Dot the I (2003) User Reviews (58)

au contraire, to the negativity...I say Bravo

[brandon-radisic · 8/10 · 1 November 2005]

Having seen most of Bernal's films, or at least everything available in the US, I've grown to like him greatly as an actor, thus explaining my motivation for renting this. The description given on the jacket, added with the blurb equating it with Memento (which was a very entertaining mind-boggle), talked me in. Call it a two-for-two deal.

Reading through the commentary left by others, I'm troubled by the negativity being attached. Exactly when did it become a crime to invoke plot-twists as a story device? The last I knew, filmmakers such as Hitchcock and Preminger relied upon them incessantly. A twist in plot, if carried off well, can satisfy viewers and fire the imagination.

Personally, I find the romantic drama as a genre in dire need of a wake-up call. Films such as this one, Closer, Unfaithful, Wicker Park, and very few others, are daring to attempt something original, whether it be a more frank look at relationships, a less clichéd or sexist view of infidelity, or a new take on the love triangle... and by new I mean new in both this film and Wicker Park. Rather than recycle Shakespeare, Jane Austen, or An Affair To Remember for the forty-billionth time, the director and cast broke new ground.

This is not a perfect film, and really, honestly, who gets entertainment from "perfect" films? Admiration, yes. Respect, yes. Are perfect films fun though? That's an argument for a forum... I gave this an eight out of ten, with two points off for those imperfections. The three leads are solid; the story is clever and solid enough. The two points to perfection can easily be forgiven.

I had fun watching this movie.

Intriguing as well as captivating British/Spanish co-production plenty with good actors , twists and turns

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 6 August 2014]

Carmen (Natalia Verbeke) , a gorgeous Spanish girl with a dark past , is about to be married to Barnaby Caspian (James D'Arcy), a good-looking but slightly boring Englishman . While out with other women on her 'hen night' she meets a Brazilian young called Kit (Gael Garcia Bernal) holding his handy camera along with his two friends (Tom Hardy , Charlie Cox) and then following a French tradition she warmly kisses him ; later on , Carmen falls in love for him . As young lovers in London are wrapped up in a love triangle that may not be exactly what it seems . As her wedding date approaches, she finds herself struggling to put this newcomer out of her mind, full of secrets as well as mysteries , but his effect on her keeps growing stronger and danger is in the details.

Drama/Romance/intrigue movie ; the picture begins as a triangular drama and finishes as a thrilling story about a strange trio and their twisted relationship among them , filled with lasting images , delightful interpretations , style , slow moving and plot twists . It is an exciting film displaying suspense , intrigue , plot points , a touching love story , nudism and interesting drama well written by the same filmmaker Matthew Parkhill . In ¨Dot the I¨ , we see a surprisingly thoughtful approach to an otherwise tiring premise, one we're confident audiences will be well gripped into a peculiar romance and a twisted intrigue . Likable acting by Natalia Verbeke as a beautiful woman with a tendency to lose her temper at the drop of a hat , James D'Arcy as a caring, wealthy young and Gael Garcia Bernal as a stranger who suddenly sparks a passion that has been sleeping within her and they have a deep crush on each other . Nice support cast such as two formerly unknown actors : Tom Hardy and Charlie Cox .

Colorful and evocative cinematography by Alfonso Beato , being completely shot in London . Atmospherical musical score by Javier Navarrete , including a spectacular 'Andalucia dance' carried out by Natalia Verbeke at a Flamenco Tablao . This passionate motion picture was well directed by Matthew Parkhill who even appears a cameo as doctor giving bad news in the hospital and the name of the hospital at the ending is "Parkhill Hospital". Matthew Parkhill is a writer and producer, known for (2003), Rogue (2013) and Romeo Thinks Again (1998) and especially this ¨El Punto Sobre la I¨ or ¨Dot the I¨ . Rating : Better than average , worthwhile watching .

Captivating

[GraysonFilmGuy · 8/10 · 24 March 2005]

The direction and writing of this film are superb. Matthew Parkhill has a wonderful and original talent of storytelling and the acting justifies every step the film takes. The dialog is interesting yet realistic and the characters are believable and extremely interesting. Natalia Verbeke has an acting style that is both likable and mysterious. I feel like the acting of the piece can potentially make or break the complicated story and I found that all three lead characters had a strong and specific enough performance that made the the plot fly.

