User reviews

The first act of Gemini was magnificent due to its inserts of top-notch acting and compelling themes. Unfortunately, the rest of the movie transforms into your typical, predictable, murder mystery which definitively never rightly goes anywhere. (Verdict: C+)

Begins hopeful, with the prospects of being a fresh movie, fresh idea and script. But as stated by other reviews the quality and the 'pace' of the story quickly decline. It feels like they tried to give off some kind of Mullholland Drive vibe, but halfway decided to open the 'box of lame'.

Felt promising, but turned out to be not as good initially anticipated. Worth the watch though (if you have a spare hour and a half).

"Gemini" (R, 1:33) is a mystery thriller that explores the down-side of celebrity and does so in a darkly comedic and insightful way, packaging it all in a semi-serious who-dun-it. The movie is directed and written by Aaron Katz ("Land Ho!", "Cold Weather", "Quiet City") and stars Zoë Kravitz as a Hollywood starlet, Lola Kirke as her personal assistant and John Cho as a detective investigating a murder.

Heather Anderson (Kravitz) is a movie star, but she doesn't seem very happy about it. She has decided that she doesn't feel like doing a movie about which she is about to have a meeting in a restaurant. She sends Jill (Kirke), her assistant and best friend, to tell the producer the news. After the producer storms off, Heather comes in and sits down, where she is approached by a young woman who insists on joining the two women in their booth and asking Heather very personal questions. In the midst of all this, Jill fields a phone call from another actor who is very angry with Heather about something (threatening Heather) - and the women have to deal with a paparazzo who's so persistent, they know him by name.

When they finally leave the restaurant, Heather wants to stop by Jill's place and asks to borrow Jill's gun so she'll feel safer. The women then call over another female friend and they just hang out at Jill's place. Jill gets drunk, so Heather has to drive herself home (with Jill in tow) and Jill asks to sleep on Heather's couch. The motion-activated lighting then comes on outside. Jill thinks it was just an animal that set off the light, but Heather's worried and Jill ends up sleeping in Heather's bed. And now... the stage is set.

The next morning Jill gets up early to go tell another producer that Heather isn't going to do the required reshoots on a film she completed. Before she leaves Heather's house, Jill takes her gun back out of Heather's purse, thinks about taking it back home, but decides to put it back... and then it goes off. Heather comes running, but isn't upset about the damage to her house; she's just glad Jill isn't hurt. When Jill gets back, she has to call the police to report the lifeless body on the floor. Detective Ahn (Cho) starts questioning Jill as if she's responsible. When Jill finds out she's about to be arrested for Heather's murder, she runs off and, on her own, starts investigating the people who might want Heather dead.

"Gemini" is an interesting, but silly mystery. At times, it's unintentionally humorous, with more than its share of plot holes, but it's fun to try figuring out the truth, with so many possible suspects and scenarios. The relationship between Heather and Jill feels authentic, but the rest of the supporting characters... don't. Most of the acting is merely passable and the characters that the actors play... do things that don't make sense. Wasted potential. "C+"

Gemini starts strong. The set-up, if you will, is well done. Tension slowly builds and the event, the "heinous crime," happens as expected. The assistant/friend of the celebrity is under suspicion, as expected. There are some tense moments when questions are asked, and the assistant takes off to find her own answers. After this point, nothing that happens comes as a surprise, or adds to the film. In the end, it's not clear what the movie is trying to say. If it is saying the things that one thinks it is, then it's way too subtle. The events present an opportunity for the assistant to take charge, to have the upper hand, but she doesn't seem to? Not clear. At some point we're to think that the celebrity is a bit evil, manipulating everyone around her, but then again, maybe not. Back and forth, the film left us with a "meh, not sure what that was trying to say." There were also some scenes that did not really serve a purpose, or the same purpose could have been fulfilled in a better way (the meeting with Jaime, for example, or the coffee scene with the detective and Stan).

A sexy noir "thriller" with no thrills. Full of sexy shots depicting how California must look to the rich and famous, lacking anything worth watching for. Heather is too dry in her attempts to display discontent and troubles, Jill is indifferent in her role. Once again I must say this film is all style with nothing setting itself apart- I do not recommend.

To anyone mentioning Lynch, Mulholland Drive, or Hitchcock- you couldn't be farther off base. Don't fall for these outrageous comparisons. Skip this.

This film tells the story of an assistant of a Hollywood star, who becomes the prime suspect of murder.

The film might have been intense or thrilling, but unfortunately it is neither. The pace is slow, and there is not much happening at all. There is a serious lack of suspense, thrill and excitement. It is not easy for a murder mystery to look plain, but in here it is very plain.

I enjoyed watching it and I liked that the ending was a little bit unexpected, I found it really interesting. Lola Kirke and Zoe Kravitz are really good in this movie, even if 'Gemini' isn't one of the best movies of their careers. The plot line was good, Aaron Katz knows how to play with the concept of "suspense". The only problem that I had while watching it was the quality of the image and the cadres. A little bit more working on filming would've been awesome. Anyway, it's a movie that is worth watching if you love neo noirs or LA crime stories.

Visually this movie was stunning. Loved the idea of it but the story ended up not going anywhere interesting and I was bored by the end.

Always down for a neo-noir, and I won't lie, the poster and the cast definitely got me. Gemini has an obvious David Lynch influence and maintains its dreamlike, ominous vibe for about two thirds of the movie, which is when -- rather sadly -- it turns into an absolute and utter trainwreck. Maybe a few more weeks in the development room would have birthed a more satisfying (believable? creative? original?) ending, but I guess there's no point lamenting that. I won't tell you not to watch it, but I also won't tell you to watch it.

