On paper, this film is ideally suited to my tastes: fantasy/sci-fi with a multi-dimensional plot and I expected so much given all of the awards and Oscars. Well, I was badly disappointed and forced myself to watch it despite wanting to give up as the expectation of something marvellous spanning dimensions, time and space never actually materialised. Instead, most of it is flashes of alternate scenes whilst a large part takes place in an office block.

If the seriousness surrounding the Oscars had hinted at all that it was a cheesy farce, I perhaps wouldn't have been so disappointed but it is truly slapstick comedy and only vaguely funny. It isn't even Sci-fi but more of a fantasy akin to the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, just not as dry or self-effacing enough to be very funny. There are funny moments and crass ones too, daft scenes also, but more than anything, there is a lot of noise and silliness as the mother, Evelyne, has to do stupid things in order to jump between universes, picking up skills from other lives along the way. Although those skills are questionable as are the fight scenes and they weren't able to make those convincing at all so should have made them more comedic.

It seems that this is a hit due to hype rather than much discerning truth about the actual quality of the film and story. Reminds me of Crash, another poor movie which did well at the Oscars and which not many probably remember. This too won't stand up as one of the great movies of the last few years and that is precisely what we should expect from a film that sweeps the board at the Oscars. I'm sure most of us can think of notable examples, of which this is not one.