I've been waiting for a film like this for a long time.

Truly excellent.

Absolutely superb plot

[ksutton78 · 22 October 2005]

This movie has lots of twists and turns and some have said an improbable storyline. Yet who wants to watch a move which is predictable? Another comment is 'couldn't it have been left as a good romance?' NO, there are lots of romance films around such as 'The Notebook'. This movie is basically a good thriller with a mega finale.

It has suspense, a good plot, great acting, believable characters and is different from the bog standard thriller.

I was glued to this movie from beginning to end. A definite must see for all who love a great story.

Enjoy

Good, but...

[syapa454 · 6/10 · 3 April 2010]

A very interesting movie. It captures your attention. It's unusual. It's moving. Tension is created when it's needed, so that you can't relax. The main character - Carmen - is passionate, unyielding, strong but fragile at the same moment. The mystery she's involved is carefully concealed from the audience till the end.

But the way it's revealed in the end crosses out almost everything that was so good and unusual. A typical bad guy who's to be blamed for everything steps up. His disguise is torn off, the main character - Kit - is clean; the ugly truth crushes down upon Carmen's shoulders. And after all that justice is done upon James d'Arcy's character. Dot the i.

Still, 6/10.

It had a great start but...

[Travis_Bickle01 · 6/10 · 2 October 2005]

...I hated the twist. I truly loved the beginning of the movie. Although it was more than just the beginning, it was the first 60 minutes of "Dot The I". Both leading actors were great, the chemistry between them was there. Just awesome! But then there was that stupid twist. I don't know why it was there, but it spoiled the whole movie. Why couldn't they just kept it as a love story? There were plenty of options to continue the movie in the same line as it was been going on for an hour.

I give the movie for the first part an 8. The love story was brilliant. It really worked! But like I already mentioned has the twist spoiled the whole movie. That's why I give it a 4 for the second part of the movie. I hated the twist and I think many people will agree with me. Everyone was expecting a love story and that's exactly what we got in the first part, so why spoil it afterwards?

Great acting, but I hated the twist. That's why I give the movie an overall rating of 6.

Surprisingly Great Unknown Movie

[claudio_carvalho · 9/10 · 29 August 2005]

In London, in a French restaurant, the Spanish Carmen Colazzo (Natalia Verbeke) is celebrating with her girlfriends her next wedding with the wealthy British Barnaby R. Caspian (James D'Arcy). On her table, sit the Brazilian Kit Winter (Gael García Bernal) with his handy camera and two friends, and following a French tradition, Carmen warmly kisses Kit, and they have a crush on each other. This is the beginning of a delightful movie, full of secrets, mysteries and plot points.

Yesterday I saw "Dot the I" with the recommendation of a friend of mine. I was expecting to see a usual triangle of love romance, but I found a surprisingly great-unknown movie, full of twists. Inclusive there is a silly last scene in the middle of the credits. Although Gael García Bernal has no biotype of Brazilian, he shows a fantastic chemistry with the delicious and sexy Natalia Verbeke. James D'Arcy is amazing in the role of the cynical Barnaby. The intriguing, passionate and provocative story was the wonderful surprise of my weekend. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "Jogo de Sedução" ("Seduction Game")

its not that great!

[icho7 · 7/10 · 2 November 2003]

its a great one hour movie the last 30 minutes is not, i was like feeling i was part of the movie but then the final was too force the film can end like 20 minutes before,, the idea is good but it go too far, i like the mystery of the movie and the photography is really nice.

Worth a look

[delphine090 · 8/10 · 13 March 2005]

I waited a day to post a comment to let the movie "sit" with me a while.

First, the acting throughout is excellent. You can't take your eyes off any of the characters, which are richly developed and complex - for the first two-thirds of the movie.

Then the characters become two dimensional, and I ceased to care as much what happens to them - not because of the acting, but because of the plot. Characters with which we identify act in ways that are incongruous and we lose connection with them.

At that point, the plot remains interesting, but it's almost as if we were dwelling inside the story and now we've been pushed out. We still want to know what happens next, but now we're distracted by the distance between us and the characters. But maybe that's the whole point - that people act in ways we don't expect given the situations they face.

