Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Gemini Division

Despite having a name that reminds me of an 80s British New Wave band, this online show is a winner. Gemini Division is the rarest of commodities in a virtual world besieged by empty content: It is good. Produced by Electric Farm Entertainment, the same people who brought us the animated, really quasi animated because there's only jerky movement, Afterworld, and starring Rosario Dawson, Gemini Division is part sci-fi, part love story, part mystery, all topped off with uber techno cop gadgetry. It's quite ingenius. But, when you get right down to it, the reason that the show succeeds is Dawson. She has to establish an intimacy with the viewer that has to feel genuine, and it does. Because of the nature of how the show is shot, with her talking into a webcam to some unknown person or persons, the weight of carrying the storyline falls directly on Dawson's shoulders, and she brings it, baby!
Is the show perfect? No. The webisodes are too short. And despite Dawson's awesome ability to draw you into the circumstances that she's confronted with, it seems as if at times extraneous exposition is forced. I wonder how this will play out as the show advances.
Still, I cannot stress enough how gloriously Dawson pulls off the difficult balance of carrying the full load...
Oh great, my mom's here. She probably wants her tupperware back.

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