Zeros and Ones (2021)

This is a mess of a movie that is difficult to get into and watch because it is far from clear what is happening from scene to scene and who the characters are supposed to be, as well as what the characters are trying to accomplish or attain. I started, re-started, backed up, and rewatched numerous times, to no avail. Many scenes were too dark (not uncommon), some were deliberately grainy, some seemed to have no legitimate place, and shaky moving camera scenes were not pleasant. It might be worth trying to watch, just to find out why so many viewers and critics are so negative and confused. Then, again, it might prove more worthwhile to simply skip it and watch a more watchable movie that makes sense, you'll enjoy, and won't want your time back! Overall, the movie makes about as much sense as worldwide current events. Perhaps this is its major message or contribution.

Don't expect the movie's trailer to help! Here's most (if not all) of the dialog (quoted):

"It takes more than guns to kill a man.
You think I'm your enemy... I am your enemy. But your enemy won't be gone when you kill me. Your brother is still in prison. Your twin brother was an anarchist. My brother was a revolutionary. Somebody was up to something and I wanted to be part of it. Ask help from no-one. Where is he? Cameraman is my brother. He won't last ten minutes in the street knowing what he knows. This is a battleground. Who's the contact? Russia? Mumbai? Tell me. So when is this gonna happen? It is happening before it comes in years (?) We have a deal? Your brother can expose everything. I have done what is mine to do. The world is watching what happens here. It's on. You see here, now. I would light myself on fire. How come no-one here's lighting themselves on fire? Where's my brother? Go, go, go. Who would die?"

Ethan Hawke does make some introductory comments. Will these excerpts help?
"I was very grateful to get the script. Especially considering that the script speaks to the moment. Not in any obvious, uh, didactic way, but you can feel that this is Abel's hit on what we've all been going through for the last year or so. Uh, it's a beautiful script. I play a military man. You're not exactly sure whether I'm a good guy or a bad guy, and I also play my own brother, who's a revolutionary."

And don't expect the list of cast members at the end to help you figure out who is who. These are some listed BEFORE the movie actually ends and the "Cast" is presented:
Laughing Russian agent... Serious Russian agent... Valeria [Valeria Correale, who is the associate producer]... Woman in the church. Girl in the pink coat

Then Ethan Hawke makes an ending statement. Maybe this will help? Nope. Here's a quote (01:18:17):
"When Abel [Ferrara, writer and director] gave me the script and, uh - script is a really, uh, not accurate term for what he sent. I really didn't understand a word of it... Yeah. But I really liked it. [Laughs] Uh, I did, but I didn't know what was happening...
//
"This is part of the movie, by the way. And now it's over." (01:21:48)

But there's still the "Cast" to list. Will this help? Nope. Here's some clues:

Luciano's Associate #1; Luciano's Associate #2; Doctor; Valeria's Baby; Jiao's Son; American Ambassador; Russian Agent; Mustapha; Mustapha's Sparring Partner; Waterboard Soldier; Priest; Jiao's Girl #1; Jiao's Girl #2; Russian Chauffer; Russian Waiter #1; Russian Waiter #2. Then three names are listed under "Church", six names are listed under "Mosque", eighteen names are listed under "Soldiers", and six names are under "Bar." Who were all the other characters in the movie?

Maybe some viewers will like the random images at the end, such as: doves eating off the sidewalk, children playing, swarms of starlings flying in swooping formations.

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