It's a good movie and I'd recommend a viewing. As I said the acting is excellent and the plot is very solid - what you think is one thing may actually be another - but there aren't any holes. Just the opposite.

It's just that the first part (the love triangle) is so engaging that some of the plot twists that follow are annoying.

I would still recommend this film. Don't listen to critics anyway - obviously people really loved this film 100% - you might also.

Preposterous plot

[lilorangedragon5 · 6/10 · 14 June 2006]

The film is based on three premises which do not allow for a "willing suspension of disbelief." Touted as the "Memento" of 2003, it doesn't come near. Nevertheless, it's amusing--if amusing is appropriately applied to a noir film--amusing enough to enjoy if you suppress your expectations.

Here are the three fatal flaws: Warning, spoilers: 1.In a restaurant full of possible choices there's no way that the Portuguese actor might be predictably chosen for the bride-to-be's last kiss of her single life. And if he wasn't, Bareterlby's plan collapses.

2. Since Carmen actually married the rich Bartelby, she could have sued this him he was worth in a divorce action, causing B's clever but ill-conceived plan to boomerang.

3.Bartelby obtains by fraud Carmen's signature consent on a contract to release the film by presenting the document as just another bureaucratic document required for their marriage, a fraud he later admits on film. Seems likely that the contract she signed would be voided in a lawsuit.

Tiresome

[TheHumbleCritic · 1/10 · 20 March 2005]

With all its portentous winks and nods to popular older films and flashy, gimmick-infused directing, as another wry reviewer mentioned, this is a film totally for and from a young film student. Surprisingly, director Matthew Parkhill was a British history and English schoolteacher before he made this thing. If it's any consolation, the futures of English lads are probably a little more secure now that Parkhill is out of the classroom.

Unfortunately for the rest of us, he's now behind a camera making bad movies. Heavy spoiler alert warning: Parkhill's insistence on camera motifs and crosscutting techniques might seem fitting regarding the great "twist" in the movie, but once you take away these cinematic red-herrings, you realize this twist is TOTALLY unrealistic and not set up in any other way than flimsy jump-cuts. I won't be completely rigid here; the twist is mildly surprising, but these last few minutes do not make up for what is otherwise a disaster in film-making. In fact, in this 90-minute film, the first 75 are completely irredeemable. The dialogue, for supposed improvisation, has been harvested from the cliché-fields. Lines like, "Were you the one following me?" or "This is what happens when you fall in love!" sound like they are straight from some bad faux-noir. And then there are the actors. I'll try to keep this brief: Natalia Verbeke, again for the supposed "real person," is the most unnatural in the entire film. She does little else here but look hot in a bra. Admittedly, she is truly truly hot. I don't know why the fairly talented Gael Garcia Bernal attached his name to this film, though he might know there is a rabid English-shrieking female audience just craving his hunky Latin looks, and an English-speaking role can tap him into that niche market governed by the Dicaprios and Kutchers of the Western world. Other than that, his forced accent (is it Spanish or English?) sounds like Keanu Reeves's unintentionally comical Don Juan. All the while, we get the abysmal staples of postmodern, MTV film-making: headache-inducing jittery camera, fragmented narratives, jarring elliptical edits, with some dreadful British pop rock bands and three-note ambiance chords strumming noisily and constantly in the background. By the end, it is truly impossible to believe this garbage would win any recognition at the film's Sundance mock "Indie-fest," though the sad reality is that this film indeed garnered licensing rights from some savvy business exec at Sundance intent on marketing the bejeezus out of this thing.

In other words, this film does everything wrong for nearly the entire movie and then expects you to forgive it for wasting your time by injecting some kooky literary plot twist in the final frames. I could go on, but I don't have the strength or energy for it. For those who watch this film despite the warning listed here, don't fail to succumb to your initial impulse of walking out within the first twenty minutes, as you'll save yourself the instant migraine. Good god this thing is bad.

In our opinion one of the best of Sundance 2003!

[KIANTI · 10/10 · 1 February 2003]

A thrilling & provocative story with an ending you'll never predict. We saw the film at Sundance 2003 and in our opinion it stood out among the 30 some films we saw as one of the best. Gael García Bernal once again gives a fantastic performance along with the rest of the superb cast.

