"Miranda" has nice performances, well-composed and lighted shots, snappy editing, whimsical and funny moments... so then why does it ultimately fail to make a lasting impression? Perhaps because there is so little connection to the "real world", as evidenced by the way that not a single character in this piece behaves in the manner a real person would. The entire film is an artificial construct, an abstract meditation on human nature that sadly fails to reference anything recognizable in most peoples' lives. The result is a film that bores, but occasionally rewards.

That said, the writing is clever and even rises to the inspired once or twice. Likewise, the visual sophistication of what and how things appear in-frame, the camera movements and the just-right switching between shots and angles points to something far beyond competency. Let's just say that "Miranda" was an artfully realized misfire, a "nice try" for all those involved. Let's hope they all move on to find something that suits their particular muses better.

The graphics/animation opening this picture are just great. The first twenty minutes are VERY funny, thanks almost exclusively to Mr. Simms hilarious enthusiasm. Then the film just falls apart. It could have been a good romantic comedy. But instead it thinks it creates suspense, intrigue, danger, etc., which it badly employs. John Hurt does fine but neither he nor Kyle MacLaughlin seem to now what kind of film they are supposed to be in. Hurt is deadpan drama and Maclaughlin is over-the-top zany. I'd accept ridiculous plot devices if the tone of the movie, like the first 20 minutes, remained ridiculous. Especially annoying to me, an attorney who does some real estate, is the suggestion you could con sophisticated people into accepting title to property you didn't own, a virtual impossibility no matter how gullible the Client. But I had to give it a "5" as Mr. Simms introduction is so charming.

First the good : this is a pleasantly original and mercurial little movie, miles away from your usual formulaic conman thriller or rom-com. There are some good jokes and lines - and yes, even the titles at the beginning are pretty funny. Also welcome is the satirical bite. The story is set in a Great-Britain where the rich and powerful can build (or tear down) anything that strikes their fancy, while average citizens are supposed to live without such self-indulgent luxuries as hospitals, swimming pools or libraries, because who needs mental and physical well-being ?

On second thoughts : perhaps I was wrong in using the words "satirical bite", this is a pretty accurate representation of societal reality - and not only in Great-Britain.

Sadly the movie does not live up to the potential promised by its original premise. It's clever, but not as clever as it thinks it is. A small example : the various swindles perpetrated are not exactly models of criminal cunning and satanic ingenuity. One cannot shake the suspicion that they would have been undone by even a minimum of vigilance and due diligence. The dialogue and narration too are remarkably uneven.

The various actors bravely do their best, but much of their enormous talent goes to waste. With such a stellar cast this could have been a tragicomic masterwork for the ages, but aah... The things that might have been...