anicole-preston Answers to Nothing is so many things in one but most of all it is a roller coaster of emotions. As a vignette film it spends just enough time on each character so that you still get to know what is going on in each situation. Not too much time is spent so you forget the rest of the characters, and it is all interconnected in some way. This feature of the film shows how small the world really is. Deep and poignant, each character is looking for something to fill the void that was left in their lives, like many peoples lives today. The dialogue and some stories are charming and heartbreaking. The characters are each trying so hard for something that is wanted so badly in each of their lives and seeking to overcome those obstacles. Dane Cook does an amazing job at something we aren't all used to normally seeing him do. Answers to nothing is a film about the fragility of life and relationships. I would recommend this film to anyone who wants a film to make them feel, Answers to Nothing is one for you.

kelvinho84 Films that depend on the interlocking of different story lines are always treading on dangerous terrains. I can only think of a few films that manage to thrive through such a formula. Paul Thomas Anderson's "Magnolia" and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's "Amores Perros" manages to take disparate plots and various characters and unite them in a manner that does not make it seem like a gimmick. Perhaps one can cite Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction" as a successful employment of this type of narrative, although; his is more closely attributed to serial pulp novels. But these are the few exceptions for often than not, they are disasters waiting to happen. The seminal film that proves this is Paul Haggis's highly overrated film "Crash," where various story lines and characters intersect each other in the heart of Los Angeles, by way of chance and coincidence, makes the film a shallow and misinformed reading of racism. By attempting to encompass everything and everyone in Los Angeles, it ultimately has nothing to say about its themes and subjects. Similarly, "Answers to Nothing" falls victim to such a narrative ploy, While I give the film credit for not wholly attempting to shamelessly delve into racial politics, but like "Crash," it fails to say much about anything. Although the various narrative threads are united by the case of a missing girl, they do not necessarily coalesce narratively or thematically. The film's protagonist Ryan, played by Dane Cook, is caught in the terrain of uncertainty through his infidelity. His girlfriend Kate is direction-less and preoccupied with having a child. Drew is a woman who has been sober for six months. She takes care of her handicapped brother. We later find out they got in a car accident after she had too much to drink. Carter is an elementary school teacher who is the moral compass of the film, even though he spends most of his free time playing MMO games. Allegra, a beautiful African- American woman, sees a therapist because she hates "black people." There are more characters and story lines than I can count, all somehow insignificantly connected to the other. Yet, they all don't coalesce into a coherent narrative. While it is better than "Crash," in that it doesn't rely on the idea of coincidence and chance to propel the story and affect the characters, it is still direction-less and hollow. The characters try hard in becoming empathetic but the story offers little to relate. The only meaningful character in the film, which so happens to be tied to the missing girl, is Carter. There seems to be a purpose and profundity in his character. It is a shame that there are not more characters as well constructed as him. I commend the film for attempting this type of narrative. Like "Crash," it is set in Los Angeles. However, unlike that film, it doesn't become a caricature of an entire city. "Answers to Nothing" is not a total disaster but it is further proof that this type of narrative is difficult to accomplish successfully.

ravenlll i am not a movie critic by any stretch of the imagine - i watch a movie for entertainment. i like a movie to move me in some way - to make me laugh, make me cry ... to make me FEEL something for the characters.this movie did just that. Oscar winning performances? hard to say ... but this movie deserves much more than the 3 stars that it has right now on IMDb.lives crossing paths, zig-zagging and enmeshing one another. everyone has demons. everyone has things inside of them that haunt them. these people have to face theirs - and this is the story of those lives coming to terms and facing the reality of their existence.i rated this movie high because i wanted it to move up in the ratings. this movie would be about an 8 for me. Dane Cook did a great job in this dramatic role, Elizabeth Mitchell is always fantastic .. and the rest of the cast did a great job.it made me cry, smile, cheer and empathize .. and that's enough for me.

Tony Heck "I'm buried in the armor, I'm an iron man." After a child is abducted this movie deals with the following five days and a group of people including the single mom who is investigating the case. Her sister (Mitchell) who wants to get pregnant badly but her husband (Cook) is cheating on her. A school teacher who is obsessed with finding the missing girl. An alcoholic who is taking care of her wheel chair bound brother and a self hating black woman who wants to fall in love. I have to begin by saying that this is not a movie for everyone. Very slow moving in some parts and not a happy movie at all. That said I really enjoyed this. Dane Cook is a huge surprise in this role and is actually a very good dramatic actor. This movie shows how each person is somehow intertwined in each other's lives and how one life effects the other. While not nearly as good as "Crash" it does have that type of feel to it. This is a movie that you must be in the mood for and is a struggle at first, but the last half hour makes you glad you stuck with it. Overall, the type of movie that leaves you thinking about it long after it is over. I recommend this. I give it a B.