This isn't set in the near future...This is US! It's about a world in which people are just pawns on the corporate chessboard, doing meaningless work in a dull, dying world, so the rich fat cats can sit back and feel like they have taken over everything...and have. But, an epidemic of "blowing up"...literally in the film...is causing chaos to erupt in the "perfect" world. Even all of the self-help gurus can't stop people from blowing up or just straight-up killing themselves. And Zach, who is stuck in a loveless marriage and his dead-end job, can't seem to find his way up. I can say from experience I know the feeling. It was eerie how close this movie mirrored my life. Doing the work thing in a job that I not only don't like, but that is so meaningless, while I watched my marriage slip away was exactly what happens in this flick. I guess the meaning in this one is to try to follow our passions and don't let the corporate bastards take us down...They'll drop dead or be overthrown...We just have to watch out for ourselves so they don't take us with them.
Needless to say, this is a movie every person should watch. If you don't identify with it, at least a little bit, I congratulate you. If you like Brazil from Terry Gilliam, you'll love this! It's a Brazil for this generation...Probably a little better, actually.
1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Movie Reviews
Visioneers is Cinematic Equivalent of Comfort Food
Spencer Tinder | tempe, az united states | 06/30/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Brandon and Jared Drake's independently produced comedy is an exceptional first feature effort as a writer/director team. Earlier reviews have connected the film's themes and settings to some known dystopian society stories, like Orwell's 1984, Gilliam's BRAZIL, and even Mike Judge's more recent IDIOCRACY; however, I believe VISIONEERS stands very well on its own and is best viewed with all comparisons minimized or even set aside completely. This is an accessible dark comedy comprised of equal parts corporate satire with genuine warmth and sweetness.
As an actual distressed lower-level employee in an increasingly grim society, and as an admirer of the more personal stories often told by the independents, I think VISIONEERS is a highly satisfying and worthwhile experience. I would definitely recommend this film to fans of Zach Galifianakis and to those who are looking for something a little different."
Zach G proves his acting chops
C. England | Austin, TX | 07/22/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I've been among the dedicated fans Zach Galifianakis' ingenious comedy for a few years now, and it seems like the rest of the world is now catching up. Zach was the standout element in this summer's The Hangover (a film which on the whole I wasn't too impressed by). In Visioneers, though, Zach is the leading man and proves he can carry a subtle, darkly comic role as George Washington Winsterhammerman, a corporate drone working for the Jeffers Corporation, the largest and friendliest and most profitable corporation in the history of all mankind.
This film is fresh, unexpected and sincere. With throwbacks to Brazil, Schizopolis and (underrated) Idiocracy, Visioneers builds a universe that has just enough similarity to our own to feel genuine, but is far enough out there to descend into total chaos."
Nice re-imagining of Fahrenheit 451 - until the 2nd half
John Webb | Cincinnati, Ohio | 06/03/2010
(2 out of 5 stars)
"This starts out as a quirky, interesting, slow attack on corporate and suburban life, which is ruined by the 2nd half. The movie has no idea where to go, flops around like a fish out of water for far too long, and the ending is predictable, abrupt, and unsatisfying."
Works better as a drama
G. Twiford | Memphis TN | 08/20/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I enjoyed this, but to classify this as a comedy seems wrong to me. There were funny moments, but I would compare it less to Idiocracy and more to Synecdoche New York, where the drama made more of an impact than the humor. It was just odd enough to keep my attention at first, and it ended up being a very sweet, thoughtful experience. Zach really did a great job as the lead actor here. Judy and Mia knocked their parts out of the park, and the supporting cast was also good. I admit it was slow here and there, but still very good.
Another review mentioned the poor production value, and to an extent they are right. For an independent film I thought the visual quality was actually quite good, but the sound (at least on my copy) is not the best. I had to turn my TV almost all the way up to hear the dialogue in many scenes, followed by a leap for the remote when the music started, which was very loud. It is a shame that they couldn't get more support for this. Still, I didn't mind when the movie ended up being pretty good.