Review: Counter Clockwise (2016)

[Mark R. Leeper]

COUNTER CLOCKWISE
(a film review by Mark R. Leeper)

CAPSULE: This is a very low budget dark comedy and
science fiction film with some good writing, and a
keen sense of irony. It has just basic production
values to call attention to itself. The film is
directed by George Moise from a script he co-authored
with Michael Kopelow, who plays the main character.
Some of the material is inappropriate for younger
viewers. Rating: +2 (-4 to +4) or 7/10

One subgenre of the science fiction film is the time travel story
and one subgenre of the time travel story is the time paradox
story, in which people move backward and forward in time meeting
later and earlier versions of themselves and making a farce of
causality. These stories can be as complex and complicated as
Raymond Chandler plots. And some films combine the two to be an
extra challenge for the viewer. Some better examples worth noting
are PRIMER (2004), TIMECRIMES (2008), and PREDESTINATION (2014).
They ask not just "who done it?" but also "what version of person X
did it." A new time travel and time crime film is COUNTER
CLOCKWISE.

Ethan Walker is working on a matter transmitter (a la THE FLY
(1958)). When it transmits, the scene seems almost a reproduction
of the similar scene in THE FLY (1958). When he try sending a pet,
a sweet, one-eyed dog, he loses the pet in space (a la THE FLY
(1958)). Ethan tries transmitting himself, but no, his atoms do
not get mixed with the dog. But they do not get transmitted to a
receiving device either. He just finds himself sent a few months
into the future. However, Ethan finds out that while he was time-
traveling his wife and sister were murdered and because he has
disappeared he is now the prime suspect that the police have been
searching for. So far the story has done nothing that could not
have been explained by having Ethan have amnesia and unsure what
happened while he had disappeared. In addition, the world seems to
have become divided between two rival factions, Rakubian Industries
and Syndicate Red. Ethan readies his broken matter transmitter and
sends himself back in time to stop the crime. And of course lines
of time just naturally tangle like old telephone cords. To clear
his name Ethan has to prevent the crime.

I cannot say a whole lot is notable in this film. The camerawork
is not particularly polished. The acting is not particularly
subtle or evocative. But the dialog is certainly amusing and the
actors are as professional as needed for a few off-the-wall
characters, particularly a rather strange but magnetic villain.
Nor is most of the writing of the quality we would expect from a
theatrical feature film. But a big part of the audience for this
film will be looking at the time paradoxes and trying to work out
warped timelines. And for the science fiction aspect the film does
all right. It is not as complex as the plot of TIMECRIMES or
PRIMER, but it does keep the viewer invested. The film has only
the most minimal special effects. There is a split screen or two,
but that was all I noticed. However, with sufficient writing skill
the film does not need complex special effects and this film is
fun. I rate it a +2 on the -4 to +4 scale or 7/10.

Film Credits:
<http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3836530/combined>

What others are saying:
<https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/counter_clockwise_2015>


Mark R. Leeper
Copyright 2016 Mark R. Leeper