Saw 'A.M.I' mainly because the premise was really interesting and sounded very unsettling, one of the better premises for any recent film in my opinion. It was also interesting due to it seeming to raise awareness for the negative effects of obsessive cellphone and technological use, a very much current issue and always worth addressing (should be addressed more actually). It was also a film that actually looked like it wasn't made on the cheap.
Will say that 'A.M.I' does have its good elements and doesn't completely squander its premise, did fear it would having seen a lot of potential wastes recently and getting quite tired of it. Do think though that it could have done much more with it though and that it should have been a much better film than it turned out. What could have been something intriguing and decent, and oh my goodness it could have been that easily, turned out instead to be a valiant semi-failure in my view due to such messy storytelling.
Beginning with the good, 'A.M.I' visually looks as though effort was put into it and it didn't look cheap, some atmospheric style and some clever camera angles here. The editing perhaps could have been tighter, but generally didn't have much of a problem with the film visually. Cassie was a lead character worth rooting for and wasn't a dull obnoxious stereotype that is common with characters in similar films.
Music does unsettle and didn't over-emphasise, or at least it didn't to me. The acting was surprisingly acceptable, with Debs Howard being more than up to the task in the lead role and Veronica Hampson steals her scenes without being annoying.
Other than Cassie though, the characters are somewhat ordinary and more could have been done with them. The script generates little personality, let alone tension, is awkward and with so little explained it came over as vague as well.
It is the story that wrecks 'A.M.I', other than some interesting questions raised and a nice element of sarcasm directed at technological addiction and the younger generation that could have featured more actually, it is a mess. There isn't enough creepiness and the suspense and thrills aren't there, ruined too by some very lazy and easily avoidable errors and too much being under-explored and lacking in sense that it becomes one big muddle.
Concluding, great premise but underwhelming execution of it. 4/10
