Dice-Ching-O-Mat

Bluesky

Just like its mashup title, Lithuanian director Kristijonas Vildžiūnas’s latest film is a collage of diverse sensations, genre and cinematic references. Vilis (Dainius Gavenonis), an Asian studies scholar in his fifties, sits in a chair, pondering who he is. There is nothing particularly surprising about this, after all, such things might have happened to all of us. But Vilis’ existential struggle takes place within an enclosed space, reminiscent of a worn-down Soviet elevator, from which he can find no way out. He receives instructions solely from a voice speaking through an intercom, giving him an enigmatic task to exit through the elevator’s red door and find the green door, through which he must return.

The lift’s red door opens onto several moments from Vilis’s past, gradually revealing a life he has completely lost touch with. Although the claustrophobic, stifling space, which serves as the film’s primary setting, invites an obvious comparison to the famous Canadian horror Cube, Dice-Ching-O-Mat seeks to adapt themes and motifs from two far more well-known cult films, Inception and Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, into the register of a more restrained, melodramatic European art-house film.The elevator which, much like in Nolan’s film, serves as a metaphor for the structure of the protagonist’s subconscious, navigates the lost hero toward memories involving his family. These are memories he failed to value in the present, and for which he is now desperately trying to make amends, much like Jim Carrey’s character in Michel Gondry’s masterpiece.

If that were not enough, the I Ching, a sacred text within Chinese Confucianism, plays a pivotal role in Vilis’ thinking and orientation, introducing an entirely different spirituality into the narrative. The book is a guide to a method of divination that does not reveal the future, but rather indicates potential outcomes based on the energetic pattern of one’s current situation.

Despite the noble effort to elevate a simple but loveable family-reunion plot with narrative twists, the film's structure unfortunately collapses under the weight of its own ambitions. While attempting to be a science fiction work rich in philosophical thoughts, it simultaneously presents its premise as a claustrophobic thriller centered on confinement. All these elements have little bearing on the core of the narrative, which is the process of reconnection between Vilis and his family. Although most of the formalistic ideas appear clever in isolation, they remain metaphors that do not influence the story in any way, but merely decorate it.

Although there are tonal inconsistencies, Dice-Ching-O-Mat radiates the personal touch and deep affection that drive Vildžiūnas’ storytelling. “I don’t remember you as kids which makes me really sad,” says the remorseful Vilis, addressed his children in one of the best scenes of the film. These heart-wrenching, yet simple moments clearly demonstrate that sometimes less is more. While Vilis’ journey is about rediscovering his identity through genuine connection and seeing the beauty in everyday life, the multitude of genre tropes and tonal-shifts show the creators applied this same lesson far less to the act of creation itself.

Source