Almost pulled the DVD out midway through film but glad I didn't

[jjesto · 7/10 · 6 November 2005]

The first half of the story is kind of cheesy, centering on a love triangle, with a pouty, overly dramatic young woman that overreacts to everything, claiming she has a bad temper, so she pouts some more, bitch slaps, throws little fits, to the point of stupidity---so, she's attractive and a little nutty, thats not an original character. I'd read that the film was a thriller and kept waiting for something to change the tone and had just about given up when BANG, there is a major plot twist and then the real story unfolds and takes on a completely different direction. The ridiculousness of the first half of the film was then justified, pretty much anyway. Its not an excellent film, but was worth the watch after all. It was unique indeed.

Waste of time

[me22 · 4/10 · 13 August 2006]

Pretentious. Absurd. Not entertaining. Those are three reasons not to like this movie.

It's like poor quality speakers that go "thump, thump". Sure it catches your attention, but five minutes later you realize that you've got a headache. It plays like a student film (subjective camera angles, accelerated rhythm, etc.) but has no sense of pacing whatsoever, and poor dialog to boot.

This film doesn't keep you guessing at all, and you don't identify for even a minute with ANY of the characters. I think they should have watched Memento a few more times to see how it's done.

Great! Great! Great!

[peterhoffman · 7 February 2003]

Truly the stand out at Sundance in 2003. This movie will carry that "I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you" feeling all the way to the bank - just like "Sixth Sense". I got the chance to talk to Parkhill about the movie at another screening and he stated that the film was just "picked up" - just 2 days after it's premiere. He also said we will see this in theaters within the year. This film could not come out soon enough. He's got big shoes to fill now that he hit the jackpot coming out of the gate. I'm interested to see what he develops next.

Not quite another Memento

[catgirl667 · 6/10 · 18 October 2006]

I didn't think it was that bad, but the whole reason that I wanted to see it was because the DVD cover called it "This Year's Memento." I can see where they draw the connection, but the movie was too short, and the love affair was not torrid and psychologically wrenching enough. It was worth seeing, though. And who's ever heard of a Brazilian guy named "Kit Winter?" The reason it's so frustrating that this movie wasn't that good is because it really could have been! A little trippy editing and cinematography, a more passionate love affair, Barnaby being a little bit more likable, lengthen it a bit, give us more clues to make us feel really stupid that we couldn't figure it out. Then have it be this closet move that no one's ever really heard of until they see it at Blockbuster and the one guy that you know that's seen every movie tells you that it's mind-blowing, and you'll have "this year's Memento." But then again, if ever year has to have a "Memento," then I think this one fills the void for 2003 pretty well.

Sometimes Beautiful Film, But Tries Too Hard To Emulate "Betty Blue"

[imxo · 6/10 · 10 July 2005]

I enjoyed the first 3/4 or so of "Dot the i" - the parts of the film that explored the characters. However, the last 1/4 or so of the film was a bit of a letdown for me. It was also no help that I had read far too much about the film on these pages. For once, it would have been better to have gone into the theater with absolutely no preconceived notions about what to look for. Oh, well, I guess we can't have it both ways, can we?

Much has been written about the wonderful acting of Gael Garcia Bernal, but I found his co-star Natalia Verbeke to play the more interesting character. This is where the film "Betty Blue" comes in. In fact, at one point in the film someone actually mentions Betty Blue. (If you haven't seen Betty Blue - its English name; or "37.3 le Matin" in French - you're in for an extraordinary emotional ride when you do.)

Ms. Verbeke's character on the screen is so intense, so beautiful, so emotional that it's difficult to know whether the viewer should yield and get closer to her or warily keep one's emotional distance. I think this is the hallmark of a great film - challenging the viewer to throw one's lot in with the characters or to stay apart. Unfortunately, it seems the director was just not able to maintain this intensity and finally yielded to a more conventional approach - though I'm sure many would disagree with my use of the word conventional.

The cinematography and set design in the film are both excellent. What's odd, though, is that the interiors strike me as more French, or at least European, than British. Maybe it's the Betty Blue effect again; and at least one scene struck me as having come straight out of Herman Hesse. Or am I just be making this up?

So, do go see "Dot the i" (and "Betty Blue", too) and derive pleasure from whichever portions of the film touch you. "Dot the i" is most assuredly no masterpiece, but it is most certainly moving in the right direction.

