[The following review contains MINOR SPOILERS; YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!]
In many ways, River is less artistically ambitious than Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes, its spiritual predecessor (with which it shares the same writer and director, as well as several actors).
For one thing, the mechanics governing the temporal paradox around which its plot revolves are much more conventional. Unlike the earlier movie’s bold, novel, innovative experimentation with “the Droste effect/mise en abyme,” River features a relatively traditional time loop; every few minutes, the characters are abruptly teleported back to the beginning of the cycle—a phenomenon akin to rewinding a VHS tape or reloading a save file in a video game. Consequently, its visual style is comparatively modest. Whereas the previous film is presented in a single, seamless, uninterrupted shot (or rather a reasonable facsimile thereof), for example, the anachronic structural framework here allows the editors to dispense with such elaborate illusions; whenever the action “resets,” the transition between each repetition is easily “hidden” in plain sight via a blatant match cut—an obvious yet elegant solution to an inherently challenging (and extremely popular) gimmick.
Despite these superficial differences, River manages to rival its companion piece where it really matters—in sheer unpredictability. As the narrative unfolds, the initially comedic conflict gradually evolves, veering into delightfully unexpected dramatic territory. Indeed, the story eventually develops into a genuinely compelling meditation on the self-destructive nature of anticipatory anxiety—how an irrational fear of the future can halt a person in their tracks, preventing them from moving forward, making progress, pursuing their dreams, living—with the eponymous body of water (constant, ceaseless, relentlessly flowing) serving as a brilliant central metaphor.
While River owes its greatest emotional resonance to its imaginative premise, deft tonal shifts, and rich thematic subtext, however, its true appeal lies in its simpler moment-to-moment pleasures—ultimately, it excels because it’s just cute, charming, and a whole lot of fun. What more could you ask for from a cinematic experience?
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