The Stream: Feels a bit long and a semi-Matrix concept

The Big Screen: Salma and Owen guide us through two realities

The Final Bill: An original and off-beat but still strangely uplifting flick

– S2S: Movie Review
Director: Mike Cahill
Writers: Mike Cahill
Stars: Owen Wilson, Salma Hayek, Nesta Cooper | See full cast & crew »
Genre: Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi 
Rating: R
Runtime: 1 hour 39 minutes
Platform: Prime Video (Released Feb. 5, 2021)

Welcome back to Stream to Big Screen! As the youthful year gets going with promise and poise (anything has more promise than 2020), streaming sites are becoming ever more full of content. This week I was able to watch, Bliss. So let’s see how two of Hollywood’s darlings fared in this otherworldly time spectacle.

In this Prime Video streamer, we follow Greg (Owen Wilson), who is struggling with his marital/family situation and issues at work, when he meets the mysterious and captivating Isabel (Salma Hayek). Who isn’t captivated by Salma Hayek?! Am I right or am I right? Anyway, Isabel is a woman living on the streets and convinced that she’s polluted and broken the world around her. You can say her powers have them in a “computer simulation”. Matrix vibes anybody? Anyway, Isabel and a skeptical Greg figure out that maybe she’s not as crazy as she appears. I know what you’re thinking that this sounds quite interesting and in fact this is remotely original. And, boy, do I enjoy originality. The most original part of this is making Salma look ordinary. It took some effort to make her look like a weird off the grid lady, but really it just is too, too much hair and extra baggy clothing. Either way, even though I thought the pairing of Wilson and Hayek would be weird, they actually worked pretty well together in good roles for them.

On top of that, I enjoyed the message that viewers derive from this film. The filmmakers definitely touch upon a world we live in but don’t want to see. The subtle differences in reality for people in homes and those on the street can be ever so slight, but we all need help. Life is hard and can be even harder with mental health issues or drug dependencies. We all deserve love and for our loved ones to care about and for us. Nevertheless, I enjoyed how the movie teetered between reality and fiction as I can imagine it does for many people struggling with issues. There needs to be better efforts to help our dependent communities. *steps off soap box* Which world is real? We may never know but either way the set design is great in both.

Bliss sparks a bit of bliss in the Prime Video catalogue. Original, a bit off the wall, weird, and corny but different in a good way. The pairing of Hayek and Wilson really makes this movie have feeling. The unbelievable couple makes this movie feel real. While ignorance is bliss, Bliss provides insight into the divide between communities and the idea of us all wanting to chase bliss. Feels a bit long but grab a nice bowl of popcorn and enjoy this Prime Video streamer.