One of the best movies I saw this year!

[mariss-1 · 10/10 · 25 September 2004]

I saw "Dot the I" at the Arsenals film festival in Riga and I wanted to post my opinion - the movie is excellent! Actors are great and the plot is unpredictable! This is the movie that shows that real art and really good movie isn't about huge budget. It's about screenplay, actors, passion...

Screenplay - until the last minute I was twisted again and again... Actors - Carmen (Natalia Verbeke) had an excellent accent and is simply beautiful, Kit (Gael García Bernal) - superb, and Barnaby (James D'Arcy) - he played so well so that I even started to hate him (of course, I understand that this is a movie!) And finally - passion - the movie is full of it!

If you have a chance to see this movie, don't miss it!

Good first attempt - Could be better

[Kandarpactor · 6/10 · 28 December 2005]

I watched 'dot the i' mainly because, Gael Garcia Bernal and Natalia Verbeke are in the lead roles, along with James D'Arcy. I have seen several Spanish movies of Gael and Natalia, and was really curious to see how do they perform in English.

I must say that director Matthew Parkhil has the raw material to make it big. This is his first movie and he will improve if he continues working on better scripts. The movie starts in the way a usual love triangle would start. A Spanish girl, Carmen (Natalia) is going to get married to a Britisher, Barnby (D'Arcy) and accidentally bumps into a Brazilian, Kit (Gael), on the eve of her wedding. This results into a frenzied, forbidden but passionate relationship. Even after she gets married, she is not able to get rid of her relationship with Kit. Barnby, a committed lover and a typical loyal husband, is aware of this, and is completely shattered. Unable to cope with the infidelity of his beloved wife, he is on the verge of committing suicide. Wait!!!!!! This all sounds so monotonous! So predictable! But no! The story of this movie is more unpredictable than one can really think of. There is an interesting twist in the plot here, which takes the 'Reality show' culture to task.. To a critical viewer the plot might seem to be too unreal but it is entertaining otherwise.

Apart from the plot being over-fictitious, the movie has some more drawbacks. Dialogues are written a bit poorly. In order to build up a story and make the twist look more shocking, (a la Shyamalan), the director has compromised with the cinematic rhythm. The movie is unevenly paced. The cast is international and sale-able. Natalia Verbeke is a perfect choice for the character of Carmen - Latin, passionate and gullible. D'Arcy looks excellent in the pre-twist part of the movie, however, in the post-twist part, he does a good job, but one may feel that something is missing. Gael Garcia is one of the most talented international actors of our times. However, neither his looks nor his accent make him look Brazilian. I have a feeling that he was the weakest link among the lead actors, even though it is not his fault. Natalia Verbeke, innovative plot, good direction, unrealistic twist in the tale, and poor screenplay: all put together fetch 6/10 for 'dot the I'.

Very COOL!

[Lady_Targaryen · 8/10 · 10 September 2005]

When I was watching this movie, I thought: ''Okay,I already know the ending of it''. And when I came near the end, all the things I thought I would know, vanished. This movie is GREAT, really. The story itself seems not to be a big deal until you see the End.:)

It's very difficult to me, to watch a movie that really surprises me, And ''DOT THE I'' is definitively one of them.

I never imagined that the character Barnaby (or he would be Ford?) was such a tremendous son of *****! :P

And I also have to say that Carmen was great in her revenge!

Ps:Gael García Bernal is a great actor. Each movie I watch that he is there, I start to like him even more.

Don't read about this movie. See it

[gridoon2024 · 7/10 · 2 December 2014]

What starts out as a well-done but typical "love triangle" tale turns into a smart, multilayered demonstration of the age-old motto "appearances can be deceiving". It's a film that repeatedly pulls the rug out from under your feet, yet all the pieces of the well-put-together puzzle fit, and all the clues are there. The use of video camera shots may seem excessive at first, but eventually you'll find out it was justified; at the end there are none of the "loose ends" that you usually find in this type of movie - all the questions are answered. "Dot The I" is an impressively self-assured feature-length writing and directing debut for Matthew Parkhill, who is further assisted by a well-selected trio of protagonists. *** out of 4.

plot-driven flick ill-serves competent cast

[LunarPoise · 5/10 · 17 February 2010]

Writer-director Parkhill overcooks the pot in this heavily-plotted thriller about a young Spanish woman fleeing an abusive relationship only to find herself caught up with the most abusive creatures known to the ages: film-makers.

