Amari-Sali
With the familiar faces of Teresa Palmer, Penn Badgley, Rosario Dawson, Josh Hartnett, as well as Frank Langella, you must admit this seems like an interesting collective for a film. Especially with their stories all to be connected, much less with this possibility of death due to biological weapons hanging in the air. But, the question is, with a limited amount of time before a major portion of the Earth's population being wiped out, will the film lead you to care about three sets of people?Characters & StoryThings begin with us being presented what in any other film would be the introduction to a love story. Young Anna (Teresa Palmer) and Erik (Penn Badgley) live in this cute house together, seem barely into their adult years, and yet are helplessly in love. But, in order to pay for the house, Erik's grandparents, Esther (Gena Rowlands) and Andy (Frank Langella), give him money. Something which increasingly is becoming an issue as he seeks to establish himself as a musician.Though Andy likes giving his grandson money, especially considering his money, which is in millions, was gained through dirty business deals. Which is how his association with Mia (Rosario Dawson) comes about for she is his lawyer trying to protect him from the possible issue of him breaching his contract with his former employer. Then, lastly, when it comes to Len (Josh Hartnett), he seems to be an almost polar opposite to Erik. For while Erik can spend his days with his girlfriend and write songs, Len seems to be someone who may have been big at one point and time, but now is broke, jealous of his wife Mia, and has only his sister Sarah (Alexis Bledel) and friend Rick (Hill Harper) to vent to.And all together we watch these characters deal with a bioweapon attack which happens in western Asia, with its effects spreading, despite wind currents, across Europe and then to the United States.PraiseIf you focus on each of the three sets of stories, you can see a full length movie within itself. Like the story between Anna and Erik could easily be combined with Andy and Esther and make a quality and cohesive film. For the romance between Palmer and Badgley is not only cute, but compelling. As is this huge amount of guilt Andy has over his involvement in creating bio-weaponry, if just because he wanted to give his daughter, Erik's mom, a few more years. And while this may make you think Dawson and Hartnett's roles are just extra fat, if anything they too could be separated and with Dawson being Andy's lawyer, having marital issues with Hartnett, and then with the bioweapon outbreak, again you can see a full fledge and quality story come about.CriticismHowever, instead what is given is a story which has too many cooks in the kitchen, sort of speak. I say this because, like most films which try to spread its focus this thin, you never feel like you can truly get into the characters for your attention quickly gets snatched away as they move the focus to develop another set of characters. Then, to add onto the films problems, it doesn't go in chronological order. Which bugged me because not only was it not in order, but there was no notification so that you knew what the time-line is for when certain events happen. Such as whether the event took place 2 months before the bioweapon, during the bioweapon attack, or 2 days after the attack, and so on. And while details like that may not seem major to most, but when you are switching between sets of characters with the time period shifting, it does have the potential to confuse you. Also, considering the significant moments which Palmer, Badgley, Langella and Rowlands have, not presenting a chronological order, or at least informing you of the time period, does slightly weaken the overall story, as well as make it a bit more difficult to get the emotions from the actors and take it in.Overall: TV ViewingTo me, this film is the prime example why splitting the focus between 3, or more, sets of characters should be avoided whenever possible. It leaves you wanting more when you really shouldn't have to, and you can always find one set, or one character's story, which is weak enough that you wished it was simply cut to accommodate the more focused on characters. And because of this slightly disjointed storytelling, and the inability to really get into the characters, I'm labeling this as "TV Viewing."
Tony Heck
"Nothing is left. The radio stopped. There's no more planes or helicopters. When's the last time we heard anything other then birds?" After a man made virus escapes the entire world is threatened. The fast moving and fast acting bug is bringing about the end of the world with no hope for a cure. Three couples each deal with it in their own way. Even though their stories and experiences are different they realize that life revolves around one thing, love. For some reason ideas and plots for movies seem to come in clumps and no matter what they get made back to back to back. Armageddon and Deep Impact came out very close together. So did Volcano & Dante's Peak, Olympus Has Fallen & White House Down, and Legend Of Hercules and soon Hercules. This movie is part of the new up and coming trend, movies about a man made virus that causes the apocalypse. Contagion, It's A Disaster, Goodbye World and the more recent ones just to name a few. All of them have their good qualities but like so many copy cat movies they are never as good as the original. This one is no exception. Overall, good movie with a very good cast but it is very depressing so you must be in the mood for it. Not as good as Contagion. I give this a B-.
centinel822
Parts Per Billion follows the intertwined stories of three couples at different stages in their lives who are dealing with their relationships during a time of global crisis. Each couple is dealing with their own issues within the context of larger events. Those seeking scenes of mass hysteria and destruction will be disappointed. This is a relationship movie, through and through.It's no surprise that the cast is terrific, and do the best with what they have to work with. Whatever faults may exist, the writers and cast create believable and interesting characters. The non-linear nature of the story -- the scenes jump from couple to couple and from time to time -- can be a tad confusing at times, but it was probably necessary to provide a feeling that something is happening. This is important, because nothing actually is happening. To use a cliché, it's like the characters are rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic without even acknowledging that its sinking. There is an unreal feel to how the looming external crisis is ignored by pretty much everyone until it is on top of them. For this reason, the film wastes the whole concept of impending doom and leaves us dealing with normal couples dealing with normal issues.Perhaps it was the director's intent to show how we get so swept up in our own personal affairs that we can't see the big picture, but it just seems to me to be a waste of a good premise. I can't help but compare Parts Per Billion to Another Earth. Both are small-budget films that deal with tragic relationships in the shadow of bigger events, but the later film was able to tie the two things together. This, too, could have been a poignant film, but it comes up short.
