Is A Machine to Live in Worth Watching? Honest Movie Review & Audience Verdict (2020)
In this wildly inventive hybrid documentary, the feature debut from experimental film and installation artists Yoni Goldstein and Meredith Zielke, viewers are transported to the sp...
✨ The Quick Verdict
If you are a fan of Documentary cinema, then A Machine to Live in offers a standard experience that justifies its existence in the 2020 landscape.
👥 Target Audience
📔 Detailed Analysis
📖 The Core Premise
With the release of A Machine to Live in (2020), audiences are invited back into the world of Documentary. At its heart, the film explores complex themes wrapped in a compelling storyline. As the plot unfolds, we see characters navigating a world where stakes are high. "In this wildly inventive hybrid documentary, the feature debut from experimental film and installation artists Yoni Goldstein and Meredith Zielke, viewers are transported to the space-age city of Brasília. A modernist architectural marvel, the city is a sparkling wasteland of machine dreams and aging monuments to a utopian future. Highlighting the sacred geometry of triangles and symmetry of lines, this sci-fi flick interrogates the semiotic structures that undergird the Martian outpost. With striking visuals and a thumping, electronic soundtrack, A Machine to Live In is a transcendent, transcendental voyage through Brazil’s cosmic capital."
🎬 Performance & Direction
A movie's success often hinges on its execution. While not a career-best, Vladimir Carvalho's presence adds a necessary stability to the proceedings. The direction aims to balance pacing with character development, a hallmark of good Documentary. While there are moments of brilliance, the pacing occasionally dips.
🤔 Why You Should Watch (or Skip)
Is A Machine to Live in worth your time? If you appreciate Documentary films that take risks, this is likely a decent one-time watch. However, if you are looking for a flawless masterpiece, you might find some plot points predictable.
🏆 Final Verdict
Ultimately, A Machine to Live in is a mixed bag with some redeeming qualities.
With a runtime of 87 minutes, it asks for a significant time investment, but for the right audience, it pays off.
Our recommendation: Watch on OTT.
⏳ Time Investment
At approximately 1.5 hours, the film requires a standard time commitment.