Natalia Verbeke exudes hot Latin temperament as the put-upon Carmen, a flamenco dancer with a bit of a temper who seems to be settling for a safe but passionless marriage with the rich but sincere Barnaby. Along comes Kit, a sultry but slightly kooky Gael García Bernal, to show Carmen what real passion is, and complications ensue, though Carmen is deluded regarding their particular hue.

It all twists and turns rather incredulously after that, which is fair enough, but the twists are also rather telegraphed, which is unforgivable. The inclusion of comic tropes Tom and Theo gives it a lighter edge than it might otherwise deserve, as if Parkhill is not taking events too seriously himself. That is a shame, because had the film opted to go much darker, it would have worked better. The palette is full of lurid colours, as if to compensate for the pasty video footage inter-cut into the main narrative. Again, subliminally Parkhill seems to be apologising for his film.

What rescues this from its formulaic nonsensical plot is the performances of the leads. In particular, James D'Arcy shows a penchant for bipolar antagonists that is quite chilling at times. Talking straight to the video camera about killing himself, he is utterly convincing. It is a shame the script undoes his fine work later on.

Mildy engrossing, utterly forgettable afterwards, this is formulaic fluff and nonsense that is worth viewing as a casting exercise for the three lead actors who put in stand-up shifts.

Awesome movie!!!

[emeraldgal75 · 10/10 · 14 July 2005]

'Dot the I' is a very original, cool movie. Matthew Parkhill's direction took some getting used to, but it suited the story wonderfully. It was well cast and the acting was superb, though James D'Arcy was the standout. I was only able to see it once, and that was a shame. Once is not enough. 'Dot the I' is the kind of movie that sticks with you and gets under your skin. I am waiting with baited breath for the DVD release. I do hope this movie is not forgotten come award season. Such an incredible concept should be recognized in some way. Do yourself a favor and rush out to see 'Dot the I' if at all possible. You won't regret it.

Twisted drama, just like the title!!!

[shashank_1501 · 7/10 · 31 January 2024]

Loved the film, didn't understood the meaning of the title though i.e., Kiss dots the 'I' in the word 'love'.

A strange French tradition in which a girl before her marriage has to kiss a stranger results in Kit Winter (Gael Garcia Bernal) falling for a mystery girl Carmen in a restaurant while she was having a private bachelorette party with her friend. Carmen too starts having second thoughts about her relationship with her fiancée Barnaby who has helped her to her feet in London after she ran away from Madrid from her troubled past.

But there is much more to this drama than the love triangle with the later half of this thriller filled with twist & turn.

Meta ... indie ... muck ...

[mik-19 · 5/10 · 20 January 2006]

Young Brazilian guy in London falls in love with Spanish girl about to be married to a rich English man. Featuring heaps of video cameras ...

Preposterous and badly written, the visual style is jarring and too self-consciously cool for the story to make much sense. Films like this one are too easy to make. They are all about coming with with a new surprise twist every 15 minutes, and they don't even have to be good, so long as they keep us surprised they don't need to add up. And then, if you say that it is a meta-indie-flick, all opposition among cineasts must be stilled.

Or ...? Well, I don't buy into it. The recent 'Wicker Park' tried to do the same, boasting a non-linear plot line that covered the fact that there was no actual story to tell. 'Memento' had something it wanted to convey, but that was the exception. Too many movies nowadays ape this faux-documentary style because they hope the jarring aesthetics will keep us riveted, but without substance I dare say they will not.

The film's first-time director, who, alas, is also the writer (almost always a bad idea) insists on not giving away his secrets, knowing that his house of cards will tumble down first chance it gets.

The lead character Carmen is utterly unsympathetic, in the tradition we know from fatal French cinema, 'Betty Blue' and so on, her English boyfriend is a convenient caricature of the rich papa's boy slash cynical rich fart. The most startling thing about the film, in a good way, was James D'Arcy's suicide scene which was really well-played, and I must say that he was the only actor to actually get something out of this venture, although his part stinks.

Gael Garcia Bernal seriously needs a career counselor, he won't survive much more muck like this one