It certainly helps the written roles that the actors are uniformly excellent. Stainbrook has a monologue in a bar about wanting to save his father. His love for that man shines through. When Peter calls Joseph at 3 in the morning, their back and forth is filled with love and admiration. The central trio takes a very dense, sometimes overly so, script and makes the people and scenarios in it palpable to everyone watching.
On the technical side, Altered Perceptions sports some of the best sound mixing and editing of any film this year. It is so precisely calibrated that it instantly creates an atmosphere without anything else. News segments and static intermingle, causing disorientation just from the off-putting sound made. The overlap of music, sound effects (the lighting from the time traveler specifically), and dialogue amp up the tension in every scene. Unfortunately, the moments of straight talking are boring, as they lose that audible rush of adrenaline.
“…sports some of the best sound mixing and editing of any film…”
Ameer’s directing keeps all the plates spinning, more or less. Some scenes, such as the President’s news conference, last too long. But for the most part, each sequence builds toward an excellent and moving conclusion.
Altered Perceptions is doing a lot and does it admirably. There are a few issues at hand, such as the CGI being very rubbery and a few moments go on past their welcome. But these pale in comparison to everything Ameer and Dees get right. The leads are exceptional, the sound design is immaculate, and the narrative is creative and original.
For more information, visit the Altered Perceptions official site.
"…is going to piss everyone off, and therein lies its great beauty."
