Shuffle (2011)

 Directed/Written by Kurt Kuenne

Starring T.J. Thyne and Paula Rhodes

Runtime 82min. - Rated PG-13

2 Stars (out of 4)

"Shuffle" is an V.O.D release available on Google Play and VUDU.

Available on DVD through Amazon.

"Shuffle" promises an interesting concept. Also, it's shot in black and white. Sadly, those are the only two reasons I need to watch a film. Being widely available and inexpensive doesn't hurt either.

Lovell Milo (Thyne) is often told that his name sounds like it's out of order and that Milo Lovell sounds more natural. When we first meet him, the order of his name is a trivial concern. Every time he falls asleep, he wakes up at a different time, or perhaps I should say in a different time. One moment he might be 30 years old and the next he's a teen. Sometimes he's in elementary school and other times he's in his 90's. In addition to this bizarre condition, Lovell is also narcoleptic. That means he can rapidly fall in and out of sleep at random times. You could see how that would exacerbate an already awkward situation. Instead of waking up in a new place each day, the narcolepsy means he may experience several different decades within a few hours.


In addition to his quantum leaping and narcolepsy, Lovell has an issue with memory. He doesn't know anything other than what is relevant for the particular day on which he wakes. He wakes up at a wedding and knows that he's the photographer. He knows how to pose his subjects and how to use his camera. He even knows his name. He doesn't know what happened the day before, how he got to the wedding, or what happened before all the time-travel began. His first memory occurs when he wakes up as a 90 year old. The memories are at least cumulative from that point.

Poster in color, movie in B&W? Sure, why not?

He occasionally bumps into people that know more about his situation than he does. A little girl tells him that he's been given a gift and that he needs to pay attention to every detail in his travels. When he wakes up as a child a teacher mentions that he's not there by accident. Later he's told that he must save someone.

The tips lead Lovell to start making mental journals. He can't write anything down because it wouldn't be there the next day. His solution is just to take a mental snapshot of things that he thinks are important. He notices some patterns. When he wakes up at 24 he's full of energy and loves his job. When he wakes up at 30 he's too exhausted to get out of bed. In his early 20's he wears a cheap plastic watch. In his 30's and beyond he's wearing an expensive gold watch. As a child he realizes that his father was emotionally abusive at times. He also finds out that his dad was narcoleptic but wouldn't take his pills. He starts putting together these clues like a detective. He needs to find out who he's supposed to save.

The aptly named Grace (Rhodes) is a leading candidate. She's one of the few people that pop up no matter what decade he wakes up in. As a child she's a solid friend. She stands up to Lovell's strict father with no thought of her own safety. She gets kicked out of the house, but shows loyalty and strength. As an adult he occasionally wakes up in bed with Grace. They're married. Then suddenly, they're not. What happened between 24 and 30? He makes it his mission to find out.

The payoff to all this meandering through time is actually pretty good. It's a bit sentimental and definitely too foreshadowed, but at least it's well done. If only the credits rolled a little sooner. After all is revealed we spend another 20 minutes watching Lovell live out his remaining days. It's the most happily-ever-after ending I've seen. Not only does he remarry and have more kids, we even get to see him die and wake up in heaven where Grace is there to meet him. I find myself wondering why his 2nd wife isn't also there in heaven. Is it first loves only? Seriously, we can't be happy with him living in peace. We actually have to watch him die and wake up in the afterlife. I just can't get over it. I'd imagine there's some religious institution involved with the making of the film.

The idea of "Shuffle" is nice, and it has its moments. If it weren't all packaged with a pretty little bow on top, it'd be a very good independent film. Unfortunately there's only so much sugar I can eat before I get a toothache. This is the kind of film a teenage boy would rent for his teenage girlfriend to prove that he's sensitive. There's a good movie hidden inside "Shuffle", but you'll have to put up with some nonsense to find it.