the best thing that can be said about this movie is that it doesn't take itself seriously. it knows exactly what it is and makes a concise effort to remind the viewer of this repeatedly.

what came first, the chicken or the egg? a recurring reference to the snake that ate it's own tail, indefinitely.

this is the main theme of the movie, in fact it's the only theme. the scriptwriters deserve credit for recognizing the circular implausibility in the narrative and drawing attention to it. they make no attempt at explaining what the viewer wants explained and the necessary deus ex machina in the movies final scenes is another reminder that there is no such revelatory explanation coming. because there isn't one.

it's the type of movie that college philosophy instructors might assign, for nothing more than demonstrating the futility in trying to understand the abstract presence of a circle. there is no beginning, there is no end, but it's still there is it not?

that pretty much explains the movie. there truly is no beginning to it and no end. it's just there. that the movie strives to make that its most intriguing, thought provoking element is also what forces it into complete irrelevance. none of it really matters, there is nothing more to take away from it than what you entered with. it's a protracted, languidly paced visual that provides no insight, no statement, and no defined position on anything worthwhile.

it's a 90 minute exposition for metaphysical nonsense and its only saving grace is that it readily admits it.

there are plenty of movies that present the viewer with convoluted, circular story lines. the ones that stand out as the most remarkable are those that leave us with the slightest room for escape, an entertaining magic that requires us to find our own way out of the box and ultimately rewards us for doing so by understanding what was presented. movies that make us feel better for figuring them out.

there is no such satisfaction in this film.