Jill LeBeau (Lola Kirke) handles everything for movie star Heather Anderson (Zoë Kravitz) as her assistant. Heather feels unsafe and borrows Jill's gun. One day, Jill finds Heather killed with the gun beside her. Police detective Edward Ahn (John Cho) investigates and Jill becomes the prime suspect.

Lola Kirke is a little flat. The premise requires high-tension and dire paranoia. The suspects aren't laid out too well. Other than the paparazzi and the fan, I don't know who are the other characters. It does have a nice style with the noirish L.A. landscape. It's also problematic to not have the full forensic understanding of the crime scene. Ahn lays down selected evidences but it doesn't seem like a full picture. I just figured it'd be a good time to ask for a lawyer. I do really like the twist but the tension is almost drained out of the situation pretty quickly. This seems to be driving on a certain level and never gets on a higher gear.

Pretty disappointing, the movie seemed like it had so much potential but so little dialogue and a very disappointing ending made it mediocre at best.

It was good until the end.Lack of depth and simple.

Just awful. Slow paced, went nowhere. The outcome was obvious early so no surprises. This is at a level of a grad school project for a film major.

Starts off pretty cool but the ending was unsatisfying. the score wasn't bad at all, pretty soothing

I'm not sure where these starred reviews are coming from. This is a terrible film. It is prolonged agony begging to be over. There is no real plot or action. When the ending revealed, it doesn't matter. Waste of my time and money! It's one time I would like a refund.

"Hollywood is a place where they'll pay you a thousand dollars for a kiss and fifty cents for your soul." Marilyn Monroe

Gemini is cinematographer Andrew Reed's film, from the glamorous long shots of LA at night, the hideaway bars in the seedy sides, to the dazzlingly modern flats. Any weaknesses in the film itself are swamped by the visual grandeur. It's neo noir in muted neon and low-key suspense.

Movie star Heather (Zoe Kravitz) has charmed everyone who attends to her, even her not-rabidly devoted PA, Jill (Lola Kirke).Trouble brews when Heather bows out of a starring role and compromises several interested parties. After introducing a gun, director Aaron Katz has nowhere else to go according to convention other than to have the weapon return with its bloody purpose.

The thriller part is set, now, to be augmented by recurring motifs of friendship and loyalty, and something of a gay immediacy, lesbian to be precise. While the principals and their pals flirt with possibilities, the film is noir, after all, and requires detective work to flesh out the murderer with the attendant bad guys and girls and bleak setting.

The surprisingly low-key denouement with no appreciable thematic commentary leaves the mystery solved but weightless in human terms. Even a gloss of the industry's shallow hucksterism and uncontrollable ambitions would have been appreciated.

In the end, loyalty is the trump card that will propel the actors into another film with the same challenges and disappointments. Hollywood lives one despite intrigues and occasional murders. Thrillers about the biz will never die, and they will continue to draw us in given our fascination with tinsel town's ersatz loyalty. It's the only royalty we really have anymore.

I watched Gemini on a whim. It was at the library and so I just grabbed it. I must say, I was surprised and impressed with this original and fresh Neo-Noir film.

Gemini follows the complex relationship of a Hollywood star and her assistant. A terrific crime sends the assistant across Los Angeles to unravel the mystery. The film leaves you curious and wanting more after every turn.

These days, movies are getting less and less original, but Gemini was fresh off the rack. With amazing and mysterious cinematography, fast paced dialogue and a suspenseful soundtrack, Gemini is a must watch that I highly recommend!

By the middle of Gemini I was in love with the movie. I've watched the Katz career progress, through most of his work, and as usual this one is better than the last one...only, this time his product was shining hot by the middle, like cinema jewelry. The influences of Lynch and Hitchcock, more pronounced than ever, were cooking at a delicious pace with Katz's writing and direction. Wow. Well into the movie I realized that most of the scenes were standalone vignettes, almost perfectly filmed, backed up by a haunting score and solid performances from Lola and Zoe. Continuity was maintained as Katz stitched together the scenes and worked toward an ending suitable to conclude all the fantastic beginning, middle and finishing stuff...except...he didn't. The ending will leave you wanting not only more resolution but also a peek back at the body of the movie to see if you just missed the point. Maybe Katz's finish really follows in a suitable way? Nope. It doesn't. Thud. Still...There are moments of excellance, and if you are a viewer like me, then you will really appreciate the techniques on display and the new artistic mastery Katz shows right up to the end. Suspense, solid 'black' humor, and wonderful cinematography. In particular, look for the scene of an open staircase, two people descending at different levels, and the suspense Katz creates. Clearly, Hitchcock would smile at the homage. Lynch might smile, when a chase scene is shown from high overhead the hollywood hills, at a moment when the protagonist simply must escape. Now, about that ending...

If this movie was Swiss cheese the massive # of holes in it would make it a celebrity cheese. 1. Actress - background, history, income all unknown. Decides, unknown reason, to drop out of a movie at last second in a cold standup sort of way. Only one person representing film interests was told in a restaurant of all places, his response was equivalent to being stood up for a date. 2. Actress wants a gun for unknown reasons. Actresses' agent accidentally fires gun thus leading her to be a suspect in a scene that makes no sense; was inadequately explained; seems to end up as meaningful as cheap tabloid. 3. There's a police investigation. What on? Not really important because it was so shallowly & stupidly conducted you would think you were watching a cheap movie within a movie. 4. Diversions & misdirection suspects were not presented as serious thus not taken seriously. Acting and scene time? Lots of short sentence rehearsed dialogue talking heads. 5. Typical non-conclusive ending w/knowing smile by one of the main characters. Meaning? A forgettable movie.