REVIEW: BLISS by AMAZON STUDIOS

“All the world’s a stage. All the men and women merely players.” This famous quote from William Shakespeare (especially in the present day after it appeared as an easter-egg in the series of the moment Wandavision) refers to a particular theory. The American science fiction film, Bliss, directed by Mike Cahill and starring Owen Wilson and Salma Hayek focuses on simulation theory.

Greg (Owen Wilson) is a man disappointed with his life, finding himself in what many might consider a dead end of his life, even an existential crisis. One day Greg meets Isabel (Salma Hayek), a mysterious woman convinced that the world we live in is just a computer simulation. Greg gradually questions his own existence as he gets to know Isabel.

I think I understand very well where these stories are coming from. The world is in total chaos and we need a way out. 2 years ago it would have been impossible to think of a quarantined world, 1 year ago we thought this was going to last 3 months at most. After a year in lockdown, the simulation theory sometimes seems to take on greater reality, the twists and turns that life takes seem to be simply experiments that the world throws at us.

I find the subject matter very interesting, but the execution of this film was, to say the least, dull, slow and confusing. Reality is mixed to such an extent with simulation that any attempt to decipher what the film wants to show us seems in vain. The situation goes from slow and boring to too strange. The characters do not show us any significant depth. Hayek and Wilson show us another pair of characters, although this time more somber, superficial. The only highlight of their involvement is the incredible chemistry the two have.

I applaud what was attempted in the film, but I really think the execution could have been much better. Bliss will be available on Amazon Prime Video to all of our homes at this red light. Please stay home, watch more movies, be with your families and participate in life without thinking too much about the simulation.